Mal Bien - Alto Mezcal by Isidro Rodriguez

MAL BIEN - Alto Mezcal by Isidro Rodriguez

Rio de Parras, Querendaro Michoacán 0423IRM, 46%, 1,333 bottles, April, 2023

Don Isidro’s alto defies a lot of stereotypes of mezcal from Michoacán, specifically its clean, mineral driven character, and a lack of funky, lactic flavors, which many mezcaleros and drinkers enjoy. Isidro avoids the cheesy notes by creating relatively fast fermentations (others in the region can go on for 30+ days), which he achieves by adding a couple of liters of pulque to every thousand liters of mashed agave.

Isidro is a first generation mezcalero who began distilling when he was 19 years old. After sharing his village’s communal vinata for many years, he built his own in 2015, where he currently works with his sons and son-in-law.