Real Minero Becuela is made with maguey becuela (Agave marmorata) in the community of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca.
About this destilado de agave
Real Minero Becuela is made with maguey becuela (Agave marmorata) in the community of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. The maguey becuela is not commonly found in this region, and the maguey used in this mezcal took 30 years to reach maturity. The magueyes were mashed by hand and double distilled in clay pot stills. Batch DARMBE-02 was aged in glass for 1 year and 6 months before being bottled.
Real Minero
Real Minero (previously Mezcal Real Minero) is considered by many to be one of the world’s finest mezcal producers. The Angeles family has been making mezcal for several generations in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. Their mezcal is made in small clay pot stills, and almost all of it is rested in glass for several months before bottling, giving the mezcal a much softer character. Outside of creating great spirits, they also have one of the largest and most diverse sustainable agave reforestation programs. With the help of the community, they’ve been able to rescue several agave varieties that were previously thought to be extinct. The ABV of each batch may vary slightly, so check your bottle for details.
In 2020, the brand began dropping the word “mezcal” from their labels. The term “traditional” replaces the CRM “ancestral” designation. Shortly thereafter, the brand officially parted ways with the certification process; all future releases will be labeled as “agave spirits” or something similar. Despite the label changes, nothing significant about their production process has changed over years.
Learn more:
- Real Minero agave nursery tour on Mezcal Reviews
- Real Minero palenque tour on Mezcal Reviews
- Listen to Graciela Angeles Carreño talk about her family’s production on the Show De Vie Podcast: Ep 291 – Graciela Angeles Carreño – The Real Thing.
Review this bottle
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laurensbrewing7665
5 reviewsdelicious, smooth, herbal and spicy at the end
Ben P
149 reviewsABV 48.3% OTT Batch
Nose: Classic nose I get with Marmorata. Popsicle stick, honey covered jalapeños, it’s layered and pungent, there’s some soft earth underneath all of it.
Palate: more honey Jalapeno, spiced mango, burnt peach, pepper skins, a little woody and cacao. Moving to the finish is fig jam, soil. Finish is chile covered grapefruit, passionfruit, spicy Paloma just sitting on your tongue on the finish. The clay makes this on the finish giving the flavors depth.
This is excellent. Sometimes the clay is just there on something, like in the background but I feel the clay on this one gives everything so much depth. What a freaking pour
ABV 48.3% OTT Batch
Nose: Classic nose I get with Marmorata. Popsicle stick, honey covered jalapeños, it’s layered and pungent, there’s some soft earth underneath all of it.
Palate: more honey Jalapeno, spiced mango, burnt peach, pepper skins, a little woody and cacao. Moving to the finish is fig jam, soil. Finish is chile covered grapefruit, passionfruit, spicy Paloma just sitting on your tongue on the finish. The clay makes this on the finish giving the flavors depth.
This is excelle
COak
238 reviewsDARME-03 Old Town tequila Batch. Becuela aka Tepextate has recently been elusive from Real Minero. This stands up to Lalocura’s clay pot Tepextate. Bright, green and not too hot. Superior to the 02 batch.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsNose – Black pepper. Chopped green onions. Very nice – spicy and vegetal.
Palate – Floral sweetness. Black pepper and onions from the nose. BBQ grilled nopal. Then a hit of quality clay notes. Forteleza Blanco is one of my favorite tequilas and Greenspoint absolutely frickin’ nails this – it’s exactly what I thought of when I tasted it (although an upgraded clay version).
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsTexas-only release iirc. If you are a fan of tequila, this is for you. Imagine a cross between the clay-earthiness of a Minas mezcal with the clear, crispiness of, say, a Fortaleza Blanco. This is the best marmorata ive ever had. Incredible
meserole
73 reviewsI first tried the Real Minero becuela variety on their palenque early in 2021, and it blew me away more than any other variety offered. Unfortunately they hadn’t yet bottled the product. I’ve been on the lookout and finally saw it pop up as an offering from the famed San Diego liquor store Old Town Tequila, where I’ve discovered a few of my all-time favorites. I wasn’t disappointed — this easily launches into my top 10, one of the few 5 star bottles I’ve tasted.
Nose: leather, copper, nectarines and other sticky stone fruit juices
Mouth: All of the aforementioned juices, papaya, watermelon, a bit more body than your average mezcal, and so flavorful you’d think this had the actual fruit distillations like a pechuga.
After: smooth minerality, soft and clean.
DARMBE-03 batch from Old Town Tequila.
I first tried the Real Minero becuela variety on their palenque early in 2021, and it blew me away more than any other variety offered. Unfortunately they hadn’t yet bottled the product. I’ve been on the lookout and finally saw it pop up as an offering from the famed San Diego liquor store Old Town Tequila, where I’ve discovered a few of my all-time favorites. I wasn’t disappointed — this easily launches into my top 10, one of the few 5 star bottles I’ve tast
razorbackmike
161 reviewsjonny was right.this had to be one of the softest mezcals i have ever had.ordered from old town tequila.lovely tep profile.green bell pepper and garden produce.gentle smoke.very velvety and enjoyable but the flavor wasnt a knockout.i have had other teps that stood out more.very good but falling slightly short considering the 200.00 price tag. 4 stars for the gentle and sweet quality.would rate it higher if the cost was lower.UPDATE:this has been opened for a few weeks and it blossomed beautifully.it kept its soft profile and the flavors really jump out.amazing what time can do.more clay sweetness.makes you salivate!
jonny was right.this had to be one of the softest mezcals i have ever had.ordered from old town tequila.lovely tep profile.green bell pepper and garden produce.gentle smoke.very velvety and enjoyable but the flavor wasnt a knockout.i have had other teps that stood out more.very good but falling slightly short considering the 200.00 price tag. 4 stars for the gentle and sweet quality.would rate it higher if the cost was lower.UPDATE:this has been opened for a few weeks and it blossomed beautifull
Tyler
668 reviewsReview for two separate batches. DARMBE-02. Texas batch aged in glass for 18 months. Dark fruit. Cooked cinnamon. Enjoyable but not impressive for my taste. 3.5 stars. DARMBE-03. Old Town Tequila batch distilled in February 2021. Incredible! Big round fresh green pepper notes. An incredible balance of flavors. Don’t expect a “Tepeztate” bomb but it is a prominent note. Freshly cooked agave with fresh peaches. This is a perfect example of clay-pot mezcal from Santa Catarina Minas. 5+ stars.
Review for two separate batches. DARMBE-02. Texas batch aged in glass for 18 months. Dark fruit. Cooked cinnamon. Enjoyable but not impressive for my taste. 3.5 stars. DARMBE-03. Old Town Tequila batch distilled in February 2021. Incredible! Big round fresh green pepper notes. An incredible balance of flavors. Don’t expect a “Tepeztate” bomb but it is a prominent note. Freshly cooked agave with fresh peaches. This is a perfect example of clay-pot mezcal from Santa Catarina Mina
Jonny
736 reviewsDARMBE-02. Sweet baby Jesus. So soft and velvety, yet with that classic marmorata spice and prickle. The nose is herbal, spicy, and creamy. It has notes of jalapeno, lavender, sage, and sweet cream. The palate has sweet bell peppers and jalapeno cream. This tastes like a sauce in which I’d want to smother a chicken enchilada.