Ilegal Mezcal Joven

Ilegal started as smuggling. In 2004 John Rexer began bringing unbranded mezcal down from Oaxacan villages for his bar, Café No Sé, in Antigua, Guatemala — when almost nothing was certified for export — and the mezcal got so popular he went legit in 2006, naming the brand for its origins. It's made at the Mal de Amor palenque in Santiago Matatlán by fourth-generation mezcaleros Armando and Alvaro Hernández: ripe espadín roasted in an earthen pit, crushed, fermented in oak vats, and double-distilled in small copper stills, bottled unaged at 40% ABV. Bacardí took a minority stake in 2017 and bought the brand in 2023. Mezcal Reviews found deep agave with green apple, citrus, and white pepper, lingering heat, and a sweet agave feel — ideal for cocktails and fine neat. Mezcal PhD calls it a beautiful espadín joven with light smoke and lemon peel, from one of his favorite brands. Tequila Whisperer: oily, viscous, pear and apple, white pepper, with only a modicum of smoke. Rolling Stone: citrus, earthy greens, peppery spice, roasted fig, and sweet potato. Honest note: it's a big-brand, 40%, cocktail-forward mezcal — purists chasing wild agaves look elsewhere, and bartenders reach for it by the case; the 2016 Donald eres un Pendejo billboards were theirs. For a mezcal Margarita, a Mezcal Negroni, a Naked and Famous, or the Ilegal cocktail itself.

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