Marca Negra Ensamble has a semisweet beginning with citrus and yellow plum , clove and white pepper, and a floral end. It is a blend of Espadin, Bicuishe and Madre-Cuishe. This mix gives the Mezcal a rich and sweet feel that lingers brilliantly on the palate.
Marca Negra Arroqueno is made with 100% wild agave Arroqueno in Santa Maria la Pila. This mezcal is made by master Mezcalero Alberto Ortiz in very small batches that are typically limited to around 300 bottles. The agave Arroqueno gives this mezcal a rich texture that is peppered with notes of oak, vanilla, and tropical fruits.
Marca Negra Dobadan tastes of cooked agave with a touch of molasses and brown sugar, green herbs and grapefruit peel, a slight smoky flavor gives way to a sweet finish. The agave Dobadaan and agave Mexicano are the same varietal of agave rhodacantha. Both names for this type of agave are pretty widely accepted. The Marca Negra Dobadaan tastes of rich fruits, and it’s very clean on the nose and palate.
The Marca Negra Tobala is a burly Mezcal. At 50+% ABV, there isn’t much in US that has a higher alcohol content. Though the strength of the spirit is unavoidable, the ABV does not overpower this Mezcal. There are hints of tropical fruit flavor. As a Tobala, the bar is high for this Mezcal and Marca Negra has made this a very complex spirit by making it with such a high ABV.
Marca Negra Tepeztate is produced in limited quantities due to the scarcity of the agave Tepeztate. This mezcal is made by Jorge Mendez in San Luis del Rio using the agave Tepeztate that take 25-30 years to mature. This is a delicate mezcal that many revere as one of the finest Tepeztate mezcals available outside of Oaxaca. It has an intense minerality with notes of spicy green peppers, chives, and peat.
Mezcal is often referred to as the South of the Border cousin to Islay Scotch. While not every bottle merits this comparison, the new line from Mezcal Marca Negra stands out with distinct smokiness and a strong, proud identity of where it was grown. Every bottle of Marca Negra contains information on the type of agave used, where it was made, the master distiller’s name and even the batch and bottle number- quite literally, a thumbprint of its origin.