The “Maluma Mezcal”… most of the time you should be cautious about celebrity mezcals, but I gave it a shot because I wanted to see what the “Cristalino” method does to it. Unfortunately, I feel like it rather takes away from the complexity than adding something. You can use it as a mixer, but for that there are cheaper options out there (this one is about $60 in the US).
Contraluz Mezcal, famously co-owned by Colombian singer Maluma, is crafted by maestro mezcalero Don Carlos León Monterrubio in Oaxaca’s Tlacolula de Matamoros region. He created the first “Mezcal cristalino”, a method better known from Tequila making.
The process involves a six-month resting period in charred American oak barrels followed by filtration through activated charcoal. This results in a “crystal-clear” spirit.
In 2022, Colombian singer Maluma (Juan Luis Londoño Arias) became a major investor and the face of the brand, marking his first co-ownership in the spirits category. Contraluz was founded in 2016 by the Mexican-based and owned global spirits company Casa Lumbre, and it entered the U.S. market in 2022.