Ilegal
The Oaxacan espadín range that built its name behind the bar.
- Region
- Tlacolula, Oaxaca
- Country
- Mexico
- Founded
- 2004
- Agaves
- Espadín
- ABV range
- 40% – 42%
- Styles
- Joven, Añejo, Reposado
- Community reviews
- 505
Ilegal Mezcal started as bottles carried across the border to stock John Rexer's bar in Antigua, Guatemala, and grew into one of the most visible artisanal mezcal labels in the world. The origin story is part of the brand, but the range itself is straightforward and consistent.
All three expressions are made from Oaxacan espadín: an unaged Joven, a Reposado rested four months in American oak, and an Añejo aged around thirteen months. That aged tier is unusual in a category where most serious labels bottle only joven.
In practice Ilegal is a bartender's mezcal — proofed and priced for mixing, widely stocked, and reliable from bottle to bottle rather than batch-variable like collector labels.
What Ilegal is known for
Wide availability, a consistent espadín house style, and a rare full joven-reposado-añejo ladder that makes it an easy way to taste what oak does to mezcal.
Where to start in the range
Joven for cocktails and a first pour, Reposado if you want a softer sipper, and Añejo to compare directly against an aged tequila.
House tasting profile
Recurring notes across Ilegal's bottles in the catalog.
Aroma
Palate
Finish
Review highlights
Best-rated Ilegal bottles by community score.
Bottles from Ilegal

Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal Joven
3.2(176)
Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal Anejo
3.1(161)
Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal 7 Year Añejo
3.5(42)
Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal Reposado
3.6(42)
Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal Carribean Cask Finish
3.5(42)
Ilegal — frequently asked
- Is Ilegal good for cocktails?
- Yes — the Joven is one of the most widely used mezcals in bars for Negronis, margaritas and mezcal sours.
- What agave is Ilegal made from?
- Espadín, grown and distilled in Oaxaca.