●THE AMARO ATLAS

RECORD familia-mari-mayans · EVIDENCE GRADE B · UNCLAIMED · LAST VERIFIED 2026-07-09

Familia Marí Mayans — Hierbas Ibicencas

Sant Antoni de Portmany · Spain · 38.980, 1.304

REGION: rest of worldTRADITION: HierbasEST. 1880WEBSITE ↗

ZONE 01 — VERIFIED FACTS

Founded
1880, by Juan Marí Mayans, originally in Formentera (Diffords Guide states 1885; producer-official's 1880 is used per provenance hierarchy — A-grade producer source over B-grade press)A·3
Current distillery location
Polígono Industrial Monte Cristo, Carrer des Pou de na Maciana 31, 07816 Sant Antoni de Portmany (Ibiza), Illes Balears, SpainA·1
Ownership
Five generations of continuous family ownershipA·1
Hierbas Ibicencas ABV
26% volA·5
Hierbas Ibicencas base and ingredients
Demineralised water, molasses alcohol, white sugar, distillates/macerations/infusions of Ibiza botanicals (spirit-based, not wine-based)A·5
Hierbas Ibicencas bitterness classification
Not described as bitter by any source checked (producer x2, Diffords, independent retailer); classified as bittering-adjacent (family ring), not core/bitterB·7
Palo ABV
25% volA·6
Palo ingredients
Demineralised water, molasses alcohol, white sugar, gentian, quina (cinchona), natural caramel E-150d, orange, lemon, cinnamon, natural aromaA·6
Geographic protection
Hierbas Ibicencas falls under the Denominación Geográfica Hierbas Ibicencas, established 1997A·3

ZONE 02 — AI-COLLATED SUMMARY

AI-ASSISTED · FROM GRADED PUBLIC SOURCES

Familia Marí Mayans is a five-generation family distillery founded in 1880 on Formentera by Juan Marí Mayans, now based in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza. It makes two spirit-based, herb-and-botanical liqueurs within the Spanish hierbas tradition. Palo (25% ABV) is the amaro-conforming flagship: built on gentian and cinchona bark, classic bittering agents, producer copy explicitly frames it as bitter neat or on ice, and it clears the wine-based hard exclusion by being molasses-alcohol-based despite its historical role as a Spanish vermouth substitute. Hierbas Ibicencas (26% ABV) is herb-forward and aniseed-driven but is not described as bitter by any source checked, including the producer's own materials, so it is classed as bittering-adjacent (family ring) rather than core. Both products are confirmed spirit-based via producer ingredient declarations. The producer also makes several non-conforming spirits (Frígola, Absenta, gins, a tequila) excluded from this record.

AI-collated from the graded sources below after adversarial re-verification; Hierbas Ibicencas downgraded from core/bitter to family ring on evidence that no source describes it as bitter; operator review pending

ZONE 03 — PRODUCER-SUBMITTED NOTES

This record is unclaimed. This space opens to the producer when they claim it. Producer claiming is coming soon.

PRODUCTS ON RECORD

Palo

25% ABV · 1000ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY aperitivoRING coreTRADITION HierbasSELF-IDENTIFIED “El aperitivo ibicenco por excelencia (the quintessential Ibizan aperitif)”

A molasses-alcohol-based aperitif built on extractions of quina calisaya (cinchona bark) and gentian root, coloured with natural caramel (E-150d) and rounded with orange, lemon and cinnamon. Producer materials describe it as notably bitter neat or on ice, with sweetness and body coming through once mixed with soda water. Historically taken in Ibiza before meals as an appetite stimulant, and has served locally as a vermouth substitute despite being spirit-based (molasses alcohol), not wine-based, which is why it clears the amaro spec's wine-based exclusion.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 6 GRADED EDGES

  • Gentian (Gentiana lutea) · primary bittering agentA·6
  • Quina / cinchona bark (Cinchona calisaya) · primary bittering agentA·6
  • Orange · citrus aromaticA·6
  • Lemon · citrus aromaticA·6
  • Cinnamon · spice aromaticA·6
  • Natural caramel (E-150d) · colouringA·6

DESCRIPTORS

  • bitter neat/on ice ▮▮▮▮▮A·4
  • subtly sweet when mixed ▮▮▮▮▮A·4
  • spiced/citrus ▮▮▮▮▮A·6

Hierbas Ibicencas

26% ABV · 1000ML

BOTTLE IMAGE
ADDED BY THE PRODUCER

SUBCATEGORY — (family ring)RING familyTRADITION HierbasSELF-IDENTIFIED “Hierbas Ibicencas (protected Denominación Geográfica, est. 1997)”

The flagship herbal liqueur of Familia Marí Mayans, made to handwritten recipes of founder Juan Marí Mayans since 1880 using distillation, infusion, maceration and boiling of aromatic plants grown across Ibiza and Formentera. A molasses-alcohol base is sweetened (4.5g sugar per 30ml) and coloured by the botanical macerations. On adversarial re-verification, no source — not the producer's own two product pages, Diffords Guide, or independent retailers — describes this product as bitter; it is consistently characterised as sweet, balanced and aniseed-forward. It is genuinely herb-forward but bitterness is not a defining trait, so it is classed here as bittering-adjacent (family ring) rather than a core bitter, distinguishing it from the producer's other product, Palo, which is explicitly bitter. Falls under the protected Denominación Geográfica Hierbas Ibicencas designation.

BOTANICAL MATRIX — 8 GRADED EDGES

  • Aniseed · aromatic, dominant top noteB·7
  • Juniper berries · bittering/aromaticB·7
  • Thyme · herbal aromaticB·7
  • Rosemary · herbal aromaticB·7
  • Mountain mint · herbal aromatic, cooling finishB·7
  • Lemon peel · citrus top noteB·7
  • Orange peel · citrus top noteB·7
  • Fennel · aromatic, pine-like freshnessB·7

DESCRIPTORS

  • herbal ▮▮▮▮▮B·7
  • aniseed-forward ▮▮▮▮▮B·7
  • sweet/balanced (not bitter) ▮▮▮▮▮B·7
  • piny/fresh finish ▮▮▮▮▮B·7

SERVES

Chupito helado (chilled shot)

producer
  • · Hierbas Ibicencas, chilled
  • · Serve neat as a shot glass

Serve very cold, neat, as a shot.A·3

Hierbas con hielo (short glass with ice)

producer
  • · Hierbas Ibicencas over ice
  • · Short glass

Pour over ice in a short glass, taken as a post-meal digestif.A·3

Palo con sifón

producer
  • · Palo over ice in a tall/wine glass
  • · Squeeze of lemon
  • · 2-3 drops gin
  • · Top with soda water

Serve in a tall or wine glass with ice, a squeeze of lemon and 2-3 drops of gin, topped with soda water to soften the bitterness and lift sweetness. Traditionally taken before meals.A·4

ZONE 04 — COMMUNITY TASTING NOTES

RESERVED — community notes open in V2 with moderation and bias handling. The contributions ledger is already recording.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Where is Familia Marí Mayans — Hierbas Ibicencas made?
Familia Marí Mayans — Hierbas Ibicencas is made in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Spain, and was founded in 1880.
What style of amaro is Familia Marí Mayans — Hierbas Ibicencas?
On The Amaro Atlas, Palo is recorded in the core ring, aperitivo subcategory, within the Hierbas tradition. The producer describes it as "El aperitivo ibicenco por excelencia (the quintessential Ibizan aperitif)".

SOURCES — A–D GRADED (8)

  1. [1]AFamilia Marí Mayans — official site · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09
  2. [2]AFamilia Marí Mayans — Spirits range · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09
  3. [3]AHierbas Ibicencas — product page · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09Confirms heritage, 1880 handwritten recipes, production method (distillation/infusion/maceration/boiling), Denominación Geográfica Hierbas Ibicencas (1997), serving suggestions. Re-fetched 2026-07-09: also confirms founding language 'hacia el 1880' and '130+ years' framing. Does not call the product bitter.
  4. [4]APalo — product page · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09Re-fetched 2026-07-09: confirms 25% ABV, quina calisaya + gentian as base botanicals, molasses-alcohol (spirit) base explicitly distinguished from wine/vermouth, bitterness character neat/on ice, and the soda-water serve.
  5. [5]AHierbas Ibicencas — QR product/regulatory sheet (000HIB100) · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09Re-fetched 2026-07-09: confirms 26% ABV, full ingredients list (demineralised water, molasses alcohol, white sugar, distillates/macerations/infusions of Ibiza botanicals), 4.5g sugar per 30ml serving, no allergens declared. Ingredient copy contains no bitterness language.
  6. [6]APalo — QR product/regulatory sheet (050PAL100) · producer-official · accessed 2026-07-09Re-fetched 2026-07-09: confirms 25% ABV and full ingredients list: demineralised water, molasses alcohol, white sugar, gentian, quina, natural caramel E-150d, orange, lemon, cinnamon, natural aroma. Molasses-alcohol base explicitly confirmed as the spirit base (not wine).
  7. [7]BMarí Mayans Hierbas Ibicencas · press · accessed 2026-07-09Re-fetched 2026-07-09. States 26% ABV (matches producer) and an 1885 founding year — a variance against the producer-official 1880 figure; producer-official (grade A) used for foundedYear per provenance hierarchy. Lists ~18 botanicals including aniseed, juniper, thyme, rosemary, mountain mint, lemon/orange peel, fennel. Tasting notes: 'very aromatic with obvious aniseed, rosemary and thyme' nose, 'surprisingly subtle, balanced palate' with mint/aniseed/juniper/fennel giving 'pine-like freshness'. Confirmed on direct re-fetch: this page does NOT call the product a bitter anywhere; the word does not appear in its tasting notes or copy.
  8. [8]CMari Mayans Hierbas Ibicencas 26% Vol. 1l — delicando · press · accessed 2026-07-09Independent retailer tasting note, fetched 2026-07-09 as a third-party cross-check on bitterness framing: 'Smooth and balanced, with a beautiful blend of herbs such as rosemary, mint and thyme, accompanied by a pleasant lemon freshness and a hint of aniseed.' No bitterness language. Used only to corroborate the ring reclassification, not for botanicals/ABV facts.

A producer-official / regulatory · B reputable published · C secondary · D community/unverified