Del Maguey Tobala Mezcal 750ml

Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal was founded in 1995 by artist and mezcal pioneer Ron Cooper, who set out to introduce the world to traditionally made, village-specific spirits from Oaxaca, Mexico. The company built direct relationships with Zapotec palenqueros, or family producers, crediting each bottling to the individual village where it was distilled rather than blending across regions. The Tobalá expression comes from a mountain village in the state's high canyons, where maestro mezcalero Rogelio Martinez Cruz continues the handcrafted methods passed down through generations.

Tobalá is made from Agave potatorum, a wild variety that grows naturally in the shade of oak trees at high elevation rather than being cultivated in fields. Its piñas are small, so roughly eight are needed to produce the same yield as a single cultivated Espadín piña, making harvest slow and labor-intensive. The piñas are roasted in an earthen pit oven, crushed by hand, fermented with native yeasts, and distilled twice in small copper stills, following methods used in the region for centuries.

The resulting spirit has a sweet, fruity nose with notes of ripe mango, papaya, and cinnamon, layered over gentle smoke and honeysuckle. On the palate it is smooth and warming, with dried tropical fruit and a long, refined finish that showcases the character of wild agave.