Palenqueros (Alberto Ortiz) Tobala Mezcal 750ml

Palenqueros is a single-palenque mezcal project launched by Luca Gargano of La Maison & Velier, spotlighting individual mezcaleros from across Oaxaca on each label. This Tobalá comes from Alberto Ortiz, a fourth generation master palenquero who began working alongside his father at age eleven and now runs his palenque in the village of Bramaderos, Miahuatlán, at roughly 5,400 feet above sea level, an elevation well suited to the slow-growing Tobalá agave he sources.

The wild-harvested Tobalá is roasted in an eleven-ton earthen oven pit, then crushed entirely by hand with a mesquite mallet in a hollowed stone canoe rather than a mechanical mill. Fermentation runs five days in pine wood vats, relying solely on the ambient yeast native to the distillery, before the spirit passes through a 350-liter copper pot still. The result is bottled at still strength with no dilution or additives, preserving the full character of the distillate.

Aromas of summer melon, pineapple, and oak lead into a smoky, leathery backdrop, while the palate turns savory with green pepper, serrano chile, anise, and bay leaf, finishing on a bright note of green apple. This is a layered, food-friendly Tobalá best enjoyed neat, and it pairs nicely with citrus-marinated seafood or grilled vegetables.