El Jolgorio Tobala Mezcal 750ml

One of the smallest varieties of agave used to make mezcal, Tobalá is often referred to as the “King of the Wild Agave” due to both its nature and its history. Before the modern “mezcal rush” mezcal was typically more of a field-harvest approach: whichever agave were reaching maturity would be co-fermented and distilled together. Tobalá, however, was seen as offering something special, and was often reserved to be distilled alone and in smaller amounts.

Tobalá generally grows at high elevation in the shade of trees or other larger agave.  Its small size and lower sugar yield, even after 10-18 years of growth, means that it often delivers as little as a third to a half a liter of mezcal per plant. That scarcity made it all the more precious, and the legend of Tobalá was born. A rare treat by any measure, Tobalá today represents only around 2% of the agave growing in Oaxaca.

Produced Oaxaca, Mexico, the agave is cooked in a horno (conical earthen oven), milled using a horse-driven stone tahona, and naturally fermented in open-air wooden tanks called tinas before being distilled twice using copper pot stills. 47% ABV (Alcohol will vary with each batch).