Gente de Mezcal tobalá review

Mike Gerrard – Drinks writer

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Tobalá Joven features subtle herbal notes and a chocolatey richness to produce a well-rounded taste. Read on to find out how it performed in our mezcal taste test

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Gente de Mezcal tobalá – 46% ABV

Overall rating: 4.5/5

In a nutshell: A premium, well-rounded mezcal made from the prized tobalá agave, with a high ABV and complex flavour notes.

Full review of Gente de Mezcal tobalá

The tobalá agave is known for producing quality mezcals, but as it only grows at high altitudes and takes eight times as many plants to make mezcal as it does more common agaves, maestro mezcaleros – the mezcal distillers – are careful not to over-harvest them.

Aureliano Hernández, a fifth-generation maestro, is the man responsible for this tobalá mezcal from Gente de Mezcal. It was produced in San Baltazar de Guevila in Oaxaca, with only 1,200 litres being made.

The 100% tobalá agave spirit is clear in colour as it is joven (young or unaged). On the nose it has a definite smokiness about it, but that's balanced by a creamy vanilla sweetness, with perhaps a hint of mint and other herbs. There’s also a scent of straw and earthiness, even meatiness.

On the palate, this tobalá joven is less smoky but still creamy, with herbal notes and a chocolatey richness. It's a well-rounded taste with a very gentle after-taste, belying the fact that it’s a strong 46% ABV.

The perfect pour

Gente de Mezcal recommend drinking their tobalá neat, paired with a mole sauce or richly-spiced food from the Yucatan.

Read our full review of mezcals

This review was last updated in July 2019. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly.

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