Reviews / 5 Sentidos Tobala - Alberto Martinez

Review · · by The Editors

5 Sentidos Tobala - Alberto Martinez

Martinez on tobalá – the category reference at a reasonable price

Score: 4.5/5 agaves

5 Sentidos Tobala - Alberto Martinez bottle
  • Producer: 5 Sentidos
  • Maestro: Alberto Martinez
  • Region: Santa Catarina Albarradas, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Tobala
  • ABV: 46.2%
  • Price: $140 ($$)

Verdict

Nineteen consensus reviews at 4.5 puts this in the small club of unambiguously excellent catalog bottles. Comparable to a Real Minero tobalá at a slightly gentler price; comparable to a Jolgorio tobalá without the marketing overhead. Martinez's clay technique gives the liquid a particular textural richness that copper doesn't quite match. Hunt it.

If you can't buy Real Minero's tobalá this week, this is what you reach for

Tasting notes

Nose: Wildflower, ripe pear, wet stone, faint mint

Palate: Tobalá is where 5 Sentidos really shines and Martinez's version at 46.2% through clay is the closest the catalog comes to a guaranteed satisfaction – floral lift, mineral base, creamy mid-palate. The proof is a hair lower than we'd optimize but the technique compensates

Finish: Floral, stone – long

The bottom line

Worth the chase. The best value reference tobalá in 5 Sentidos' catalog

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