Reviews / 5 Sentidos Tobala de Cuero
Review · · by The Editors
5 Sentidos Tobala de Cuero
Tobalá rested in leather – a risk with a delicate agave
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: 5 Sentidos
- Maestro: Alberto Martinez, Reynaldo Alejandro
- Region: Santa Catarina Albarradas, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tobala
- ABV: 47%
- Price: $159 ($$)
Verdict
Three consensus reviews at 3.8 tracks with a bottle that's a legitimate experiment but slightly compromised by concept. Sierra negra handles leather; tobalá resists it. If you want leather-rest mezcal, take the sierra negra 'de cuero'; if you want tobalá, take the straight Martinez. Compared with any Lalocura tobalá, this has noticeably less lift.
Leather suits heavy agaves; tobalá, not so much
Tasting notes
Nose: Wildflower. Then cured hide, wet stone, faint pear
Palate: Leather rest on tobalá is always going to contend with the agave's floral delicacy; at approximately 47% Martinez and Alejandro keep the cuero note in check, but some of the tobalá's top-end aromatic lift is lost in the process
Finish: Floral, faintly leather
The bottom line
A pass. The straight Martinez tobalá or the sierra negra de cuero are better buys