El Destilado Tobaziche - Tio Pedro

Verdict

Tobaziche doesn't get the marketing spend tepextate or tobalá get, which means producers either treat it seriously or don't bottle it at all. El Destilado treats it seriously, the named-maestro releases (including the Berta Vásquez batch) are reference work for a quietly under-celebrated agave. Buy it; tobaziche at this caliber is the kind of bottle that rewards a drinker paying attention to the less-hyped corners of the category.

Tasting notes

Nose: Green pepper with warm earth, a cooling mint high note. classic tobaziche aromatics with real definition

Palate: With a mineral spine the cheaper tobaziches don't find. El Destilado's production preserves the agave's vegetal-herbal character without letting it drift into soapy territory (a common problem with tobaziche at this proof), and the discipline stays consistent across the bottle; lean at 47%

Finish: Cooling, drying, with that late-mint echo the nose promised

The bottom line

A credible tobaziche at the specialty tier