El Destilado Tobaziche - Berta Vasquez

Item: El Destilado Tobaziche - Berta Vasquez
Rating: 4.0
Author: The Editors

Berta Vásquez's tobaziche for El Destilado at 44.8%, a reference maestra's signature on an under-celebrated agave

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Producer: El Destilado
Maestro: Berta Vasquez
Region: San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca
Agave: Tobaziche
ABV: 44.8%
Price: $40–90 ($$)

Verdict

The tobaziche shows in full without the proof needing to be higher, because the maestra's hand substitutes for structural support. A strong single-maestra El Destilado. Buy alongside her 5 Sentidos espadín if you want to understand her range.

Berta Vásquez's bottlings keep confirming she's one of the category's reference maestras

Tasting notes

Nose: Green pepper, then dry grass, mineral damp, warm stone, faint smoke

Palate: Lean at 44.8%. Berta's production signature – visible across her releases for different importers, is a particular kind of restraint: nothing pushed, nothing rounded

Finish: Cooling, drying, subtly wet slate

The bottom line

Berta Vásquez's tobaziche, worth owning