Reviews / Erstwhile Tobala Ancestral
Review · · by The Editors
Erstwhile Tobala Ancestral
Ancestral tobalá at 48%. Clay-still distillation on a tricky agave, and a rare category format
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Erstwhile Mezcal
- Maestro: Epifania Gómez Mejía, Silverio Garcia Luis
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tobala
- ABV: 48%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Reach for this over the standard Erstwhile tobalá, the clay-still ancestral process adds a textural density the copper version can't match, and tobalá is temperamental enough that most producers don't bother with the harder method. The premium over the regular bottle is small; the quality gap is not. Consensus 3.8 is conservative; we score 4.0.
Ancestral tobalá is scarce for a reason – it's hard to pull off at the still
Tasting notes
Nose: Wildflower with warm citrus, hot clay undertone
Palate: Aromatic and textured at 48% – ancestral production preserves the agave's fragile aromatics while adding clay-still weight
Finish: Floral, drying, with a slow clay-earth fade. Very long
The bottom line
Buy over the standard Erstwhile tobalá