Fósforo Ensamble

Item: Fósforo Ensamble
Rating: 3.5
Author: The Editors

Puebla espadilla/tobalá ensamble at supermarket pricing

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Producer: Fósforo Mezcal, Total Wine Spirits Direct
Maestro: Aarón Alva Sánchez
Region: San Nicolás Huajuapan, Puebla
Agave: Espadilla, Tobala
ABV: 43%
Price: $90 ($$)

Verdict

Total Wine's Fósforo line is quietly one of the better mass-distributed Puebla mezcals. Aarón Alva Sánchez's ensamble isn't going to outflank Real Minero or NETA, but at its shelf price it punches above Banhez Ensamble in the same bracket. Buy if you live near a Total Wine and want Puebla on the shelf.

Total Wine's Fósforo line is quietly one of the better mass-distributed Puebla mezcals

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave with a green pear, light floral, a wisp of char

Palate: The tobalá's floral lift peeks through the espadilla's cooked-sweet body. 43% is honest for the price; the Puebla register is drier than Oaxaca ensambles at the same bracket

Finish: Clean, faintly floral. Medium

The bottom line

Buy if you're at Total Wine already