Reviews / Fósforo Tobalá Penca

Review · · by The Editors

Fósforo Tobalá Penca

Tobalá aged in glass with the penca – a weird idea that lands

Score: 4.4/5 agaves

Fósforo Tobalá Penca bottle
  • Producer: Fósforo Mezcal, Total Wine Spirits Direct
  • Maestro: Aarón Alva Sánchez
  • Region: San Nicolás Huajuapan, Puebla
  • Agave: Tobala
  • ABV: 43%
  • Price: $150 ($$)

Verdict

Glass-aging with penca is the answer to the reposado problem – it thickens the liquid without costing it aromatics. Fósforo's Penca Tobalá is the sleeper of Total Wine's Spirits Direct program, genuinely closer to a Vago or Cuentacuentos release than to anything else on that shelf. Grab it when you find it and don't overthink the 43%.

Glass-aging with penca is the answer to the reposado problem

Tasting notes

Nose: Roasted agave, beeswax, dried chamomile, green herb

Palate: Aging the spirit in glass with a cooked penca deepens the cooked-agave register without wood interference. 43% is a little shy, but the texture is plusher than the base Fósforo Tobalá – more body, rounder florals, a cleaner finish

Finish: Herbal, warming – long

The bottom line

Worth grabbing when you find it. The sleeper of the Total Wine program

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 5 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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