Reviews / Koch Lumbre

Review · · by The Editors

Koch Lumbre

Koch Lumbre – San Baltazar Guélavila, a warmer register

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Koch Lumbre bottle
  • Producer: Koch Mezcal
  • Maestro: Pedro Hernandez
  • Region: San Baltazar Guélavila, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Lumbre
  • ABV: 47%
  • Price: $70 ($)

Verdict

Lumbre is one of the karwinskii sub-varieties that doesn't travel much, and Koch's version is a credible US introduction. Pedro Hernandez's San Baltazar Guélavila handwriting gives it real proof presence and a spicier register than the more common tobaziche. Buy for karwinskii education alongside the coyote and tobasiche above and below.

Lumbre lives up to its name – warm through and through

Tasting notes

Nose: Roasted agave, pepper, dried fruit, faint smoke

Palate: 47% – Pedro Hernandez's lumbre (a regional name for a karwinskii-family agave) comes out warmer and spicier than the adjacent Koch tobaziche or madrecuishe work

Finish: Medium-long, warm, spicy

The bottom line

Buy. A warm karwinskii for drinkers going deep

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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