Reviews / Lamata Tepemete

Review · · by The Editors

Lamata Tepemete

Tepemete at 52% – Maximino Cruz, Durango's wild tepe at full voice

Score: 4.5/5 agaves

Lamata Tepemete bottle
  • Producer: Lamata
  • Maestro: Maximino Cruz
  • Region: El Mezquital, Durango
  • Agave: Tepemete
  • ABV: 52%
  • Price: $70 ($)

Verdict

Lamata Tepemete is Lamata at its best – Maximino Cruz running a rarely-bottled marmorata-family agave at a proof most bottlers wouldn't commit to, and the result is the best tepemete on US shelves that we know of. La Medida's Oaxacan tepextate at 46% is the counterpoint; this drinks deeper. Chase it down. Consensus 4.4; we agree.

Tepemete at 52% is Durango answering tepextate in its own dialect

Tasting notes

Nose: Tropical floral, green pepper, mineral damp, a cool herbal edge

Palate: Bright and dense at 52%. Cruz's tepemete, a marmorata-family wild Durango variant, runs at the proof the agave demands, and the floral-chalky character is unusually clear for the family

Finish: Floral-chalky, slow cool close, very long

The bottom line

Chase it down. Peak Durango tepemete, correct proof

Where to buy online

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

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