Maguey Melate Tobala - Rubén López Diego

Verdict

Ruben López's 49.7% clay-pot tobalá from Santa Catarina Albarradas is the answer to whether olla de barro distillation has to mean low-proof and gentle. It does not. This bottle drinks with conviction, the clay signature is unmistakable but the agave drives every step. Track it down and pour it alongside the Jaime Morales Aquino tobalá for a lesson in what proof does to potatorum.

Tasting notes

Nose: Honey, then jasmine, crushed mineral, warm spice, wet clay

Palate: The clay pot's cool dusty signature meets a near-50% tobalá that refuses to pull punches, floral clarity, dense mid-palate, flinty grip

Finish: Dry, stone-floral, long

The bottom line

The clay-pot tobalá reference of this batch