Reviews / Maltoro Tobala
Review · · by The Editors
Maltoro Tobala
Tobalá at 40%, the agave in name only
Score: 2.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Maltoro Mezcal
- Maestro: Juan Carlos Mateo
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tobala
- ABV: 40%
- Price: $60 ($$)
Verdict
This is the same structural problem as the Maltoro tepextate, a specialty, slow-to-mature wild agave bottled at commercial ABV, which makes a liquid that has the agave's cost without its character. Juan Carlos Mateo's tobalá at 40% is what it says on the tin: a bottle designed for broad distribution, not for the agave's case.
Tobalá at 40% is the brand talking, not the agave
Tasting notes
Nose: Faint honey, soft floral, quiet mineral
Palate: 40% of potatorum that's had its voice taken away by the bottling decision, the tobalá character is faint, the liquid reads sweet-commercial
Finish: Soft, gone. Short
The bottom line
A skip. Pay more or pay less, don't pay this