Reviews / Montelobos Tobala
Review · · by The Editors
Montelobos Tobala
Tobalá hit the commercial template, and the template won
Score: 3.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Montelobos Mezcal
- Maestro: Aarón Alva Sánchez
- Region: Puebla
- Agave: Tobala
- ABV: 46.8%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Montelobos Tobalá is the category's friendliest version of the agave – which means it's also the most forgettable. The enological discipline that serves the espadín fails the tobalá; you don't want this agave polished. Tobalá's identity is aromatic drama, mineral complexity, and the specific honey-floral weight that only proper proof and patient production preserve. Montelobos smooths those edges into a commercial template that any restaurant can pour. 3.5 consensus overstates; reading at 3.
Tobalá flattened into a commercial spec
Tasting notes
Nose: Wildflower, light smoke, ripe pear
Palate: A tobalá profile polished enough to sit on any bar – and stripped of the aromatic drama that makes tobalá interesting
Finish: Sweet, clean. Short
The bottom line
If you want tobalá, you want less of what Montelobos adds
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.