Reviews / OAX Original Tepeztate
Review · · by The Editors
OAX Original Tepeztate
Tepextate at 44%. Clipped at the knees by its own proof
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: OAX Original
- Maestro: Enrique Hernández Zenea
- Region: Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tepextate
- ABV: 44%
- Price: $150 ($$)
Verdict
Tepextate is the agave that most punishes undersell on proof, and 44% is the threshold where you can tell the brand chose accessibility over expression. The nose is lovely and the entry legible, but the finish evaporates where a properly proofed tepextate would keep talking. Track Jolgorio or Lalocura's tepextates for what the species does when producers commit.
At 48% this would be a four-and-a-half. At 44% it's still good – just shorter than it should be
Tasting notes
Nose: Green pepper, cucumber skin, gardenia, wet slate
Palate: Classic tepextate top notes, vegetal, floral, stony – but the 44% ABV mutes the back half where the species usually unfurls its mineral depth
Finish: Dry, with a herbaceous fade. Medium
The bottom line
A gentle introduction to tepextate. The true wild-agave experience wants more proof
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 3 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.