Reviews / Tepanal Mexicano, Tobala, Barril, Tobasiche
Review · · by The Editors
Tepanal Mexicano, Tobala, Barril, Tobasiche
Four agaves in one clay pot – the weight-class ensamble
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Tepanal Agave Spirits
- Maestro: Rafael "Rafa" García Aragon
- Region: Santa María Sola, Oaxaca
- Agave: Barril, Mexicano, Tobala, Tobaziche
- ABV: 48.6%
- Price: $165 ($$)
Verdict
Rafa García's four-agave ensamble is the bottle that proves he thinks in architecture, not just ingredients. Mexicano and tobalá bring the fruit and floral lift; barril and tobaziche contribute the weight and mineral depth. The 48.6% proof is honest to the complexity. Buy it next to the Sin Gusano Ensamble of 6 – the category's current best multi-agave blends.
Four-agave ensamble that doesn't average out – each voice stays audible
Tasting notes
Nose: Cooked pear, then wet stone, green herb, cracked pepper
Palate: 48.6% threads mexicano's pepper-pear, tobalá's floral lift, barril's savory depth, and tobaziche's mineral-licorice signature into one clay-pot body, the blend holds together because each component has its own lane
Finish: Complex, stone. Stays long
The bottom line
Buy it alongside the single-agave Tepanals. Ensamble done right