Reviews / Vago Tobala - Joel Barriga
Review · · by The Editors
Vago Tobala - Joel Barriga
The Barriga tobalá runs bright but thinner than the references
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Vago Mezcal
- Maestro: Joel Barriga
- Region: Hacienda Tapanala, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tobala
- ABV: 51.2%
- Price: $150 ($$)
Verdict
Joel Barriga's tobalá is the third bottle in the Vago tobalá conversation, and the one that reads as the house's lighter voice, the bright-fruit lift is genuine, but the mid-palate doesn't build the way Jarquín's or Tío Rey's do. At 51.2% it's proofed correctly, just doesn't stack to the same height. Pass for the other two if you have to choose.
Bright terroir isn't the same as deep terroir
Tasting notes
Nose: Honey, then green melon, wildflower, stone
Palate: Aromatic and mineral. At 51.2%, with the Hacienda Tapanala bright-fruit signature but less mid-palate depth than Jarquín or Tío Rey achieve
Finish: Clean, stone. Long
The bottom line
A fine tobalá, but the Jarquín and Tío Rey bottles are the ones to buy
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.