Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Tobala
Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Tobala is a 90-proof (45% ABV) single-village mezcal in a 750mL bottle — 100% wild Tobala agave from the high-altitude canyons around Santa Maria Albarradas, Oaxaca, roasted for 30 days and double-distilled in small copper stills by Rogelio Martinez Cruz. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 90 proof (45% ABV) — some batches 46.2%
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% wild Tobala (A. potatorum) — the "truffle agave," found like truffles in canyon shade, never cultivated at scale
- Production: wild-harvested piñas, 30-day roast, natural fermentation, double-distilled in small copper stills
- Village: Santa Maria Albarradas, Oaxaca — maestro Rogelio Martinez Cruz; the first wild-varietal mezcal available in the US (1997)
- Recognition: 93 points, 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge
The King of Agaves
Tobala is the agave other agaves are measured against: a small, broad-leafed wild plant that grows only in the shade of oak trees in Oaxaca's highest canyons, taking twelve to eighteen years to ripen — and it takes eight Tobala hearts to make the spirit of one Espadin heart. Del Maguey was the first to bring a wild-varietal mezcal to the United States with this bottle in 1997, made by Rogelio Martinez Cruz in Santa Maria Albarradas with a patient 30-day roast. The concentration of those tiny wild hearts shows in the glass: sweet, fruity, creamy, extra smooth. See the full Del Maguey collection and the mezcal range at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand: sweet fruit on the nose with mango and cinnamon and a signature creaminess, finishing long with minerality. Reviewers add florals, parmesan rind, tropical fruit and a gentle vegetal funk.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a copita — Tobala's whole point is concentration, and dilution blunts it. Sip slowly; the mango-cinnamon core unfolds over minutes, not seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tobala agave?
A small wild agave (A. potatorum) found only in high-altitude canyon shade — nicknamed the "truffle agave" because it is foraged, not farmed, and prized for its concentrated sweetness.
Why is Tobala mezcal expensive?
Eight Tobala hearts equal one Espadin heart in spirit yield, the plants take up to 18 years to mature, and production is deliberately limited to protect wild regeneration.
How is Del Maguey Tobala different from Vida?
Vida is the everyday Espadin blend; Tobala is a rare wild-varietal single-village expression — fruitier, creamier and far more limited.
Wild agave at its most concentrated — order Del Maguey Tobala online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.