Don Lorenzo Mezcal Tobala
Don Lorenzo Mezcal Tobala is a 750mL mezcal artesanal made from wild Tobala — Agave potatorum, the small, solitary "king of mezcals" — in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Pit-roasted over red oak, tahona-crushed and double-distilled in copper at still strength, it is the connoisseur's pour of the Don Lorenzo range. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: Tobala — Agave potatorum, wild-harvested
- Strength: Bottled at still strength, no water added (brand method — see flags for ABV)
- Origin: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Production (brand sheet): Stone-lined pit roast over red oak; cantera tahona; natural spring water; terroir-influenced natural fermentation; double distillation in copper alembic
- Maestros (brand sheet): Albaro Hernandez and Armando Hernandez
- Importer: RILO Import & Export Inc.
The King of Mezcals, Made the Old Way
Tobala grows wild and alone — a small agave that reproduces only by seed, takes the better part of a decade or more to mature, and yields a fraction of what a cultivated espadin gives. Mezcaleros call it the king of mezcals for the intensity it packs into that small frame. Don Lorenzo's Tobala runs through the house method documented on its production sheet: a stone-lined pit roast over red oak, a hand-chiselled cantera tahona, natural fermentation shaped by the palenque's own terroir, and double distillation in small copper alembics at two palenques in Santiago Matatlán — Mal de Amor and Dos Zapotecas — where the family has worked for three generations. Browse the range on the Don Lorenzo vendor page.
Tasting Notes
No brand tasting note is published for this expression. Tobala as a variety is prized for a profile unlike any other agave — floral and intensely aromatic, honeyed and fruity with a mineral, almost creamy depth — and Don Lorenzo's stated aim of a cleaner, agave-first profile lets that character lead, with the pit roast in support rather than in charge.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat, slowly, from a copita — wild Tobala at still strength is a meditation pour, not a shooter. Set it beside the range's foundation bottle, Don Lorenzo Mezcal Espadin, to taste what the wild agave adds, and explore more in our tequila and mezcal collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Tobala mezcal expensive?
Tobala (Agave potatorum) grows wild, reproduces only by seed and matures slowly, and each small plant yields little mezcal. Scarcity is built into the agave itself, which is why Tobala bottlings sit at the top of most mezcal ranges.
Where is Don Lorenzo mezcal made?
In Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, at the Mal de Amor and Dos Zapotecas palenques, by a family the brand describes as three generations into the craft.
How is Don Lorenzo Tobala made?
Per the brand production sheet: roasted in a stone-lined pit over red oak, crushed by a cantera tahona, naturally fermented, and double-distilled in copper alembic stills, bottled at still strength with no water added.
Wild Tobala, still strength, three generations in — order Don Lorenzo Mezcal Tobala online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.