Lost Explorer Mezcal Tobala
Lost Explorer Mezcal Tobala is a 42% ABV (84 proof) mezcal joven made from 100% wild Tobalá agave — the small, slow-growing, high-altitude agave that takes roughly ten years to mature before a single harvest. Produced in Valles Centrales, Oaxaca by Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos and double-distilled in copper alembic stills, it is the rarest expression of the Lost Explorer range. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 42% (84 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Mezcal joven (unaged) — "10 Year" = agave age, not barrel age
- Agave: 100% wild Tobalá (Agave potatorum), sustainably harvested at ~10 years
- Origin: San Pablo Huixtepec, Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Production: earthen-oven roast, tahona grind, open wood-vat fermentation, double-distilled in copper
The Wildest Agave
Tobalá is the connoisseur's agave: it grows wild in high canyon country, can't be farmed at scale, and yields a fraction of the spirit of its cultivated cousins. Lost Explorer — co-founded by David de Rothschild and Thor Björgólfsson — works with Don Fortino Ramos, a self-taught first-generation mezcalero with 20+ years of experience, on ancestral Mixtec land at ~1,500 meters. The piñas are roasted in earthen ovens, crushed by tahona stone, fermented with ambient native yeasts in open wood vats and double-distilled in copper. The brand plants at least three agaves for every one harvested, and bottles in hand-labeled recycled crystal sealed with biodegradable beeswax. Browse mezcal, explore the store's Lost Explorer shelf, or compare with the tequila collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose — dry tobacco, wood, cocoa and gentle smoke. Palate — earthy and savory: vanilla, leather, clay and soft agave fruit with umami depth. Finish — savory and lingering, hints of citrus and fresh grass under light smoke.
How to Enjoy
Sip neat at room temperature in a copita — a wild-agave mezcal this rare deserves nothing between it and the palate. Add it to a tasting flight next to the brand's Espadin to taste what the agave species changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tobalá mezcal?
Mezcal made from wild Tobalá agave (Agave potatorum), a small high-altitude agave that takes about ten years to mature — prized for its concentrated, savory character.
Is Lost Explorer Tobala aged?
No — it is a joven (unaged) mezcal. "10 Year Old" on some listings refers to the agave's age at harvest, not time in barrel.
What is the ABV of Lost Explorer Tobala?
42% ABV (84 proof).
Wild agave, ten years in the making — order Lost Explorer Mezcal Tobala online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.