Tepanal Ancestral Tobalá Mezcal
Tepanal Ancestral Tobalá Mezcal is a still-proof ancestral mezcal from maestro Rafael García Aragón in Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, distilled from wild Tobalá — the bottle label names Agave seemanniana and Agave potatorum — and bottled at 48% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Tobalá is the small, wild agave that grows in rocky highland shade and yields a fraction of what an espadín does, which is why it is one of the most sought-after mezcals made. The García Quiroz family roasts it about three days in a stone-lined earthen pit, ferments it with wild yeast in open wooden vats, and double distills it in small clay pots. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 96 proof (48% ABV), still proof
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: Tobalá (Agave seemanniana & Agave potatorum), wild
- Maestro: Rafael García Aragón, García Quiroz family
- Method: Earthen pit roast, wild-yeast wood-vat fermentation, double clay-pot distillation
- Origin: Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, Mexico
The Delicate One, Framed in Clay
Tepanal takes its name from Tepanaltepec, “hill of honeycombs,” and launched in 2020 with Rafael’s son Jair and partner Antonio Avendaño. Tobalá is known for a floral, fruit-forward, almost delicate character — the opposite end of the spectrum from the family’s burly Coyote and Arroqueño — and Sola de Vega’s clay pots add a mineral, earthy frame around that delicacy. Shop more highland mezcal and agave spirits across our spirits shelves.
Tasting Notes
Floral and fruit-forward on the nose, with the soft sweetness Tobalá is prized for. The palate stays delicate and lifted, then the clay-pot side arrives: clean minerality and a gentle earthiness under the fruit, finishing fresh and precise.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat to catch the floral detail, or use it where a delicate mezcal shines, like a Naked and Famous. Browse more mixing bottles among our cocktail ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Tobalá mezcal expensive?
The agave is small, wild and slow: it grows in rocky highland shade and yields far less spirit per plant than espadín, so every batch is small.
Which agaves are in it?
Wild Tobalá — the label names Agave seemanniana and Agave potatorum, the two species gathered under the Tobalá name in Sola de Vega.
What proof is it?
48% ABV (96 proof), bottled at still proof in a 750mL bottle.
Order Tepanal Ancestral Tobalá from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — the most delicate pour in the Tepanal range.