Pescador de Sueños Mezcal Tobala

A joven mezcal from wild Tobala, Agave potatorum, a small slow growing maguey that ripens over a decade or more in the rocky high ground of Oaxaca. It is made by Maestro Mezcalero Tio Fernando in Sola de Vega, a district rich in wild and cultivated agave and known for lean, herbal, mineral spirits. Tio Fernando is also the hand behind the Tio Pesca mezcals, and this bottling sits in the curatorial Pescador de Sueños line of rare small batches.

The agave is roasted in an underground conical stone oven, then crushed by hand with a wooden mallet, the most labour intensive route. Fermentation takes place in juniper wood, and the spirit is double distilled in copper. Expect fresh earth and damp leaves, honey and honeycomb, a brush of thyme and rosemary, a green olive savouriness and gentle smoke, all carried at an intense, undiluted 51%.