Mezcal Tosba Espadilla is produced by mezcalero Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez in San Cristobal Lachirioag, Oaxaca.
About this mezcal
Mezcal Tosba Espadilla is produced by mezcalero Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez in San Cristobal Lachirioag, Oaxaca using 100% Maguey Espadilla (Agave angustifolia Haw). Espadilla is endemic to the northern mountains of Oaxaca and the neighboring state of Puebla. Edgar and his cousin Elisandro have been sourcing young agave plants from around their Sierra Norte community for years and transplanting them near the family palenque to cultivate. Maturing faster than Maguey Espadín, the Espadilla plants in this batch grew their reproductive stalk (“quiote”) at just five years old. A portion of the plants were harvested “capón” for 3 to 6 months with the quiote cut off which redirects sugars into the plant’s heart to increase the sugar yield. This mezcal has notes of sweet plantain, herbed goat cheese, and papaya. There is a finish of winter spice and lingering smoke.
Tosba Mezcal
Mezcal Tosba is a microbusiness founded by two cousins from San Cristóbal Lachirioag, Oaxaca, Mexico. While living in Silicon Valley, California in 1999, they were inspired and influenced by the entrepreneurialism that surrounded them. Concerned by the increasing migration from their home region of Cajonos-Villa Alta in the Sierra Juárez mountains, they decided to form a business that would rescue the disappearing mezcal production and bring economic opportunity to the area. Mezcal Tosba is created by using traditional, and what is now called sustainable, agricultural methods of harvesting and distillation passed down by generations of farmers and mezcaleros from the region of Cajonos-Villa Alta of the Sierra Juárez in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Learn more:
- Mezcal Tosba: A Visit to San Cristóbal Lachirioag on Mezcal Reviews
Review this bottle
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Jason K
1 reviewMezcalero: Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez
Lot: 02-50
Btl: 134/336
Year: 2022
ABV/Proof: 50.2/100.4
First sip has just a little heat but disappears quickly. Coats the mouth nicely. Very viscous as I swirl it around. Makes sense since it really grips the glass and barely moves down it. It’s crystal clear in color.
Aroma: Christmas fruitcake, honey, savory herbs like thyme, unripe fruit like mango, celery salt, a whiff of chlorine
Taste: Sweet like honeycomb or maybe Bit-O-Honey candy, meaty like beef jerky, some celery salt, roasted and salted red skinned peanuts, vanilla nougat, more of the unripe fruit like mango and maybe even papaya, some of the herbs in the nose especially the thyme and maybe sage as well, smoke ham hocks on my second tasting along with a tanginess like a bbq sauce.
Finish: Medium in that it lasted for a good amount of time after I finished it. That saltiness and jerky taste remains behind. Very nice light smoke. Maybe a very slight lingering bitterness. Sweetness on the back of the tongue.
My score: I’m giving it a 4.5 out of 5 because even though it’s probably a 5 right now for me I haven’t tasted much and I don’t want to over score on my first review. I’m sure there will be things that I like better and things I find to be not as good. But I really like it and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a mezcal aficionado or someone new to mezcal. I think it can appeal to both worlds.
Mezcalero: Edgar Gonzalez Ramirez
Lot: 02-50
Btl: 134/336
Year: 2022
ABV/Proof: 50.2/100.4
First sip has just a little heat but disappears quickly. Coats the mouth nicely. Very viscous as I swirl it around. Makes sense since it really grips the glass and barely moves down it. It’s crystal clear in color.
Aroma: Christmas fruitcake, honey, savory herbs like thyme, unripe fruit like mango, celery salt, a whiff of chlorine
Taste: Sweet like honeycomb or maybe Bit-O-Honey candy, meaty like bee
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsPour at Madre WH. Pineapple and serrano pepper. Really neat
razorbackmike
161 reviewsvanilla bomb!nose is like vanilla frosting on a fresh made cake.the palate is like the nose.reminds me a little of the vanilla cokes i would get at drive ins when i was a kid.subtle smoke and a vanilla frosting finish.a treasure!
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsTried it at the Tosba palenque, tasted about 2 oz. w/ Edgar.
Nose – Tropical fruit – mango, papaya.
Palate – Dried banana. Vanilla extract. Tobacco leaf.
Fantastic mezcal although Edgar only had a few ounces to share. I’ll be searching for this bottle here!