Three hours south of Oaxaca on a two-lane, pot holed highway on route to the Gulf of Tehuantepec is the turnoff to San Luis Del Rio. One takes another 2 hours on a winding, rocky, dirt road. The pueblo is located in a narrow, hot valley, with steep slopes full of Maguey Espadin. The Rio Hormiga Colorada (Red Ant River) flows through it. You may see Paciano Cruz Nolasco, tending his fields. Above the large fields of Maguey, the tops of the mountains are scattered with cornfields, Iguanas crawling across the road, the trees and cactus with Bromeliads growing on them.

AROMA: Green chile pepper and restrained notes of acetate and balsamic. Takes several minutes before the chemical edge retreats enough to reveal attractive smokey, waxy, green vegetal notes. Hints of vinyl too.
TASTE: Full Juicy yet dry to gently bitter profile showcases the smokey, lanolin, car tyre flavours with a parching, chalky texture. Concludes warming, dry and peppery with hints of lanolin and tobacco leaf in the fade.
ENJOY: Sipped slowly. Take your time and “kiss” this mezcal. Look past the alcohol and unlock a hidden world of agave goodness

Notes from https://www.mezcalreviews.com/mezcal/del-maguey-tobala & http://delmaguey.com/tobala

Production Notes

• Village: Santa Maria Albarradas
• Palenquero: Rogelio Martinez Cruz, Leopoldino Miranda
• State: Oaxaca
• Region: Sierra Norte
• Maguey: Tobala
• Agave Species: A. potatorum
• Age of Maguey: 12-18 years
• Elevation: 1700 M (5577 feet)
• Roast Duration: 30 days
• Type of Wood: Oak
• Milling: Molino, Horse
• Size of Tinas: 1400 L
• Fermentation Duration: 6-8 days
• Water Source: Spring
• Still Type: Copper
• Still Size: 350 L
• ABV of Mezcal: 45%