As Lalo says, “when you smell tobasiche, it’s like remembering Santa Catarina Minas.” The sub-varietal of A. karwinskii (which includes other local variants such as san martinero, tripón and marteño) is by far the must abundant of the endemic agaves in Minas, and passing through town, you can’t miss them growing wild on the hillsides and planted along the edges of nearly every field where they serve as a living fence. Being native to to the area means the varietal is already well suited to the climate and requires relatively little attention, which no doubt contributes to its popularity with farmers, and being widely available has made the plants just as popular with mezcaleros - Lalo estimates that 40% of Lalocura releases include at least some tobasiche.

Despite being a staple for producers, historically, the varietal was less favored by local drinkers, who didn’t love its bitter finish. Tasting recent productions of Lalocura tobasiche, you’ll still find some bitterness there, but Lalo thinks he and other mezcaleros in Minas have gotten better at understanding how best to work with the plant, and today’s batches are less bitter than in the past.

Relatively low sugar content as compared with other agaves used in spirits production, The plants’ woody base accounts for about about 30% of its weight (and the source of its bitter flavors) and the piña itself is richer with fibers than sugars. When cooked, mashed, and put into the fermentation tinas, the net result is a tepache much richer in acids, minerals and vegetal matter than sugar. As the tepache is fermented, the sugar is converted to alcohol, but the acids and minerals remain present all through the production process, creating a unique spirit recognizable for its woodiness and minerality.

Tobasiche (also known as largo) in Minas is essentially the same plant as those that go by the name bicuixe in Miahuatlán, or cirial and cuixe in Tlacolula and other regions. Like all plants that live in the wild, the “tobasiches” in each of these regions have evolved to adapt to their environment - soil type, rainfall, intensity of the sun, altitude, neighboring plants, etc. Unsurprisingly, those evolutions translate into different flavors and aromatics when the plants are fermented and distilled.

In Minas, tobasiches typically mature in 15-18 years with some plants taking up to 22 years (the age of wild plants, is calculated by counting the number of vueltas or turns in where the plant's pencas grow - similar to counting rings on a tree. A tobasiche makes around 3 turns per year). The weight of mature plants can range from 1.5kg (pro tip: ask if there’s any batches of mini-tobasiche when visiting Lalocura) up to 90kg. On average, 2 plants totaling 45kg are needed to produce each liter of finished Lalocura tobasiche.

The tobasiches used in this batch for Agave Mixtape grew wild in the hills above the town. Produced during the driest time of the year, when the plants’ sugars are most concentrated, this batch is slightly sweeter and carries less of the bitter aftertaste that is normally a part of tobasiche’s signature.

Watch the Youtube link below to learn more straight from Lalo.