Lalocura is the personal project of Eduardo Ángeles, known universally as Lalo, and it is among the most sought after names in Oaxacan agave spirits. He is the fourth generation of a distilling family from Santa Catarina Minas, spent years as master distiller of his family's brand under his father, the late Don Lorenzo, and holds a degree in agricultural engineering. He started Lalocura in 2014 to work entirely on his own terms, and has been famously particular about where his bottles go ever since. Santa Catarina Minas is the village that defines clay pot distillation in Mexico, and everything here follows that tradition without shortcuts. This is an ensamble of two agaves grown side by side throughout the village: Tobasiche, an Agave karwinskii varietal with skinny piñas and tall stalks that yields pronounced woody, angular flavours, and Espadín, Agave angustifolia, which provides a broad sweet foundation underneath. The two are roasted together for several days in a pre Hispanic conical pit oven over encino oak, mashed by hand with wooden mallets, fermented in Mexican cypress tanks on nothing but wild airborne yeast and spring water, then double distilled in small clay pots. Strength is adjusted only by reintegrating puntas and colas, never with water, which is why the alcohol figure is written by hand on every label and differs from batch to batch. Expect citrus, sweet fig and pine on the nose over an earthy funk, then bright red fruit and lime giving way to mineral, smoke and a long dry finish. Batches are minuscule, often a few hundred bottles for the entire world.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
47.9% (this bottle — varies by batch) |
| Proof |
95.8 (this bottle — varies by batch) |
| Size |
500ml |
| Country |
Mexico |
| Region |
Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca |
| Brand |
Lalocura |
| Maestro Mezcalero |
Eduardo "Lalo" Ángeles |
| Category |
Spirits Distilled from Agave (per label) |
| Expression |
Tobasiche-Espadín ensamble |
| Agave |
Tobasiche (Agave karwinskii) and Espadín (Agave angustifolia) |
| Oven |
Pre Hispanic conical underground pit, encino oak |
| Milling |
Mashed by hand with wooden mallets |
| Fermentation |
Mexican cypress tanks, wild airborne yeast, spring water |
| Distillation |
Double distilled in clay pots (ollas de barro) |
| Adjustment |
Puntas y colas only, no water |
Tasting Notes
Color: Crystal clear.
Nose: Citrus and sweet fig lead, with pine needle, damp earth and a distinct wild funk underneath.
Palate: Bright and layered. Raspberry and lime over honeyed sweetness, then spice building through the middle with the woody Tobasiche character emerging.
Finish: Long, mineral heavy and earthy, dry rather than sweet.
FAQ
Q: Why is the alcohol percentage handwritten?
A: Each batch is adjusted to strength by reintegrating puntas and colas rather than by adding water, so the final figure differs every time and is written on the label by hand.
Q: What is clay pot distillation?
A: Distillation in small ollas de barro rather than copper or steel. It is the ancestral method of Santa Catarina Minas, is slow and low yielding, and is prized for how transparently it carries agave character.
Q: What are Tobasiche and Espadín?
A: Tobasiche is a varietal of Agave karwinskii with narrow piñas and tall stalks, giving woody, angular flavours. Espadín is Agave angustifolia and provides a broader, sweeter base.
Q: Who is Eduardo Ángeles?
A: A fourth generation maestro mezcalero from Santa Catarina Minas, son of the late Don Lorenzo Ángeles, who founded Lalocura in 2014 after years as master distiller of his family's brand.
Q: How limited is it?
A: Extremely. Batches are produced in small volumes, in some cases only a few hundred bottles for the entire world.
Q: Where can I buy Lalocura Tobasiche Espadín online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
