NEW YORK, N.Y. — The creators of Montelobos Espadín, recipient of the Double Gold medal at the acclaimed San Francisco World Spirits Competition, announce the launch of Montelobos Tobalá. This highly anticipated spirit, made from the exceptional Tobalá varietal of agave and produced in Puebla, Mexico, will make its U.S. debut in July 2018, with a SRP of $79.99. Both Montelobos Espadín and Tobalá will feature updated packaging, elegantly designed to reflect the liquid within.
Montelobos Mezcal Espadín was created by the world’s foremost agave expert, Dr. Iván Saldaña. By crafting a mezcal with supreme complexity and a perfect balance, Saldaña created a spirit unique from any other within the category. With Tobalá, Saldaña has once again melded his deep understanding of agave spirits with traditional mezcal production to create an extraordinary new expression. The agave utilized (Agave potatorum, commonly known as Tobalá), is carefully transformed to obtain what Iván considers to be an “ultra-pure expression of Tobalá flavors,” offering a deep insight into this highly coveted agave variety.
Montelobos Tobalá similar to Montelobos Espadín, uses sustainable agave, however, several factors in production, location and the agave plant itself create a very unique, yet equally complex and delicious product. Montelobos Espadín is balanced with notes of wood, smoke, green agave and cooked agave. Montelobos Tobalá, on the other hand, has a more prominent green agave profile, which then gives way to a milder smoke, wood and cooked agave flavors.
“Montelobos Tobalá was born of wild agave seeds, germinated against all odds, and sustainably nurtured for more than a decade,” said Dr. Iván Saldaña. “Every sip provides intense herbal notes full of constructive provocation, inviting consumers and producers to move from wild agave exploitation to sustainable agave cultivation.”
Agave Espadín accounts for about 90% of mezcal production, while Tobalá is a far rarer variety of agave that generally grows in the wild in rocky terrain and shady soil at high altitudes. For Montelobos, Puebla, Mexico was the ideal location to cultivate and produce their Tobalá, whereas the Espadín comes from Oaxaca, Mexico. Montelobos has complete control of the supply of their agave, both Tobalá and Espadín, and follows sustainable production methods including using wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified sources in the process. By doing so, the brand can continue to produce consistently award-winning mezcal for years to come and help replenish agave supplies.
Tobalá agave takes up to 15 years to mature. It is harvested and then roasted in an inground earth oven lined with brick. After roasting for five to seven days, the Tobalá is hand cut and put through a milling machine to further breakdown the agave. The mashed agave is then transferred into pine vats to ferment for approximately ten days before it is distilled twice in copper stills powered by wood fueled fires. The process to create Montelobos Espadín is slightly different as it is first cooked in an inground earth oven lined in volcanic stone. The agave is then mashed using the tahona process, in which a large stone powered by donkey crushes the cooked agave, before being placed into pine vats for fermentation and distillation.
“Since its launch in 2012, Montelobos Espadín has become one of the most sought after mezcals in the U.S. market,” said Shem Blum, brand manager, Montelobos Mezcal. “With the excitement around the Tobalá category, Dr. Iván Saldaña and his team are excited to bring this new expression, steeped in Mexican tradition, to the U.S. spirits market.”
Montelobos is owned by Casa Lumbre, a company dedicated to “farm-to-bottle” Mexican premium spirits with sensorial uniqueness. With a strong focus on place of origin, sustainability and original production methods, Casa Lumbre works directly with farmers and local producers establishing fair, long term supply agreements. Casa Lumbre builds virtuous and dignifying relationships by helping their production and farming partners, including their families and their communities, by providing technical support, long term and no interest rate loans, investing in infrastructure on their behalf, and fixing fair purchasing prices independently from market speculation. Casa Lumbre stands for recognizing and improving the position of the farmers and other associates, to create a much more free, fair, honest and enriching reality for all.
For more information on Montelobos Mezcal, please visit www.montelobos.com.
About William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Holdings Ltd is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the global premium spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich, The Balvenie range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch, Grant’s, as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Drambuie Scotch Liqueur.
William Grant & Sons has been honored as “Distiller of the Year” by the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition and International Spirits Challenge 11 times over the past 16 years.
Founded in 1964, William Grant & Sons USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of William Grant & Sons, Ltd. and features one of the fastest growing spirits portfolios in the USA with brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick’s Gin, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey, Drambuie, Milagro Tequila, Grant’s, Hudson Whiskey, Gibson’s Finest, Monkey Shoulder, Clan MacGregor, Reyka Vodka, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Montelobos Mezcal, Ancho Reyes, Flor de Caña Rum, Art In The Age, The Knot and Raynal French Brandy. For more information on the company and its brands, please visit www.grantusa.com.