Cinco Sentidos Tobala is made during La Canicula, the brief couple weeks when it does not rain in the middle of the rainy season.
About this destilado de agave
5 Sentidos Tobala is made by Alberto Martinez during “La Canicula,” which is a brief dry period that takes place in the middle of the rainy season each year. The first batch of this was just 112 litres (made in July 2018), which was made with 116 mature maguey Tobala (agave Potatorum) that were wild harvested from 7,500 feet above sea level in the mountains of Santa Catarina Albarradas, Oaxaca. Alberto and his son-in-law Reynaldo cook the Tobala in an underground conical oven with encino oak for six days. They then hand mash the cooked agave with wooden mallets, mix it with spring water and ferment the agave in underground stone tanks with “encino de agua” bark for four days. The resulting “tepache” and mash are then double distilled in small clay pots. Read about our visit with maestro mezcalero Alberto Martinez in the blog post Cinco Sentidos and El Destilado
5 Sentidos
5 Sentidos (or Cinco Sentidos) is named after the five senses that their mezcaleros use to produce their agave spirits. The producers of this mezcal do not use any model machinery or tools, being guided only by their senses throughout the production process. The brand was launched by El Destilado restaurant in centro Oaxaca. The restaurant is known for it’s creative menu, unique cocktails, and exception agave spirits. The brand is a curated tour of Mexico with a wide range of expressions that are made by some of the best mezcaleros in the region. Cinco Sentidos is uncertified mezcal and is labeled as “Destilado de Agave”.
Learn more about 5 Sentidos:
- Cinco Sentidos and El Destilado on Mezcal Reviews
- Santa María Ixcatlán: Rawhide Fermentation with Amando Alvarez on Mezcal Reviews
- What’s in A Name? on the K&L Wines Spirits Journal blog
Review this bottle
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Jam
184 reviews46.7% abv, batch TB06-19
Review #167: The nose has white florals, vanilla, banana, grape skins, clay, something a bit animalistic like musk, and a touch of cream cheese.
The palate has clay, mango, banana, soft white florals, vanilla frosting, leather, grape skins, and earth on the finish.
This is a really well balanced clay pot tobala. It has lots of soft notes from that clay influence that needs a bit of coaxing out, but it has a lot going on. There’s great fruity and floral notes mixed in with those earthy ones that keeps it easygoing yet complex.
46.7% abv, batch TB06-19
Review #167: The nose has white florals, vanilla, banana, grape skins, clay, something a bit animalistic like musk, and a touch of cream cheese.
The palate has clay, mango, banana, soft white florals, vanilla frosting, leather, grape skins, and earth on the finish.
This is a really well balanced clay pot tobala. It has lots of soft notes from that clay influence that needs a bit of coaxing out, but it has a lot going on. There’s great fruity and floral notes mixed
muchachomezcal
47 reviewsTBALB 09-23b.14/108, 45.3% ABV.
Nose is funky-savory cheese like with green grapes. Mouthfeel is perfect, smooth and slightly weighted. The taste follows along the nose perfectly with a sweet front of roasted agave, leather, with a funky finish of cheese. I love all the expressions Alberto Martinez does for Cinco Sentidos, especially this one.
Ben P
149 reviewsABV: 46.7% Batch: TB06-19
Nose: Banana, laffy taffy, blueberries, some citrus tartness, chalky clay
Palate: blueberries and blackberries, banana, dried mangos, clay and earth, cumin and chile powder. Finish is earthy and light chocolate. Still some berries as I sit here. Bananas foster
This is incredibly fruity. I love the clay influence here and this particular bottle has been one of my favorites to share with friends newer to agave spirits.
Forpowder
122 reviewsBatch TBALB 08-20 46.5% 200 liter batch distilled Aug 2020 bottle on July 2021. Aromas out of the bottle or funky cheese barnyard odors wet rotting hay overripe Peach all in a good way. No alcohol no smoke amazing aroma. Flavors come across very clean Maybe spritzy with no burn until the end. Cinnamon like burn that lasts for a long time
Imperium
118 reviewsTB08-19 14/157
Grassy green and floral nose.
Delicious taste, starts grassy and then morphs into cavern stone, feels like I’m splunking. Very mineral to me.
MezcAleman
28 reviewsBatch TB05-19 – Bottle 129/207 – 47,4%
A mix of candy and pine on the nose.
Nice balance between smokey and fruity taste. Very smooth and very enjoyable. Great mescal and for sure a buy recommendation. Might even beat the El Jolgorio Tobala and definitely on of the best Tobala.
Americana Kyle
60 reviewsPhenomenal as always from 5S. One of the better Tobala’s I’ve had, expertly crafted.
betweentwotobalas
25 reviewsTO01-19CA, Nov 2018, 102 Litres. Bottle 66/82. 50% ABV.
Another winner from 5 Sentidos. Aromas of purple grape soda are prominent alongside ground cloves and cinnamon. The palate is rich in brown sugar, sour plum, black pepper and liquorice. A low menthol burn follows with more purple grape soda and black soil. Note, ground encino de agua bark and potatorum-seemanniana were used to make this batch. A stellar clay pot from Alberto Martinez.
HighWine
78 reviewsBatch BIEN02. Bottle #12/35
Aroma wafts out of the glass at arm’s length. Fragrance of smoke from dry kindling, buttermilk, dry pine needles, green olives, and jalapeño pepper flesh. Full mouthfeel with some good heat. Flavors of clay, aloe, and fresh parsley. The mouthfeel is ridiculous, one of the fullest I’ve found. Sweet, smoky heat linger on the palate. Simply enjoyable.
El Dawg
235 reviewsTB03-18
Perfume smell, with some fruit. Piney taste, white sugar, orange cream. Soft & delicate in the beginning, but seems to finish with some hotness. Like this one slightly better than the Jabali at 3.75 stars. 2oz sample, so maybe improves over time with a whole bottle as others pointed out?
Review #76
pallzley
16 reviewsbatch TB05-19, of 207 bottles.
Newly opened bottle.
Nose of bright stone fruit, beach mist, corn ethanol, faint wisps of embers.
High toned fruit, bright sweet yellow peppers, buttered white corn. Fades to orange peels, lightly saline beach mist, light mineral dustiness, umami. Further down, a slight sweetness resembling wild clover bee pollen and candy corns. Palate has less trace of smoke than the nose, which was very little. If I had to compare with the Sierra Negra, it is not as complex and dramatic, but bright and tasty. A real treat.
batch TB05-19, of 207 bottles.
Newly opened bottle.
Nose of bright stone fruit, beach mist, corn ethanol, faint wisps of embers.
High toned fruit, bright sweet yellow peppers, buttered white corn. Fades to orange peels, lightly saline beach mist, light mineral dustiness, umami. Further down, a slight sweetness resembling wild clover bee pollen and candy corns. Palate has less trace of smoke than the nose, which was very little. If I had to compare with the Sierra Negra, it is not as complex and
HyeWestSaloon
4 reviewsTB02-18
Easy sipper and pleasant but doesn’t blown me away. Floral and fruity for sure. Tastes a bit more muted than some of the other 5 Sentidos.
Gregg T&T
100 reviewsBatch EST02-18. Funky and enjoyable nose – overripe fruit and sweet bouquet of flowers. Early green notes, followed by savory… roasted agave and cinnamon. Its got a soft body which goes down easy.
zeefarmer
3 reviewsBatch TB02-18 – August 2018.
This was my first bottle of 5 Sentidos (also have Sierra Negra and Pechuga de Mole Poblano). Holy moly, this is a fruit basket! Very sweet, fruity and floral, heavy strawberry. Very smooth/soft.
One of my favorites so far, although I’ve only bought/tried 8 bottles of Mezcal up to this point, slowly adding to my collection. Super bummed that this bottle is empty and I haven’t seen any recently.
Brahh
11 reviewsGreat Tobala. Do not know the number, first Batch in 2020, i bought it in Santa Catarina Albarradas. Fruits and than a lot more…
Tyler
668 reviewsAn amazingly savory and sweet mezcal. Flavors of brown butter and chicory coffee along with orange marmalade. Maestro Alberto’s signature flavors from his small clay pots and the “encino de aqua” bark are here in full elegance. Ordered multiple pours of this Tobala during the 5 Sentidos Texas launch at King Bee in Austin and bought a bottle soon after. Lot TB01-18
Rakhal
430 reviewsTB03-18. The last Mezcal we tasted at the end of a long incredible tasting, and what a finale! It reminded us both of Thanksgiving dinner, so savory! Roasted agave, buttered yams, gravy, vanilla, cinnamon, and green olives. This one is special.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsSame fruit that I got from the Papalometl. Almost the same mezcal to me. Fruit and more fruit…
Jonny
736 reviewsBatch TB01-18. Wow! This thing is bursting at the seams with flavor and aroma. Notes of plantains, apricots, cherries, and strawberries on the nose. The palate is incredibly soft and delicate, like holding the hand of a newborn. Tasting notes of caramel, toasted fennel, honey, molasses, and butter melted in brown sugar. All finely settled and arranged on the palate. This is really exquisite and a must try.