La Medida Tobala Joven Mezcal

La Medida Mezcal (“the measure”) is a collaborative brand created by Julián Vidal Gómez Rodríguez, who has been one of the unsung icons of Oaxacan mezcal for over 40 years.

Julian’s history reads like a narrative of the evolution of the modern mezcal industry, at a gradual transition in scale. Beginning with early commercialization decades ago, Julian witnessed firsthand the rise of industrial distillers like Monte Alban and Benevá; he left to help open the door to artisanal mezcal alongside Ron Cooper during the first years of Del Maguey, and eventually he moved on to co-found the tiny artisanal brand he operates today.

Alongside his son, Julián works in concert with several highly regarded mezcaleros around Oaxaca (including the enigmatic legend Don Celso, who co-founded the brand) to showcase a diverse range of wild and cultivated single-varietal bottlings.

Grown at high elevation (around 5,000 ft), tucked into the countryside surrounding the highly regarded mezcal-producing village of San Baltazar Guelavila, La Medida Tobala Joven Mezcal is a benchmark example of delicious, classical Tobala. A delightful balance between earth and smoke, strawberries and cream, with a pronounced salinity on the finish and a rich, silky mouthfeel. The tiny Tobala agave, harvested wild at 10–15 years old, yields very low amounts of sugar (and thus, very small amounts of mezcal); it can take up to three plants to produce one bottle. Which is a shame, because this is eminently quaffable — it’s hard not to drink it too quickly! Is there such a thing as summer porch mezcal?