Ensamble Penca Larga, Madrecuixe, Mexicano Verde | April 2021 | Primitivo Vasquez | ENSPMV2104 | Winter 2022 Release | 72 bottles

Producers in Logoche have long maintained relationships with magueyeros from the around the village of Santa Lucia, Miahuatlán, allowing them to source a small, but steady supply of Tobalá from the pine and oak forested sierra. In April 2019, along with a load of Tobalá, some of these magueyeros sold a pickup truck’s worth of Penca Larga (“long leaf”) to Hermógenes Vásquez and Paula Aquino, who was the first to experiment with this “agave” unknown at the time in Logoche. The appearance of the piña looked like it could perhaps be some type of Agave angustifolia, or even some kind of wild A. americana. When cooked, fermented, and distilled, it possessed aromas and flavors of wet earth, herbal medicines and roots, highly reminiscent of the endemic species of Agave karwinskii. The yield was low, but the productions were so unique that the family has continued to experiment. As evident by the abundance of foam produced during the fermentation process, these Furcraea contain an elevated amount of saponins, much like the agave Jabalín, and have begun to be processed in similar fashion. Such experiments are telling of the changing times and evolution of traditions.

In 2021, more of these piñas were brought down from Santa Lucia and bought buy a couple different families in Logoche. With assistance from Hermógenes, Paula made another batch, and another load of Penca Larga went to Primitivo Vásquez. In these truckloads that arrived in March and April, the magueyeros brought down a hand full of fully grown Penca Larga plants, in addition to a few dozen smaller plants that were placed in the nursery to acclimate to the lower elevation and drier climate. It wasn’t until this point that we could confirm that these Penca Larga plants are not actually agave, but rather a type of Furcraea, quite possibly Furcraea guerrerensis. While a member of the Asparagaceae family, the Furcraea make up their own genus. Despite sharing many similar morphological traits and traditional uses, they are distinctly different. Interestingly, it was noted by botanist J.R. Drummer, that the first western encounters with and documented descriptions of maguey most likely involved furcraea plants and not agaves. Along with Agave and Dasylirion, they have played an important and multifunctional role in the history of the peoples of the Americas.

Considering the novelty of the plant and being curious about the flavors of the Penca Larga, Primitivo decided to reserve the bulk of his piñas for a pure production, but nine piñas were set aside for the crafting of this ensamble made together in equal parts with Madrecuixe (A. karwinskii var.) and Mexicano Verde (A. rhodacantha var.), helping to tamper some of the saponins and allow for a more manageable fermentation and distillation. While there was communal assistance for the tapada of the oven in which the maguey was cooked, it was Elvia, Primitivo’s wife, who helped out with the distilling. Adjusting a mix of hearts, hearts, and tails, Primitivo crafted a total of 60L of this precious ensamble. 72 bottles have been made available exclusively through our friends at Astor Wines and Spirits.

§  Maguey(es): Nearly equal parts Madrecuixe (Agave karwinskii var.), Mexicano Verde (agave rhodacantha var.), and Penca Larga (Furcraea sp.)

§  Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown agave, wild harvested Penca Larga from the Sierra Sur, Miahuatlán

§  Producer: Primitivo Vásquez Vásquez

§  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán

§  Soil type: Madrecuixe and Mexicano Verde from red and rocky cascajo colorado; Penca Larga from oak and pine forest

§  Rest time after harvest: Approximately seven days

§  Oven: Conical earthen pit; Five days with mesquite wood

§  Rest time after oven: Three days

§  Maceration: Machete and shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts, one 1200L capacity Montezuma cypress sabino wood tank

§  Dry fermentation time: 48 hours

§  Wet fermentation time: Eight days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§  Batch size: 60L

§  Date of distillation: April 2021

§  ABV: 46.4%