Pulquero Penca Larga | July 2021 | Primitivo Vásquez | PLQPMV2007 | Winter 2022 Release | 126 bottles
The different species of pulque producing agave endemic to much of the Americas, and in Mexico in particular, have played a tremendously vital role in helping sustain and nurture its lands, peoples, and cultures for thousands of years. Prior to the introduction of plastics and industrialized beverages in the mid 20th century, the various species of pulque producing agaves were considered some of the most prized plants in all of Mexico, celebrated for their practical and ceremonial functions. These domesticated agaves were depicted in ancient codices and associated with particular deities, notable the Aztec goddess, Mayahuel. Essentially every part of the plant and properties can be utilized for one purpose or another. The flowers can be eaten, the stock of the agave can serve for construction and roofing materials, and its long leaves have been used for millennia for rope, cloth, paper production, and for gastronomic purposes. The nectar, known as aguamiel, that is harvested from the heart of the plant is consumed fresh and enjoyed for its prebiotic and vitamin-rich benefits; once fermented, becomes pulque – a remarkably health drink, and the oldest alcoholic beverage in the Americas.
These Pulquero magueyes began to be distilled during the colonial period, and are still common in mezcal production in various Mexican states. Despite their potential to yield liters of agualmiel every day for a period of months, the plants are actually very low in convertible sugars, and as such, are very low yielding when distilled. In Oaxaca, however, with its historical abundance and diversity of sugar-rich agaves, its use in mezcal is somewhat of a rarity. Throughout Mexico, there are more than six distinct species and numerous varieties of agaves that are cultivated for pulque production. In the distilling regions of Miahuatlán, Oaxaca, the Agave americana species is most prevalent of the various Pulquero agaves - of which there exists a handful of different varieties, or genotypes. They are all large in size, but their color, leaf, and spines can vary. Given the urban migration trends and general decline in pulque consumption over the last number of decades, many families have stopped growing these agaves. However, as mezcaleros throughout the region of Miahuatlán have started to include these agaves into their repertoire, many have started to propagate these varieties from seed stock and rhizome clones, which typically take 12-15 years to mature. While the aromas and flavors are quite captivating, the plant ́s rarity, size and low-yielding nature present an obvious barrier to popular use.
Primitivo made this small batch alongside his brother, Simitrio, who sourced the maguey through friends in a neighboring community. The nine piñas of the “Penca Larga” type they harvested is perhaps the most common of the local Pulqueros, and can grow to weigh well beyond 300kg. In their case, they had to make three trips with the truck to move the nine piñas back to the palenque and continue their work. Amassing around 1500kg of mesquite-cooked agave, the two brothers filled two Montezuma cypress wood fermentation vats after macerating the agaves with machetes and a mechanical shredder. After a 48-hour dry fermentation period, around 600L of well water was added to each vat, mixed around, and let to sit for an additional 12 days. Distilled in copper pots over low heat, the two collected a total of 100L after a careful composition of heads, hearts, and tails.
§ Maguey(es): Pulquero Penca Larga (Agave americana var.)
§ Provenance of the maguey: local growers
§ Producer: Primitivo Vásquez Vásquez
§ Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
§ Soil type: Black soil tierra negra
§ Oven: Conical earthen pit; five days with mesquite wood
§ Rest time after oven: Eight days
§ Maceration: Machete and shredder
§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; two 1,200L capacity Montezuma cypress sabino
wood vats
§ Dry fermentation time: 48 hours
§ Wet fermentation time: 12 days
§ Distillation: 2x in 250L capacity copper pot stills
§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
§ Batch size: 100L
§ Date of distillation: July 2020