Coyote Silvestre | September 2021 | Hermógenes Vásquez García | COYHMG2109 | Summer 2022 Release | PARA YANA | 66 Bottles

In Miahuatlán and much of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca the agave colloquially known as Coyote, or Coyota is revered for is beauty, scarcity, and distinctive aromas and flavors. This maguey is not to be confused with the Agave americana type from the Sola de Vega region that goes by the same name. The maguey used in the production of this batch was in recent years classified as Agave lyobaa, but those that work with the plant are aware that it is in fact a hybrid between large- sized A. karwinskii types and the A. potatorum and A. seemanniana plants that are colloquially known locally as Tobalá. As such, they are generally found in the wild, exclusively in the arid, hilly, and rocky zones where these different species overlap in proximity, flowering times, and the sharing of common pollinators, such as bats and hummingbirds. These wild Coyote are remarkably rare and take around 12 years to mature. The plant and its distillate remain highly prized by producers and discerning drinkers alike.

During a dry stretch in what should have been a very rainy August 2021, Hermógenes and family selected 40 mature Coyote plants from a steep ravine and rocky tierra roja hillsides just outside of Logoche, designating them for this extremely special 65L batch.

  • §  Maguey(es): Coyote Silvestre (Hybrid of Tobalá complex and A. karwinskii)

  • §  Provenance of the maguey: Harvested in the wild; neighboring village of Santa Cruz

  • §  Producer: Hermógenes Vásquez

  • §  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca

  • §  Soil type: red and rocky tierra roja

  • §  Rest time after harvest: seven days

  • §  Oven: Conical earthen pit; six days with oak and mesquite wood

  • §  Rest time after oven: six days

  • §  Maceration: Machete and shredder

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

    tank with 700kg of agave fibers

  • §  Dry fermentation time: 24 hours

  • §  Wet fermentation time: six days

  • §  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

  • §  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

  • §  Batch size: 65L

  • §  Date of distillation: September 2021

  • §  ABV: 47.3%

MARIE NAKAZAWA