Tepextate | February 2022 | Tomás García Cruz | TPXTGC2202 | Summer 2022 Release | Uncorked exclusive | 48 Bottles

Despite the cold and sometimes unstable temperatures, there palenqueros throughout Miahuatlán agree that the first full moon of January provides a special window of opportunity for harvests that produce large yields. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Don Tomás García Cruz and his sons harvested 30 piñas of Tepextate from a series of steep and treacherous, red and rocky hillsides just to the northeast of Logoche. Approximately 650kg of shredded Tepextate fibers were dry fermented for 24 hours before being mixed down with early 600L of water. Fermentation continued for another three days before being twice distilled at low heat. Composed with a mix of heads, hearts, and a select high-proof cut of tails, don Tomás was able to finesse a total of 54L from one Montezuma cypress tina, a sizeable yield for these special wild agaves.

These 48 bottles are a fantastic expression of a miahuateco Tepextate, reflecting tools and techniques,  the lands, the agave, and the master craftsmanship behind its production.

§  Maguey(es):Tepextate (Agave marmorata var.)

§  Provenance of the maguey: Wild harvested from neighboring lands

§  Producer: Tomás García Cruz

§  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca

§  Soil type: monte pedregosa red and white rocky hill slopes

§  Rest time after harvest:

§  Oven: Conical earthen pit; four days with mesquite and oak

§  Rest time after oven: two days

§  Maceration: Machete and shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts, 650kg of cooked agave fiber in one 1200L capacity Montezuma cypress sabino wood tank

§  Dry fermentation time: 24 hours

§  Wet fermentation time: Three days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§  Batch size: 54L

§  Date of distillation: January 2022

§  ABV: 47.2%

MARIE NAKAZAWA