Ensamble Madrecuixe, Tepextate, Jabalín, Bicuixe, Tobalá | April 2022 | Manuel Aquino García | ENNMAQ2204 | Spring 2023 release | PM Spirits NY exclusive | 138 bottles

ENSAMBLE MADRECUIXE, TEPEXTATE, JABALÍN, BICUIXE, TOBALÁ | MANUEL AQUINO GARCÍA | APRIL 2022 | ENNMAQ2204

The inclusion of both wild and cultivated agave into the same oven and fermentation vat is a long-standing tradition and reflects not just the flavors and aromas of the area, but also the land management practices employed by farmers and palenqueros in the area around San Luis Amatlán. Manuel Aquino and his wife, Atanacia, make some beautiful “single varietal” spirits but specialize in the crafting of field blends, known as ensambles or mezclas. Drawing from a diverse mix of different species and subspecies of endemic wild and cultivated agaves, selected only capón (quiotudo) plants for the crafting of this batch. Macerated and fermented together, Manuel used around 325kg each of Madrecuixe and Tepextate, around 150kg each of Tobalá and Bicuixe and approximately 50kg of Jabalín. It doesn’t sound like much, but the inclusion of just three piñas of the saponin-rich Jabalín was enough to impact the aromas and flavors of the spirit.

§  Maguey(es): Madrecuixe, Tepextate, Jabalín, Bicuixe, Tobalá

§  Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown and wild harvested on family land

§  Producer: Manuel Aquino García

§  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán

§  Soil type: white and rocky tierra blanca cascajo

§  Rest time after harvest: five days

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

§  Rest time after oven: eight days

§  Maceration: Machete and shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts; two 1000L food grade plastic tubs

§  Dry fermentation time: 48 hours

§  Wet fermentation time:  11 days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§  Batch size: 140L

§  Date of distillation: April 2022

§  ABV: 46.6%