Ensamble Pulquero, Madrecuixe, Cuixe Verde | May 2022 | Primitivo Vásquez Vásquez | ENNPMV2205 | Spring 2023 Release | 186 bottles

This ensamble was made from nearly equal parts by weight of three different cultivars micro-endemic to Miahuatlán. Primitivo harvested seven piñas of Pulquero Penca Larga, a local long-leaved and low-yielding type of Agave americana, 14 Madrecuixe, and 8 Cuixe Verde from a rocky and red soil parcel of family land. The maestro estimated the Pulque plants to be around eighteen years old, while the two different Agave karwinskii types were harvested between eight and fifteen years after being planted. The combination of both quitudo and en guía maguey totaled around 1500KG and filled two sabino wood fermentation vats. Despite the low-sugar content of the Pulquero, the agave was caramelized to perfection during the roasting process, and when mixed with the Madrecuixe and Cuixe Verde demanded a total of 15 days in open-air fermentation. Adjusted with a mix of heads, hearts, and tails, this field blend reflects the cultivation practices of the milpa system, in which farmers plant maguey alongside corn, beans, squash, and other food crops. Primitivo yielded a total of 165 liters and created a truly unique and delicious spirit.

§  Maguey(es):  Pulquero (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: red and rocky tierra pedregosa

§  Rest time after harvest: Approximately seven days

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

§  Rest time after oven: five days

§  Maceration: Machete and shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts, two 1200L capacity Montezuma cypress sabino wood tanks

§  Dry fermentation time: 48 hours

§  Wet fermentation time: Thirteen days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§  Batch size: 165L

§  Date of distillation: May 2022

ABV: 46.5%