Cucharillo + Coyote + Jabalín | April 2024 | Manuel Aquino García | ENNMAQ2404D | Fall 2024 release | 72 bottles | Maverick Texas
Until recently, nearly all distillation of agave in Miahuatlán—and much of Oaxaca—involved the cooking and co-fermentation of various types and species of agave. Producers utilized what was most ripe and locally available for harvest and processing. It wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s that palenqueros in the Miahuatlán region began to commonly separate their different varieties of maguey for single-varietal productions. While this trend has continued to the present day, many palenqueros have re-examined their traditional methods and developed new approaches to their craft, intentionally fermenting and distilling combinations of maguey.
In recent years, Manuel has been at the forefront of this practice in Logoche, consistently producing truly spectacular (and often very small-volume) batches of co-fermented ensambles, or field blends. To preserve the unique flavors and aromas created by each microregion or section within a given parcel or hillside, he often separates agave based on its place of growth and harvest. In other instances, he designates specific combinations of different agaves in particular quantities to explore new flavor possibilities or to craft a batch that highlights a profile he enjoys. For this 60-liter batch, Manuel employed both approaches, creating a highly intentional mix of wild and quiotudo Cucharillo, Coyote, and Jabalín harvested from a single chalky, limestone-rich stretch of land in neighboring San Luis Amatlán.
With assistance from his wife, Nacha, Manuel macerated and co-fermented eight Cucharillo plants and twelve Coyote piñas in nearly equal parts by weight, adding three piñas of Jabalín. These quantities were intended to balance the aggressive tones typical of Jabalín (as well as to temper the excessive foam created by the high levels of saponin present in the maguey) and to manage the often dominating presence of Cucharillo. This mix of different subfamilies and genera of Asparagaceae is extremely unique and highly reflective of the special landscapes and terruño of the eastern side of the Miahuatlán Valley at the base of the Sierra Madre del Sur.
Maguey(es): Cucharillo (Dasylirion sp.), Coyote (Agave sp.), Jabalín (A. convallis var.)
Provenance of the maguey: Wild agave from San Luis Amatlán
Producer: Manuel Aquino García
Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
Soil type: Chalky white earth (tierra blanca)
Rest time after harvest: 5 days
Oven: Conical earthen pit, 7 days with mesquite wood
Rest time after oven: 4 days
Maceration: Machete and mechanical shredder
Fermentation: Native yeasts, in food-grade plastic tanks; 48 hours dry, 7 days wet
Distillation: Twice in copper pot stills
Final composition: Heads and hearts
Batch size: 60 liters
Date of distillation: April 2024
ABV: 51%