Coyote silvestre | January 2024 | Manuel Aquino García | COYMAQ2401 | 54 bottles | Elote AZ

Manuel and his wife, Antanasia, made this small, 40-liter batch in January 2024. The agave used for this tiny production is a local hybrid coloqually known as Coyote. It is the offspring of cross pollination between the different Tobalá type plants and the larger sized varieties of Agave karwinskii (often Madrecuixe in most of the region of Miahuatlán) that cohabitate the borderlands between the sierra and valle of Oaxaca. In the wild, these agaves are extremely rare which makes their use in spirits both uncommon and extremely coveted.

In December 2023, Manuel selected 12 fully ripe and capón Coyote for harvest from a white and rocky parcel located a few km northeast of Logoche. Pit-roasted along with other species and types of agaves in early January 2024, the Coyote was later separated to be macerated and fermented on its own. After maceration, the dry fibers were fermented for 24 hours before the aromas and temperatures began to demand the addition of water. Around 500 liters of well water were added to the tub and formulated to ferment for an additional six days until the mash was ready for distillation. Atanasia assisted in the distillation process, and after adjusting heads, hearts, and tails, Manuel composed a total of 40 liters with a cordón cerrado at 49% Alc. by Vol. Five liters were sold locally, while the remaining 35 liters were selected to be bottled as an exclusive pick by our friends at Elote in Sedona, Arizona where only 42 bottles are in existence.

§  Maguey(es): Coyote (Agave sp.)

§  Provenance of the maguey: wild harvested from family land

§  Producer: Manuel Aquino García

§  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán

§  Soil type: white and rocky tierra blanca

§  Rest time after harvest: seven days

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

§  Rest time after oven: four days

§  Maceration: Machete and mechanical shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts; 1200L food grade plastic tub with approximately 600kg of cooked agave and 500L of well water

§  Dry fermentation time: 24 hours

§  Wet fermentation time: six days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§  Batch size: 40L

§  Date of distillation: January 2024

ABV: 49%