Tepextate, Sierra Negra, Cuixe Verde | November 2022 | Hermógenes Vásquez García | ENNHMG2211 | 54 bottles | Joe's Tequila
This unique field blend was crafted with nearly equal parts of three different species of agave that were roasted together, co-fermented, and twice distilled in copper pot stills in November 2022. These mezclas or ensambles represent some of the oldest recipes and production practices of Miahuatlán, Oaxaca and are highly representative of the gastronomic and agricultural traditions of Logoche and the villages surrounding San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán.
Hermógenes Vásquez, with assistance from his wife, Paula, and their son, Jorge, made this ensamble with wild Tepextate harvested from a rugged stretch of steep and uncultivated red earth terrain. The three large homegrown piñas of Sierra Negra and the micro-endemic Cuixe Verde were selected from an adjacent, cultivated parcel composed mostly of chalky and rocky white earth rich in limestone. After roasting for eight days in a conical earthen oven, the caramelized maguey was rested for six days before being chopped by machete and passed though a shredder. The dry fibers of the agave were gathered and placed into a single Montezuma cypress tank where they were monitored over the course of two days. When deemed ready, the Maestro added nearly 500 liters of well water to the tank. The mash fermented for an additional nine days before it was finally ready for distillation, nearly one month after the harvest was initiated.
After careful distillation, a mix of the heads, hearts, and a select cut of high proof tails were blended until Hermógenes was satisfied with the aromas, flavors, and the appearance of a closed panel of bubbles, or perlas, formed to create what is known as a cordón cerrado, a visual cue of quality and an indicator of a high proof spirit that conforms with the community’s standards of production. A total of 60 liters were composed and selected by NETA for its expressive and exemplary characteristics reflective of the local terruño or terroir.
This batch was split between friends in Mexico and the United States and will only be available at two locations in North America, Rubra Punta Mita, Nayarit and Joe’s Tequila Bar at Inn on the Alameda in Santa Fé, New Mexico.
§ Maguey(es): Tepextate (Agave marmorata), Sierra Negra (Agave americana var.), Cuixe Verde (Agave karwinskii var.)
§ Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown Sierra Negra and Cuixe Verde, wild Tepextate harvested on family land
§ Producer: Hermógenes Vásquez García
§ Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
§ Soil type: red and rocky tierra colorada cascajudo and white and chalky tierra blanca
§ Rest time after harvest: six days
§ Oven: Conical earthen pit; eight days with mesquite and guamüchil wood
§ Rest time after oven: six days
§ Maceration: Machete and mechanical shredder
§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; one 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tank with approximately 750 kg of cooked agave and 500L of well water
§ Dry fermentation time: two days
§ Wet fermentation time: nine days
§ Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills
§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
§ Batch size: 60L
§ Date of distillation: November 2022
§ ABV: 48.4%