Barril (A. angustifolia) | May 2023 | Miguel García Ortíz | Fall 2025 release | 138 bottles | Aficionados
BRLMGO2305 | BARRIL | MIGUEL GARCÍA ORTÍZ | MAY 2023 | 51.5% | 138 BOTTLES | AFICIONADOS
Miguel García Ortíz is the eldest son of Nicolás García Vásquez and grandson of the legendary palenquero Don Tomás García Cruz. At the forefront of the new generation of farmers and producers preserving rural traditions, Miguel has embraced the challenge—actively participating in community events, tequios, and a range of agricultural programs and workshops. He began working at the family palenque as a teenager, assisting his father, uncles, and grandfather. Now, at 23, he occasionally leads his own productions—albeit with guidance from his elders—that carry his name.
This unique batch was made from 200 piñas of a rare type of agave known locally as Barril, endemic to stretches of Miahuatlán north of Logoche. Not to be confused with the large and chunky Agave karwinskii types from Ejutla, this slow-growing, low-sugar agave appears to be a distinct type of Agave angustifolia, one of the most prolific species on the continent. Grown in the village of Tepehuaje on a red and rocky tierra colorada hillside, the agaves had been left largely unattended for over two decades. Though not particularly large or sugar-rich, the plants developed other compelling qualities over time.
Roughly 5,000 kg of this Barril maguey were designated for this single production, which yielded only 265 liters. While Miguel took on the bulk of the work, his father, Nicolás, assisted in the final blending and adjustments of the cuts from the second distillation—known as the resaque. Using the hearts and select cuts of heads and tails, the two created a composition that impressed both palate and eye, marked by deep aromas, layered flavors, and a strong cordón cerrado with large, long-lasting bubbles. Part of the batch was kept in Logoche for local sale, while the rest was selected by the Aficionados Group and bottled as composed by the palenqueros, at 51.5% ABV.
§ Maguey(es): Barril (Agave angustifolia var.)
§ Provenance of the maguey: Grower in nearby Tepehuaje, Miahuatlán
§ Producer: Miguel García Ortíz and Nicolás García Vásquez
§ Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
§ Soil type: Red and rocky tierra colorada con cascajo
§ Rest time after harvest: Eight days
§ Oven: Conical earthen pit; ten days with mesquite wood
§ Rest time after oven: Five days
§ Maceration: Machete and shredder
§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; two 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tanks with approximately 600kg of cooked agave and 600L of well water
§ Dry fermentation time: 72 hours
§ Wet fermentation time: 10 days
§ Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills
§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
§ Batch size: 265 liters
§ Date of distillation: May 2023
§ ABV: 51.5%