Espadín aged in American Oak | March 2025 | Tomás García Cruz | ESRTGC2503 | Fall 2025 release | 120 bottles | Advintage + Other Half Brewery

It is rare to find barrel-aged agave spirits in Miahuatlán, but the practice does have historical roots. The arrival of the railroad in Oaxaca in the early 20th century—reaching as far south as Ejutla between 1904 and 1931, and running to Ocotlán and Tlacolula until much later—introduced wooden barrels as practical transport vessels. Before this, spirits were typically stored in black clay cántaros from San Bartolo Coyotepec or in glass demijohns. Cántaros, once essential for transport by mule through the sierra to the coast, are now prized relics, with surviving examples dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today’s reproductions are considered decorative rather than functional.

While barrels became more common with expanded rail access, aging agave spirits in wood never took deep root in Miahuatlán. Most mezcal was produced for immediate local consumption, though towns around San Luis Amatlán often made surplus volumes. These excesses were typically stored to rest in glass or, later, food-grade plastic. In this region, “aging” is best understood not only as time in a vessel after distillation, but also in the context of the agave’s lifespan—its years to maturity and the complex microbial and nutrient exchanges that occur over decades of growth.

The American oak barrels used for this batch arrived in Logoche in 2009 through a government program that supplied a bottling line, production equipment, and 80 pre-charred barrels to the 12 members of the Grupo Logoche cooperative. Early experiments found little local demand, and barrel aging was largely abandoned—until recently. In July 2023, Don Tomás filled one of these barrels with select cuts from a capón Espadín batch at 46% ABV. After six months, the semi-arid climate’s “angel’s share” not only reduced the volume but also lowered the proof. In January 2025, he replenished the barrel with about 10 liters of puntas from a saved cut of heads, letting it rest further.

During a March 2025 visit with our U.S. import partner PM Spirits, Advintage Distributing (Tennessee), and Other Half (New York), a sample was pulled, unanimously chosen, and bottled as a special release. Don Tomás kept some for himself, leaving only 120 bottles for export.

§ Maguey(es): Espadín capón (Agave angustifolia var.)

§ Provenance of the maguey: homegrown; El Higo parcel

§ Producer: Tomás García Cruz

§ Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán

§ Soil type: red and rocky cascajo rojo

§ Rest time after harvest: eight days

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

§ Rest time after oven: five days

§ Maceration: tractor-drawn stone mill

§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; three 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tanks with a total of 1800 kg of cooked agave and 1800L of well water

§ Dry fermentation time: eight days

§ Wet fermentation time: eight days

§ Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

§ Batch size: 200

§ Date of distillation: July 2023

§ Time in American oak barrel: 14 months

§ ABV: 45.6%

MARIE NAKAZAWASeptember 4, 2025