Puntas de Coyote | January 2025 | Manuel Aquino García | PUNMAQ2501 | Fall 2025 release | 24 bottles | ROC Barrel Pickers
PUNMAQ2501 | PUNTAS DE COYOTE | MANUEL AQUINO GARCÍA | JANUARY 2025 | 60.1% ALC | 24 BOTTLES | ROC BARREL PICKERS
In Logoche, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca, the puntas—or heads—collected from the second round of distillation are typically separated into individual cuts, categorized by both their alcohol strength and organoleptic quality. A similar approach is taken with the tails, or colas, where low-proof but desirable liquid is separated from the bitter and undesirable portion, which may be saved for future redistillation. According to regional custom, the final blend of selected cuts—puntas, corazón, and colas—is adjusted until a string of long-lasting bubbles (perlas), known as cordón cerrado, appears, indicating an alcohol content typically between 45–55% ABV. On occasion, when there is insufficient low-proof liquid to complete a larger batch, the producer may choose to prioritize quality over volume, setting aside a significant portion of the puntas while bottling only a small quantity of fully composed spirit.
Typically, just a liter or two of puntas is left over from any given production, so bottling 20 liters is a rare opportunity—especially when made from such an uncommon agave. Recently classified by botanists as Agave lyobaa, this maguey is believed to be a hybrid resulting from the cross-pollination of Tobalá-type plants and larger Agave karwinskii (often referred to as Madrecuixe in much of Miahuatlán), which cohabitate the ecological borderlands between the Sierra and Valle of Oaxaca. Wild populations of this agave are extremely scarce, making their use in spirits both rare and highly coveted.
While Manuel and his family do cultivate Coyote agaves in Logoche, this production was made with twenty capón plants harvested wild from two different parcels in neighboring villages. Half came from his in-laws’ black-earth (tierra negra) hillside in Buenavista, while the other half was gathered from the rocky white soils (tierra blanca) of nearby San Luis Amatlán.
This 20-liter cut of puntas was selected for an exclusive bottling by ROC Elite Barrel Pickers in New York. Bottled at 61.1% ABV, only 24 bottles exist.
§ Maguey(es): Coyote (Agave lyobaa)
§ Provenance of the maguey: Wild maguey from San Luis Amatlán and family land in nearby Buenavista
§ Producer: Manuel Aquino García
§ Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
§ Soil type: White and rocky tierra blanca in San Luis Amatlán and black tierra negra in Buenavista
§ Rest time after harvest: Six days
§ Oven: Conical earthen pit; seven days with mesquite wood
§ Rest time after oven: Five days
§ Maceration: Machete and shredder
§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tanks
§ Dry fermentation time: 48 hours
§ Wet fermentation time: four days
§ Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills
§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
§ Batch size: select 20 liter-cut of puntas
§ Date of distillation: January 2025
§ ABV: 60.1%