Tobaziche | April 2022 | Tomás García Cruz | TBZTGC2204 | Fall 2025 release | 54 bottles | Whislers + Travis Heights

TBZTGC2204 | TOBAZICHE | TOMÁS GARCÍA CRUZ | APRIL 2022 | 54 BOTTLES

Tobaziche is one of the most common names for different types of agave in different parts of Zapotec- speaking, or ethnically Zapotec communities in Oaxaca. In nearly all instances, these “tobaziches” are types of Agave karwinskii, but their morphology, maturation times, sugar content, and flavors, vary tremendously between regions, and sometimes, between villages. In the area of San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán, the agave identified locally as Tobaziche can grow to heights around three meters and weights of hundreds of kilograms. Sugar-rich, these agaves generally take at least eight years to mature, depending on conditions, but most growers report extended maturation times of 12-15 years. While this maguey does propagate itself through both seed and clone, it does occasionally appear in the nurseries of seed stock from the Madrecuixe agave, as well. Quite rare these days, the Tobaziche was one of the many endemic cultivated magueyes displaced by the massive plantings of Espadín in the 1980’s and 1990’s. While Don Tomás and many others in the community have significant amounts of young Tobaziche planted in the nurseries and fields, in remains uncommon to see a pure Tobaziche production in Logoche.

In the crafting of this batch, don Tomás harvest 25 piñas of capón and en guía Tobaziche that were acquired in a trade with another well-known producer and grower in nearby Mengoli. With nearly 650kg of agave designated for this batch, the maestro filled one sabino wood fermentation vat. The mash of roasted maguey and well water required a total of eleven days before it was ready for distillation. With a mix of heads, hearts, and a cut of high proof tails, don Tomás composed a total of 95L at 49% Alc. by Vol. A little more than half the batch stayed in Logoche for local sale, while NETA was able to bottle the remaining 45L liters.

  • §  Maguey(es): Tobaziche (Agave karwinskii var.)

  • §  Provenance of the maguey: Cultivated in Mengoli, Miahuatlán

  • §  Producer: Tomás García Cruz

  • §  Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán

  • §  Soil type: rocky and red tierra cascajudo

  • §  Rest time after harvest: eight days

  • §  Oven: Conical earthen pit; 15 days with mesquite and oak

  • §  Rest time after oven: four days

  • §  Maceration: Machete and shredder

  • §  Fermentation: Native yeasts; one 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tank with 650kg

    of cooked agave and 400L of well water

  • §  Dry fermentation time: 48 hours

  • §  Wet fermentation time: nine days

  • §  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills

  • §  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails

  • §  Batch size: L

  • §  Date of distillation: 95L

  • §  ABV: 49%

MARIE NAKAZAWA