Cuixe Verde | José Vásquez Contreras | May 2022 | CVXCHP2205| 48.8% ABV | 48 Bottles | PM Wine Distribution
This delicious batch from logocheño Jose “Chepe” Vásquez is a stellar expression of the biological diversity of the region of San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán and the generational knowledge that has been passed down through palenquero families over the years. For the last two decades, Chepe and his wife, Teresa, have worked their agave at the palenque of their compadres, Hermógenes Vásquez and Paula Aquino. While we have known Chepe and Teresa for over twelve years, this was the first of their productions bottled by NETA.
Given the colloquial name of the agave and the region from whence it came, one might assume this production was made with the heirloom cultivar from San Luis Amatlán known by the same name, Cuixe Verde, but these agaves were in fact a distinct wild type of Agave karwinskii that express many similarities – principally being the plant’s unusually large (tall) size and the deep rich green color of its leaves, or pencas. Hermógenes described them as “el otro Cuixe Verde.” To make it more confusing, in the areas to the north of Logoche and throughout the municipality of Mengoli, there exist other types of Agave karwinskii and Agave rhodacantha that are also known locally as Verde but are indeed distinct varieties. In addition to being absolutely delicious and reflective of its place of origin, this batch is telling of the cooperative and familial nature of the production of spirits within Logoche and the ties that bind the community together.
Adjusted by Chepe with a mix of heads, hearts, and tails, this 95 L batch was chosen to be split between PM Wine Distribution and NETA; 48 bottles are available in New Mexico and the remaining amount was bottled for sale exclusively in Oaxaca.
Maguey(es): Cuixe Verde (Agave karwinskii var.)
Provenance of the maguey: Wild maguey harvested on family land
Producer: José “Chepe” Vásquez
Region: Logoche, San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán
Soil type: White, rocky tierra blanca
Rest time after harvest: Seven days
Oven: Conical earthen oven; roasted for eight days with mesquite wood
Rest time after roasting: Ten days
Mashing: Machete and shredder
Fermentation: Native yeasts; two Montezuma cypress (sabino) wood vats, each containing approximately 600 kg of cooked agave and 600 L of well water
Dry fermentation: 48 hours
Wet fermentation: Ten days
Distillation: Twice distilled in a copper pot still
Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails; 95 L
Batch size: 95 L
Date of distillation: May 2022
ABV: 48.8%