Tepextate | Aniceto García | January 2026 | TPXANI2601 | 51.7% ABV | 48 Bottles | Mírate x Daisy
Made by maestro palenquero Aniceto García in January 2026, ten piñas of capón Tepextate were selected from the wild in the rugged hills above his ranch, sharing the chalky, limestone terrain populated by cacti, copal, and a diverse mix of other flora and fauna. A natural spring gurgles in front of the house and below his palenque, providing water for mango trees, three different kinds of banana, loquats, guava, citrus, pomegranate, papaya, and other fruit trees.
Tío Cheto, as he is known by friends, comes from a long tradition of palenqueros in the area, and grew up learning the techniques and nuances to working with the maguey found locally. Every type of agave ferments and distills differently, with some benefiting from long resting periods while other types must be processed quickly. Experience has taught Aniceto not to allow too much time to pass between the harvest and roast, and even less time between the roast and maceration. Tepextate ferments quickly in general, but the mashing of cooked agave with a wooden mallet allows for the collection of extra juices and requires the use of less water, also facilitating a faster fermentation time. After roasting with mesquite and guaje wood (the namesake of Oaxaca state), the piñas were uncovered, left to cool, then chopped and mashed within two days before letting the fibers rest for 24 hours before adding spring water to the single sabino wood fermentation tank.
The heavy minerality, fruity, and balanced flavor profile that is typical in the region is accentuated in Aniceto’s work. Aniceto follows a recipe for distillation using the same materials and techniques shown to him by his grandfather: a copper boiler pot and cap, fitted with a refrescadera cooling jacket. Unlike some other methods in the vicinity, he fills the refrescadera with cool water three times during each round of distillation, or postura. A select cut of high proof liquid from this first round, which he refers to as shishe macizo, is separated and used to lower the final alcohol content of the heads and hearts collected from the rectification in the second distillation. Around two liters of shishe macizo was separated and used to compose a total of 40 L with a magnificent cordón cerrado at 51.7% alc. and an enticing and unmistakable aroma reflective of the plant, the land, and its maker. Selected by Max Reis, the entirety of the batch was bottled for Mirate and Daisy in Los Angeles.
Maguey(es): Tepextate (Agave marmorata var.)
Provenance of the maguey: Wild maguey harvested on family land
Producer: Aniceto García
Region: Yegosé, San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán
Soil type: White, rocky limestone; tierra blanca rocosa with cascajo
Rest time after harvest: Four days
Oven: Conical earthen oven; roasted for eight days with mesquite and guaje wood
Rest time after roasting: Two days
Mashing: Machete and wooden mazo
Fermentation: Native yeasts; one 500 L Montezuma cypress (sabino) tank containing approximately 500 kg of cooked agave and 100 L of natural spring water
Dry fermentation: 24 hours
Wet fermentation: Three days
Distillation: Twice distilled in copper pot stills fitted with a refrescadera
Final composition: Heads, hearts, and a select cut of shishe macizo
Batch size: 40 L
Date of distillation: January 2026
ABV: 51.7%