#refrescador

[mezcalvago]

Tobalá de Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez - Batch E-07-TOB-16

After the incredible responses we’ve gotten from the first few batches of mezcal from Don Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez, we are excited and fortunate to be able to share his 50.20% ABV, 229 liter batch of Tobalá. The entire harvest took place on March 29th, 2016, with production continuing through the month of April. This batch was produced by Emigdio at his palenque in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). It was produced from 246 piñas, weighing 5,600 Kg, harvested from the Rio Comal Parcel. All 246 piñas were roasted for 6 days between March 30th and April 5th.

Upon cooling, the agave for the three fermentation vats were crushed on April 8th, 12th, and 13th, respectively, before being added to the pine wood vats. They were allowed to dry ferment for two days before adding 273 liters of water, and allowing wet fermentation to continue for another two days. After fermenting for four days in total, the mosto was distilled on April 12th, 17th, and 18th, respectively. 4,257 total liters of mosto produced 600 liters of ordinario after the first distillation run, with an ABV of 26.43%. Rectificación took place on April 19th, producing 180 liters of mezcal at 63.6% ABV. For those keeping score, that’s 4,257 liters of fermented agave producing 180 liters of mezcal; a total yield of only 4.2%!!!!

On April 21st, 4.5 liters of colas were mixed with 48 liters of distilled water, producing a mixture of 52.5 liters at 33% ABV. The mezcal and cola/water mixture was allowed to rest for approximately four weeks, before being blended on May 24th. To achieve final bottling proof, 52 liters of the cola/water mixture were blended with the rested mezcal to produce a final batch of 229 liters of mezcal at 50.5% ABV.

Agave Tobalá

Agave Potatorum, or Tobalá are some of the most prized mezcal agaves in existence. Their small, basketball-sized pinas have a very high starch content and produce very light, sweet & floral mezcales. Unfortunately, the plants scarcity and high demand as well as inability to reproduce clonally have combined to severely threaten the sustainability of this variety. Young children often scour the rocky slopes under the shade of oak trees to harvest under-sized tobalas to bring to mezcaleros knowing they can still fetch top dollar. Their small yield and limited availability combine to drive the price. They are also notoriously difficult to cultivate, adding the labor of wild harvesting into their price. As a result of this increasing scarcity, Mezcal Vago is actively working to remove wild harvested Tobalá from our supply stream. We are also actively planting thousands of Tobalá seeds throughout the year.  

These plants look similar to a. Cupreata, with which they share genes, but are comparatively small. Typically, they grow to a diameter of 3 – 4 ft and a meter tall, however they can get substantially bigger. Their leaves are very wide and spade like, with a gray/green color. They range extends between Puebla and Oaxaca at elevations between 4,000 and 7,500 feet, where they grow in pine and scrub oak forests with rocky soil, typically beneath the shade of large trees. The natural range of Tobalá can be seen in the map below.

*Image taken from CONABIO website.

Producer: Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez

Mezcal goes back in his family at least three generations, Emigdio having learned it from his grandfather. Their horno is a conical pit dug into the earth, which can hold up to 7 tons of Espadin. Emigdio usually roasts his agave for 5-7 days, which is on the longer end of an average roast. He then lets it rest in the sun to cool for one to two weeks.

Emigdio’s Tahona

They use a cement tahona lined with rocks and pulled by mule to crush their agave. Once crushed, they use four Ocote wood fermentation vats with volumes of 1,470, 1,600, 1,600, and 1,700 liters, which usually take around three days to ferment to completion.

Refrescador Still Exterior

Refrescador Still Condensor

Distillation is done in a 300 l. copper refrescador still. Refrescador is a technique that is common to the area surrounding Miahuatlan, but Vago has never used before. The still looks similar to a copper alembique still with a stainless steel cylinder surrounding it. This cylinder is then filled with water, allowing it to cool the upper part of the still. This upper chamber now acts as a condenser and sends the alcohol vapor back down into the boiler before being heated again and passing out of the still and into the condensing coil. This method essentially allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still. Cuts are made using a carizzo to test for ABV as well as taste and smell. A full capacity 300 l. still will produce, on average, 100 l. of mezcal in roughly 14 hours.

A full roast of 700 tons will produce up to 700 l. of mezcal depending upon the which agave is being used. ABV is then adjusted by using colas that have been rested with distilled water in order to preserve taste and mouthfeel. Like all Vago mezcal, Emigdio’s goes through a simple sediment filtration through a tubular cellulose filter before bottling. The bottling is done by hand in Oaxaca City. The very light filtration is the only way the mezcal is affected between when it was made on the palenque and how it ends up in the bottle.

Location: Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz

Emigdio distills outside of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. We are very proud and excited to have finally found a mezcalero from this area we can put in a Vago bottle. Miahuatlán is a historically important town in mezcal production as well as where both Aquilino and Tío Rey’s families emigrated from. By adding Emigdio to the family, we are able to extend the conversation of our history and tradition even further back in time.

Emigdio’s land is in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz, about 2 ½ hours directly South of Oaxaca City. The palenque sits at around 4,970 ft., among gently rolling hills and shallow arroyos in a semi-arid climate.  In the surrounding area grows Agave Espadín, Mexicano Verde, Tobalá, Tepeztate, Arroqueño, Pulquero, Madre Cuixe, and Bicuixe (Cuixe).

Glossary

Mosto - A low-alcohol mixture of agave juice, fiber and water. Mosto typically has an ABV of ~4-8%. Often referred to as tepache.

Ordinario - The regional term for first-run distillate. It usually has an ABV between 20 - 30% ABV. Sometimes called xixe.

Rectifiicación - The refining of xixe or ordinario through a second distillation.

Works Cited

CONABIO. Agave, Mezcales, y Biodiversidad. A. Karwinskiihttp://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/usos/mezcales/A_karwinskii.html

Gentry. Agave of Continental North America. The University of Arizona Press. Tucson. 2004

[mezcalvago]

Cuixe de Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez - Batch E-02-C-16

We’ve been talking about Don Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez for quite some time now and we are so honored to be able to continue to showcase his incredible style with the release of his first batch of Cuixe for Mezcal Vago.

This extremely limited 92 liter, 51.2% ABV batch of wild Cuixe was produced in the winter/spring of 2016 at Emigdio’s palenque in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). The harvest consisted of 149 piñas weighing 1,420 kilograms that were collected on January 26th. They were only allowed to sit for two days before being buried in an earthen oven to roast from January 28th to February 4th. The cooked agave had a Brix level of 24°. They were allowed to rest for seven days before being crushed with a stone tahona on February 11th. The crushed agave were allowed to ferment dry for four days before adding 120 liters of distilled water on February 15th, to produce a total volume of 1,558 liters of tepache. Wet fermentation was allowed to continue for five days before undergoing first distillation on a copper refrescador still. Because the initial sugar levels were slightly lower than what Emigdio usually uses, this batch had to undergo two distillation runs. The first distillation took place on February 20th and produced 200 liters of ordinario at 30% ABV. This is a yield of only 13%! This ordinario was then distilled a second time the same day, producing only 72 liters (a final yield of only 4.5%!) at 60.1% ABV. On March 4th, Emigdio blended 4 liters of colas with 20 liters of distilled water to an ABV of 41.2%. The mezcal and cola/water mixture were then both allowed to rest for another four weeks before blending 23 liters of colas/water with the mezcal to produce a final batch of 92 liters at 51.2% ABV.

Agave Cuixe

What we have called Cuixe (pronounced cuishe) in the past is referred to as Bicuixe in the region surrounding Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. When speaking with our mezcaleros, we typically refer to the agave using whatever regional term they are accustomed to, but to avoid confusion among consumers, we have tried to remain consistent when it comes to bottling. As such, although this label says Cuixe, Emigdio knows it as Bicuixe. Regardless of what it is called, it is a member of the Agave Karwinskii family. Karwinskiis are quite unique in that across the several sub-varities that exist, they all grow on stalks that can reach up to 4 feet tall with the rosette or piña growing on top of the stalk, resulting in a plant that can reach heights of up to 7 feet. Agave in the Karwinskii family can often take between 15 and 18 years to mature. 

Between the different sub-varieties, there are different ratios of stalk to piña which can affect the final flavor. The starches in the stalk are structured differently, such that they do not always break down during the roasting process. As a result, in sub-varieties like Cuixe and Madrecuixe that have more stalk in relation to the piña, this can result in mezcales that do have a core of agave sweetness that most are used to, but there is an overall dry and starchy quality to the mezcales that can linger on the palate. Madrecuixe typically has a larger piña than Cuixe, resulting in mezcales that do have that starchy, grassy note often associated with Cuixe, but with a touch more sweetness and body. One reason that Madrecuixe is so named is because they often grow as solitary plants surrounded by several Cuixe, as though they are protecting, or a “mother” (madre) plant. However, the Cuixe are not part of the Madrecuixe.

The distribution of Agave Karwinskii can be seen in the map below.

*Map provided by CONABIO website

Producer: Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez

Mezcal goes back in his family at least three generations, Emigdio having learned it from his grandfather. Their horno is a conical pit dug into the earth, which can hold up to 7 tons of Espadin. Emigdio usually roasts his agave for 5-7 days, which is on the longer end of an average roast. He then lets it rest in the sun to cool for one to two weeks.

Emigdio’s Tahona

They use a cement tahona lined with rocks and pulled by mule to crush their agave. Once crushed, they use four Ocote wood fermentation vats with volumes of 1,470, 1,600, 1,600, and 1,700 liters, which usually take around three days to ferment to completion.

Refrescador Still Exterior

Refrescador Still Condensor

Distillation is done in a 300 l. copper refrescador still. Refrescador is a technique that is common to the area surrounding Miahuatlan, but Vago has never used before. The still looks similar to a copper alembique still with a stainless steel cylinder surrounding it. This cylinder is then filled with water, allowing it to cool the upper part of the still. This upper chamber now acts as a condenser and sends the alcohol vapor back down into the boiler before being heated again and passing out of the still and into the condensing coil. This method essentially allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still. Cuts are made using a carizzo to test for ABV as well as taste and smell. A full capacity 300 l. still will produce, on average, 100 l. of mezcal in roughly 14 hours.

A full roast of 700 tons will produce up to 700 l. of mezcal depending upon the which agave is being used. ABV is then adjusted by using colas that have been rested with distilled water in order to preserve taste and mouthfeel. Like all Vago mezcal, Emigdio’s goes through a simple sediment filtration through a tubular cellulose filter before bottling. The bottling is done by hand in Oaxaca City. The very light filtration is the only way the mezcal is affected between when it was made on the palenque and how it ends up in the bottle.

Location: Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz

Emigdio distills outside of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. We are very proud and excited to have finally found a mezcalero from this area we can put in a Vago bottle. Miahuatlán is a historically important town in mezcal production as well as where both Aquilino and Tío Rey’s families emigrated from. By adding Emigdio to the family, we are able to extend the conversation of our history and tradition even further back in time.

Emigdio’s land is in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz, about 2 ½ hours directly South of Oaxaca City. The palenque sits at around 4,970 ft., among gently rolling hills and shallow arroyos in a semi-arid climate.  In the surrounding area grows Agave Espadín, Mexicano Verde, Tobalá, Tepeztate, Arroqueño, Pulquero, Madre Cuixe, and Bicuixe (Cuixe).

Glossary

Brix - Brix is a scale of sugar content measured in grams/solution, where one degree Brix equals 1 gram of sugar per 100 grams of solution. 

Ordinario - The regional term for first-run distillate. It usually has an ABV between 20 - 30% ABV. Sometimes called xixe. 

Rectifiicación - The refining of xixe or ordinario through a second distillation. 

Tepache - A low-alcohol mixture of agave juice, fiber and water. Tepache typically has an ABV of ~4-8%. Often referred to as mosto. 

Works Cited

CONABIO. Agave, Mezcales, y Biodiversidad. A. Karwinskii http://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/usos/mezcales/A_karwinskii.html

Gentry. Agave of Continental North America. The University of Arizona Press. Tucson. 2004

[mezcalvago]

Madre Cuixe de Emigdio Jarquín - Batch E-03-MC-16

We are incredibly excited to continue to bring Don Emigdio Jarquin’s magic to the world. We send out his microbatch of Pulquero in December and his Espadín to the Southeast. Now, after a couple of months resting at the Vago office, his 480 liter batch of Madrecuixe is ready to be enjoyed. We are excited to put out a mezcal of agave that is so prevalent around the Miahuatlán region. This batch was created from January to April, 2016 at Emigdio’s palenque in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W).

The harvest for this batch of mezcal took place from January 21st - January 23rd and consisted of 177 piñas harvested from the Cerrito and Chamizal parcels. All 5,500 kilograms (1,212 lbs.) were buried to roast over 7 days from January 28th to February 4th. They were then fermented over a period of 15 days, with each of the four fermentation vats taking, on average,  8 days before distillation. This is one of the aspects of the production process that many people do not realize can have a very strong impact on the final flavors of mezcal. As agave sit cooling before being crushed, fermentation begins and bacteria begin to grow on the agave. These factors all work to produce acids and complexities to the final mezcal. As a result, mezcal produced from fermentation vats that were crushed last may have higher acids than the mezcals from the fermentation vat that was filled first. This variability speaks to the skill of the mezcalero in making cuts and blending the different portions of the batch together, in order to produce a mezcal that will pass analysis.

Once fermentation was finished, Emigdio then distilled this batch a single time on his copper refrescador still. For those unfamiliar with the process of single distillation, there is an explanation of the technique Emigdio uses later in this post. Once all of the agave were crushed and allowed to dry ferment for four days, 442.91 liters of water from Emigdio’s well were added to produce a final volume of 5377.27 liters of tepache. The tepache was then distilled over a period of 8 days between February 22nd and March 1st. The single distillation method produced 443 liters of mezcal at 55.5% ABV. On March 4th, Emigdio then blended 53 liters of water with 21 liters of colas at 45% ABV. The mezcal and blend of water and colas were both then left to rest separately for 4 weeks. Then, final adjustment to proof was made on April 3rd by blending the mezcal with 40 liters of the water/cola mixture, producing a final batch of 483 liters at 51.7% ABV.

Agave Madrecuixe

Agave Madrecuixe is one of several varieties of the Agave Karwinskii family. These agave typically grow on stalks that can reach up to 4 feet tall with the rosette or piña growing on top of the stalk, resulting in a plant that can reach heights of up to 7 feet. Agave in the Karwinskii family can often take between 15 and 18 years to mature. 

Between the different sub-varieties, there are different ratios of stalk to piña which can affect the final flavor. The starches in the stalk are structured differently, such that they do not always break down during the roasting process. As a result, in sub-varieties like Cuixe and Madrecuixe that have more stalk in relation to the piña, this can result in mezcales that do have a core of agave sweetness that most are used to, but there is an overall dry and starchy quality to the mezcales that can linger on the palate. Madrecuixe typically has a larger piña than Cuixe, resulting in mezcales that do have that starchy, grassy note often associated with Cuixe, but with a touch more sweetness and body. One reason that Madrecuixe is so named is because they often grow as solitary plants surrounded by several Cuixe, as though they are protecting, or a “mother” (madre) plant. However, the Cuixe are not part of the Madrecuixe.

The distribution of Agave Karwinskii can be seen in the map below.

*Map provided by CONABIO website

Producer: Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez

Mezcal goes back in his family at least three generations, Emigdio having learned it from his grandfather. Their horno is a conical pit dug into the earth, which can hold up to 7 tons of Espadín. Emigdio usually roasts his agave for 5-7 days, which is on the longer end of an average roast. He then lets it rest in the sun to cool for one to two weeks.

Emigdio’s Tahona

They use a cement tahona lined with rocks and pulled by mule to crush their agave. Once crushed, they use four Ocote wood fermentation vats with volumes of 1,470, 1,600, 1,600, and 1,700 liters, which usually take around three days to ferment to completion.

Refrescador Still Exterior

Refrescador Still Condenser

Distillation is done in a 300 l. copper refrescador still. Refrescador is a technique that is common to the area surrounding Miahuatlán, but Vago has never used before. The still looks similar to a copper alembique still with a stainless steel cylinder surrounding it. This cylinder is then filled with water, allowing it to cool the upper part of the still. This upper chamber now acts as a condenser and sends the alcohol vapor back down into the boiler before being heated again and passing out of the still and into the condensing coil. This method essentially allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still. Cuts are made using a carizzo to test for ABV as well as taste and smell. A full capacity 300 l. still will produce, on average, 100 l. of mezcal in roughly 14 hours.

A full roast of 700 tons will produce up to 700 l. of mezcal depending upon the which agave is being used. ABV is then adjusted by using colas that have been rested with distilled water in order to preserve taste and mouthfeel. Like all Vago mezcal, Emigdio’s goes through a simple sediment filtration through a tubular cellulose filter before bottling. The bottling is done by hand in Oaxaca City. The very light filtration is the only way the mezcal is affected between when it was made on the palenque and how it ends up in the bottle.

Location: Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz

Don Emigdio distills outside of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. We are very proud and excited to have finally found a mezcalero from this area we can put in a Vago bottle. Miahuatlán is a historically important town in mezcal production as well as where both Aquilino and Tío Rey’s families emigrated from. By adding Emigdio to the family, we are able to extend the conversation of our history and tradition even further back in time.

Don Emigdio’s land is in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz, about 2 ½ hours directly South of Oaxaca City. The Palenque sits at around 4,970 ft., among gently rolling hills and shallow arroyos in a semi-arid climate.  In the surrounding area grows Agave Espadín, Mexicano Verde, Tobalá, Tepeztate, Arroqueño, Pulquero, Madrecuixe, and Bicuixe (Cuixe).

[mezcalvago]

Espadín Jarquín - Batch E-02-E-15

We know we gave y’all a nice little preview of Don Emigdio Jarquín’s amazing talent back in December with our Special Holiday Release. Well, now it’s time to show his full potential. We took a lot of time with this batch, making sure that it was at the right proof and that it rested long enough. Now we are ready to share this incredible producer’s skill with the rest of our friends.

This batch of 100% Espadín was distilled by the newest member of our family, Emigdio Jarquín in El Nanche, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). The harvest took place on the 20th and 21st of August and consisted of 75 piñas, weighing a total of 5,405 kilograms (~6 tons). They were roasted in a stone-lined earthen pit for a period of 7 days from from August 22nd - August 29th. They were allowed to cool for 4 days before being crushed by a tahona over a period of 5 days between September 3rd and September 8th. The crushed agave fiber was then loaded into Pine wood fermentation vats and allowed to dry ferment for 3 days before having well water added and undergoing wet, anaerobic fermentation for 4 more days for a total fermentation time of 7 days. The three fermentation vats were then distilled in one pass through a copper refrescador still on September 10th, 12th, & 15th, respectively. The batch produced 357 liters of still-proof mezcal at 57.1% ABV. 24 liters of colas at 41.8% ABV were then blended with 50 liters of distilled water on October 6th and were then allowed to rest for three weeks. Don Emigdio then took 65 liters of that mixture of colas and water and then blended it back with the 357 liters of mezcal from the still to produce a final batch of 419 liters of mezcal de Espadín at 50.6% ABV.

Agave Espadín

Espadín typically takes 7 – 12 years to mature, reaching roughly 5 – 6 feet in diameter and 4 feet in height. The rosette has very straight, narrow pencas with a gray-green hue and small spines. Once the pencas have been removed, the piña of a mature espadín can weigh around 100 kilograms.

The genetic “mother” of a. Tequilana, a. Angustifolia var. Haw, or “Espadín,” is the most prolific species of agave used in mezcal production. The plant grows prevalently throughout Oaxaca but its range extends between both the north and south borders of Mexico. The plant is very disease resistant, has a large yield of mezcal produced per kilo of agave harvested (due to high sugar concentrations) and has a shorter maturation time compared to most other agave used for distillation. The plants can be easily cultivated and are able to reproduce clonally; all of these factors combining to allow a. Angustifolia to dominate the mezcal market. Almost every brand of mezcal begins by bottling an Espadín and it is usually the first one that consumers experience; both because of its availability and price point. 77.4% of mezcal produced in 2014 was from a. Angustifolia. The geographic range of a. Angustifolia can be seen in the map below. 

*Image taken from CONABIO website

Producer: Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez

Mezcal goes back in his family at least three generations, Emigdio having learned it from his grandfather. Their horno is a conical pit dug into the earth, which can hold up to 7 tons of Espadín. Emigdio usually roasts his agave for 5-7 days, which is on the longer end of an average roast. He then lets it rest in the sun to cool for one to two weeks.

Emigdio’s Tahona

They use a cement tahona lined with rocks and pulled by mule to crush their agave. Once crushed, they use four Ocote wood fermentation vats with volumes of 1,470, 1,600, 1,600, and 1,700 liters, which usually take around three days to ferment to completion.

Refrescador Still Exterior

Refrescador Still Condenser

Distillation is done in a 300 l. copper refrescador still. Using a Refrescador is a technique that is common to the area surrounding Miahuatlán, but Vago had never bottled mezcal made this way before. The still looks similar to a copper alembique still with a stainless steel cylinder surrounding it. This cylinder is then filled with water, allowing it to cool the upper part of the still. This upper chamber now acts as a condenser and sends the alcohol vapor back down into the boiler before being heated again and passing out of the still and into the condensing coil. This method essentially allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still. Cuts are made using a carrizo to test for ABV as well as taste and smell. A full capacity 300 l. still will produce, on average, 100 l. of mezcal in roughly 14 hours.

A full roast of 700 tons will produce up to 700 l. of mezcal depending upon the which agave is being used. ABV is then adjusted by using colas that have been rested with distilled water in order to preserve taste and mouthfeel. Like all Vago mezcal, Emigdio’s goes through a simple sediment filtration through a tubular cellulose filter before bottling. The bottling is done by hand in Oaxaca City. The very light filtration is the only way the mezcal is affected between when it was made on the palenque and how it ends up in the bottle.

Location: Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz

Don Emigdio distills outside of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz. We are very proud and excited to have finally found a mezcalero from this area we can put in a Vago bottle. Miahuatlán is a historically important town in mezcal production as well as where both Aquilino and Tío Rey’s families emigrated from. By adding Emigdio to the family, we are able to extend the conversation of our history and tradition even further back in time.

Don Emigdio’s land is in the El Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz, about 2 ½ hours directly South of Oaxaca City. The Palenque sits at around 4,970 ft., among gently rolling hills and shallow arroyos in a semi-arid climate.  In the surrounding area grows Agave Espadín, Mexicano Verde, Tobala, Tepeztate, Arroqueno, Pulquero, Madre Cuixe, and Bicuixe (Cuixe).

[mezcalvago]

Mezcal Vago Pulquero Special Release

We’ve done small batch releases before, but it doesn’t get much smaller or more special than this 15 liter gem. It was distilled by the newest member of our family, Emigdio Jarquin in Nanche, Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). This mezcal is 100% Agave Pulquero harvested in the hills surrounding Emigdio’s palenque. The entire batch of 15 liters was produced from only 2 pinas weighing 324 kilograms (714 lbs.). The pinas were roasted together with 5,400 kg. of Espadin and 88 kg. of Mexicano Verde for a period of 7 days. They were left out for 14 days and then mashed, fermented and distilled separately. The Pulquero was fermented in Ocote wood for a period of 3 days and distilled in a single pass through a copper refrescador still in August of 2015.  

*A Note on Pulque

“Pulquero” and “Pulque” are used throughout Mexico to classify subspecies of several agave varieties, not all of which are used to produce the fermented agave “beer,” pulque. There are around a half-dozen varieties of agave that can be used to make pulque, commonly a. Salmiana, however this is not of them.

Agave Pulquero

On the nose, the mezcal presents notes of clove and nutmeg as well as sweet dessert like toffee or creme brulee; most likely a combination of the smoke and roasted agave, but with a little vanilla. There is also a citrus backbone of grapefruit and lemon. On the palate, the citrus remains and strengthens with an addition of candied orange. In the mid-palate there is a note of green bell pepper, evolving into white and purple flowers. The candied orange then returns and lingers into the finish.

In the area around Miahuatlan, Pulquero is a subspecies of a. Americana var. Oaxacensis. This most likely sounds familiar, as it is among the more common subspecies besides Espadin used to make mezcal. However, this is also where it gets a little confusing, which is one of the great things about mezcal. A. Americana var Oaxacensis is a subvariety with several members: Arroqueno, Coyote, Sierra Negra, Blanco… Now you’re probably starting to realize why a. Americana seems so familiar; if you are lucky enough to be drinking this pulquero, you have probably drank a few Americanas in your day. With so many members within one subvariety there is an incredible array of flavors that one can discover.

The family Americana most likely originated in Northeastern Mexico and was transported into central and southern states like Jalisco and Oaxaca by Mesoamericans. These large agave that resemble Espadin in color and shape were originally used in mezcal production more commonly than Espadin, but were eventually replaced due to their lower sugar content and longer maturation time. However, thanks to people like yourselves seeking out the unknown, forgotten, and underappreciated, we are seeing more of these obscure varieties find their way to market. The industry thanks you.

While some Americanas like Arroqueno can take up to 25 years to mature, these Pulquero matured rather quickly (~12 years) for their size (~160kg.). This could very possibly be due to the low elevation, full sun exposure and semi-arid climate of the Miahuatlan region.

Producer: Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez

Mezcal goes back in his family at least three generations, Emigdio having learned it from his grandfather. Their horno is a conical pit dug into the earth, which can hold up to 7 tons of Espadin. Emigdio usually roasts his agave for 5-7 days, which is on the longer end of an average roast. He then lets it rest in the sun to cool for one to two weeks.

They use a cement tahona lined with rocks and pulled by mule to crush their agave. Once crushed, they use four Ocote wood fermentation vats with volumes of 1,470, 1,600, 1,600, and 1,700 liters, which usually take around three days to ferment to completion.

Distillation is done in a 300 l. copper refrescador still. Refrescador is a technique that is common to the area surrounding Miahuatlan, but Vago has never used before. The still looks similar to a copper alembique still with a stainless steel cylinder surrounding it. This cylinder is then filled with water, allowing it to cool the upper part of the still. This upper chamber now acts as a condenser and sends the alcohol vapor back down into the boiler before being heated again and passing out of the still and into the condensing coil. This method essentially allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still. Cuts are made using a carizzo to test for ABV as well as taste and smell. A full capacity 300 l. still will produce, on average, 100 l. of mezcal in roughly 14 hours.

A full roast of 700 tons will produce up to 700 l. of mezcal depending upon the which agave is being used. ABV is then adjusted by using colas that have been rested with distilled water in order to preserve taste and mouthfeel. Like all Vago mezcal, Emigdio’s goes through a simple sediment filtration through a tubular cellulose filter before bottling. The bottling is done by hand in Oaxaca City. The very light filtration is the only way the mezcal is affected between when it was made on the palenque and how it ends up in the bottle.

Location: Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz

Emigdio distills outside of Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz. We are very proud and excited to have finally found a mezcalero from this area we can put in a Vago bottle. Miahuatlan is a historically important town in mezcal production as well as where both Aquilino and Tio Rey’s families emigrated from. By adding Emigdio to the family, we are able to extend the conversation of our history and tradition even further back in time.

Emigdio’s land is in the Nanche district of Miahuatlan de Porfirio Diaz, about 2 ½ hours directly South of Oaxaca City. The Palenque sits at around 4,970 ft., among gently rolling hills and shallow arroyos in a semi-arid climate.  In the surrounding area grows Agave Espadin, Mexicano Verde, Tobala, Tepeztate, Arroqueno, Pulquero, Madre Cuixe, and Bicuixe (Cuixe).