NETA - Tepextate Mezcal by Aniceto Garcia

NETA MEZCAL - Tepextate | July 2023 | Aniceto García | 54 bottles

Crafted by the esteemed maestro palenquero Aniceto García in July 2023, ten mature piñas of Tepextate were selected from the rugged limestone hills above Aniceto’s ranch. Tepextate ferments quickly in general, and mashing cooked agave with a wooden mallet allows for the collection of extra juices and requires the use of less water, which also accelerates the fermentation. By Aniceto’s standards, this batch required a relatively long time in the sabino wood fermentation vat before it was ready to distill. Despite the unusually hot and dry temperatures, the fibers and agave juices sat for four days before the maestro observed the need to add spring water to the vat. Another five days passed before the mash was pulled. Eleven days after uncovering the cooked agave, roasted to perfection with a protective layer of pencas, agave fibers, and banana leaf, he was ready to distill.

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 cuts selected from the rectification in the second distillation. Around two liters of shishe macizo was separated and used to compose a total of 40L at 49.1%.

§  Maguey(es): Tepextate (Agave marmorata var.)

§  Provenance of the maguey: wild-harvested on family land

§  Producer: Aniceto García

§  Region: San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán

§  Soil type: Rocky and white tierra blanca rocosa

§  Rest time after harvest: Four days

§  Oven: Conical earthen pit; eight days with mesquite

§  Rest time after oven: two days

§  Maceration: Machete and shredder

§  Fermentation: Native yeasts; one 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood tank with approximately 650kg of cooked maguey and 100 liters of natural spring water

§  Dry fermentation time: four days

§  Wet fermentation time:  five days

§  Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills w/refrescadera

§  Final composition: Heads, hearts, and a select cut of shishe macizo

§  Batch size: 40L

§  Date of distillation: July 2023

§  ABV: 49.1%

750ml