Mezcal

Rey Campero Tepextate + Cuishe + Espadin is the first of what will likely be a series of several “field blends” from maestro mezcalero Romulo Sanchez Parada. The concept of the field blend is that the mezcalero uses whatever agave is ready, rather than waiting for a large amount of a single varietal to make a batch of mezcal. This practice is more in line with how mezcal has historically been produced in many regions, and it allows the mezcaleros, like Romulo, to create some very interesting Ensambles.

Espadín
The Espadín agave, known as the genetic Mother of the Blue Weber Agave, is used to produce tequila, and is also the predominant agave used in mezcal production. Unique in itself, the characteristics of this agave showcase the aromas of wet earth, a rich smokiness on the mid-palate, and a finish reminiscent of wild flowers.

Barril
This thick-foliaged, wild agave, often used as fencing to divide land in Oaxaca, intensifies the complexity of this mezcal. As citrus and floral notes arise, hints of green peppers compliment the nose. The palate is a delightful balance of citrus and creamy banana.

Mexicano
The Mexicano agave thrives in the moist environment of lower elevations. This wild agave can grow quite large and is usually harvested when close to ten years of age. The concentration of sugar in the fully mature agave produces an extremely powerful mezcal. The palate is distinctively herbaceous and earthy with a long lasting finish in the mouth.

• Distilled: San Luis Del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Mezcalero: Ivan Y Francisco Mendez 
• Palenque: Los Mendes
• Age Of Maguey: 20 Year Tepeztate Maguey
• Harvest: 2022
• Edition: 40
• Bottled In: Mexico (El Jolgorio)
• More Info: Exclusive Batch, No Dilution / Additives, Adjusted Puntas y Colas
• ABV: 53.1% ABV | 106.2 Proof 
• T8ke's Tasting Notes: Bright, spritely, expressive: beautiful peppers and spice pop on the nose: poblano, sweet bells and the tiniest pop of serrano join creamy, fresh, raspberry and orange sorbet, key lime, bright honeysuckle and vanilla bean on the nose. Wildly unique, bright, fresh, enticing. Rich on the palate, peppers pop first while some white pepper joins in the mix. There's a creamy, vanilla, dessert character on the palate that pairs nicely with the chiles and bells, the hint of citrus and touch of spice. Almost like a dallop of chile ice cream where it's rich and fatty, sweet, layered, with just a hint of contrasting flavor throughout - here it's the pop of citrus fruit and bell pepper, not the spice itself. Long finish, sweet and fresh, crisp and a pop of salinity and minerality cleanses the palate and leaves lovely citrus. This is a wild batch, perfect to close out the year with. 

• Agave/Magueys: Pulque Cenizo (A. Americana var oaxacensis)
• Producer: Celso Garcia Cruz
• Village: Logoche, Miahuatlan:
• Region: Sierra Sur, Oaxaca
• Liters Produced: 130 Liters
• Oven: Conical Earthen Oven
• Mashing: Machete and Shredder
• Fermentation: Native yeasts in Motezuma, 2 day dry ferment, cypress wood tanks, 7 day wet ferment
• Water Source: Well water
• Distillation: 2x in Copper Pot Stills
• Alcohol Content: 45.8%, proofed with puntas y colas 
• Lot No: PLQCEL2109
• About this batch:   This special release, bottled exclusively for the Aficionados Group, was made from a rare and distinctive type of Agave Americana var oaxacensis known locally in Miahuatlan as Pulque Cenizo - a coveted maguey traditionally reserved for extracting aguamiel to make pulque. 
• T8ke's Tasting Notes: Bright and fresh and full of life: citrus meets light pepper and minerality with gorgeous tropical fruit notes: pineapple, limes, mango, some guava - its expressive and bright and wild. The palate is light and bright: spritely and dances, full of citrus once more, vanilla bean sweetness, creamy at times and pops with tropical fruits and citrus throughout. Long finish, mango and lemon sorbet with a pop of lovely acidity sticks on the palate. 
• Yield: 120 bottles produced, 102 available for sale. 
• Price: $199

• Distilled: Oaxaca, Mexico (Tio Tello)
• Bottled: Oaxaca, Mexico (5 Sentidos)
• Agaves: 100% Tepextate
• Cooking: 7 Day Cook
• Fermentation: Dry Ferment (2 Days); Wet Ferment (7 Days)
• Water Source: Well Water
• Distillation: Double distilled, Copper Alambique 
• Distillation Location: El Nanche
• ABV: 47.4% ABV (proofed witth heads and tails)
• T8ke's Tasting Notes: Vibrant, hearty, rich on the nose: vanilla and citrus candies meets a rich sweetness of rock candy, slate and minerality. Juicy bell pepper pops and there's no shortage of minerality, a hint of pepper, and more citrus candy. The palate is bright, less pepper-y here and more sweet, fruit forward. Jelly beans, lemon tart, flan and a touch of jalapeno pops in with more pepper. The finish is driven: mineral, sweet, citrus and more ripe bell pepper with hints of saline, white pepper, orange peel and lime tart. Icing and rock candy leave a pleasant, sweet, decadent hand of flavors behind. Less vegetal than most recent Teps I've had bottled, but somehow as bright, and vibrant, and powerful and complex as any. 
• About The Batch (Back Label Text - Sentidos):  In the summer of 2024, right on the cusp of rainy season, Eleuterio “Tío Tello” Pérez Ramos of El Nanche, Oaxaca, carried out his last agave roast of the dry season, and in it, he included about four tons of wild Tepextate (a. Marmorata) that were purchased from the village of Palmar. He roasted the agave with mesquite for a week, then proceeded to process the cooked Tepextate as he normally would: having friends and family help crush the cooked agaves with wooden mallets and machetes, eventually dry-fermenting the mash in sabino cypress tanks for two days, before adding well water and allowing fermentation to continue for another seven days. Once he deemed fermentation to be complete, his son Lalo double-distilled the mash in two 300-liter copper pot alembic stills. Tío Tello then proofed the resulting spirit with heads, hearts and tails to create a spirit that fit his tastes. The result was about 180 liters of this Tepextate. Distilled in June 2024. 126 liters of this batch were selected by and bottled for our friend T8KE