espadín - Amatlán
Batch: NGG-14
Release date: December 2023
In the community of San Luis Amatlán, in the Miahuatlán district of southern Oaxaca, Nicolas Garcia Gutierrez makes exceptional agave spirits, with traditional techniques rarely seen anymore.
This is our 14th bottling from Nicolas, but our first 100% maguey Espadín (A.Angustifolia). It’s an exclusive for Mezcal Appreciation Society members, paired with NGG-14+BIMB as an exploration of ageing in the December 2023 MAS box.
In the family agave nursery and the hillsides around his palenque, Nicolas cultivates and harvests from the wild the full spectrum of agave species that grow native the Miahuatlán region.
His palenque is set up with two copper alembic stills, both with a refrescador (water bath) around the cooling dome. Nicolas chooses when to use the refrescador, and when to run the still as a classic alembic, depending mostly on the agave species along with other seasonal factors.
Using the refrescador creates a slower distillation, with more reflux in the top part of the still, meaning a higher level of alcohol can be reached with a single pass of the still.
When using an agave with a high sugar content, like Espadín, a single distillation with the refrescador is often all that’s needed to create the desired profile.
Tasting
Maguey Jabali in the campo
In fact the preference of the local market is for the single distilled spirit, which offers a more unadulterated agave-forward profile. But, in part due to to the booming export market for the double distilled version, there’s a growing taste for that too.
With this batch Nicolas has created his personal favourite. All the liquid was passed a first time through the still with the refrescador in use. Then half of that ‘ordinario’ or first run distillate was passed a second time, without the refrescador. Then half of each the single and double passed was blended together, creating the ‘1.5x distilled’ we present to you here.
Re-fitting to the cooling chamber to the still
Oven build at sunrise in Amatlán
Before distillation, production followed the community method: a long roast with mixed agaves in un-lined earthen horno; milling by machete and chipper; fermentation with well water in slatted wooden tinas.
Gracias Nicolas
Tasting notes: Agave forward on the nose - green and fresh but with hints of candy sweetness. Crisp minerality on first sip - typical of this region and its unique white soil - easing into a full mouthfeel of vanilla cotton candy, and only the faintest of background smoke. A very elegant spirit with subtle tones that belie its 49% strength.
Continue your agave spirits journey via the Mezcal Appreciation Society:
