Madrecuixe - Chichicapam

Batch: FH-03

Release date: April 2023

Madrecuixe - Chichicapam mezcal
Madrecuixe - Chichicapam mezcal

At a glance:

  • Maguey: Madrecuixe (A. Karwinski)
  • Producer: Fortunato Hernandez
  • Community: San Balthazar Chichicapam, Ocotlán, Oaxaca Central Valleys
  • Cooking: 4 days in un-lined earthen pit with mesquite wood
  • Milling: Machete & horse drawn tahona
  • Fermentation: 4 days in openair wooden tinas
  • Distillation: Double distilled in copper alembics (no refrescadera)
  • Composition: Heads, hearts and tails
  • Batch size: 150 litres
  • Date of production: April 2021
  • ABV: 46.3%
  • Special notes: First batch from new producer-owned Palenque

With this release we’re very pleased to return to Fortunato in San Balthazar Chichicapam. Originally introduced via Alvin Starkman of Mezcal Educational Tours back in 2016, Fortunato and his family have become increasingly solid partners of The Sin Gusano Project.

For many years Fortunato used the community cooperative palenque. The fee for which was 2 litres of finished mezcal for each filled fermentation vat. His last batch from that co-op was produced pre-pandemic, which we bottled here.

In 2020 Fortunato managed to build his own palenque, and this April 2021 production was amongst the first to run off the new stills.

The style of production at the new palenque is very much in keeping with the co-op, and of the community. The oven is an un-lined earthen pit filled with local wood including mesquite. The first roast, pictured below, happened mid-pandemic while the community was isolated from the outside world. Contained in that roast were the piñas of maguey Madrecuixe (Agave Karwinski) that went into this batch.

Mezcal distillery First roast at the new palenque

First roast at the new palenque

Mezcal distillery Under construction in 2020

Under construction in 2020

Mezcal distillery New still brick-work

New still brick-work

As the first roast went in the ground, the rest of the palenque was still under construction.

During the 4 day roast, the stills were finished and the new shiny white stone tahona installed ready for its first milling.

The roasted and crushed Madrecuishe was then left to naturally ferment for 4 days in the brand new open air tinas sitting behind Fortunato in the picture below. The fermented mash was then double distilled in the brand new coper alembics.

A brand new white stone tahona crushing roasted Madrecuishe

First use of shiny new tahona

roasted and crushed Madrecuishe for mezcal production
white stone tahona used for milling mezcal

Those pictures are from the time of production, back in April 2021. We’re pleased to say the palenque is now finished and continuously operational for Fortunato, his family, and others in the Chichicapam community.

Below you can see the same tahona as above, a little worn in with a roof above and stills operating in the background. As well as fresh cut maguey madrecuixe, cuixe, and tobala delivered to the palenque.

It’s a true family business, with Fortunato’s wife Victoria often involved with production. His daughter Estela manages sales from the bodega, and even her young daughters get involved while not at school. Watch this space for a future batch from Estela’s husband Pedro.

Tahona ready for mezcal production
A family bottling mezcal
A family run bodego and mezcal distillery

World map with pins in visitor home countries in the bodega, and Estela in the bodega. If you’d like to visit feel free to reach out to Mezcal Educational Tours.

The new palenque now looking well worked.

Sin Gusano Project orange logo

Gracias Gracias Fortunato & Family

House Tasting Notes:

Orange, jasmine, and vanilla on the nose, with a relatively heavy dose of smoke. On the palate those orange tones have become oilier, like the twist of rind that gets sparked with a lighter and served with a negroni. Through the journey of a big pour it opens in the glass and the smoke dissipates somewhat to leave just the sweet roasted maguey and a hint of coffee on the un-fussy finish.

a bottle of the Madrecuixeo mezcal

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