Barril (Verano) - Chichicapam

Batch: FH-04

Release date: August 2025

At a glance:

  • Maguey: Barril (A. Karwinksi)
  • Producer: Fortunato Hernandez & Family
  • Region: San Balthazar Chichicapam, Ocotlán, Oaxacan Central Valleys
  • Cooking: 4 days in un-lined earthen pit with mesquite wood
  • Milling: Machete & horse-frawn tahona
  • Fermentation: 4 days in open-air wooden tina with well water
  • Distillation: Double pass in copper alembic
  • Batch size: 100 litres
  • Date of production: August 2022
  • ABV: 47.3%
  • Special notes: Rested for 3 years post-distillation

We met Fortunato during our first ever trip to his community, San Balthazar Chichicapam, back in 2016. We didn’t know at the time how lucky we were.

In the years since, not only has it been a great pleasure to return many times to visit the welcoming family, but his bottles have become crowd favourites every time we show them at a tasting.

Indeed a previous 100% Barril release (FH-02) back in February 2022 sticks in the mind as one of our most popular ever bottlings.

  • Fortunato showing us a roasted agave Barril

This batch is being released as a special to MAS members alongside FH-07. They are both 100% Barril (Agave Karwinski) from the family). The only significant difference is that one was made in the dry season, and one in the wet season.

This is the wet season (Verano / Summer) batch.

The main differences between the seasons and consequential effect on the batch would be the water content of the agaves, and the ambient temperature/environment during open-air fermentation. In summary, it’s hotter and wetter during the summer months.

  • First roast at the new palenque

Fortunato’s mezcales are produced in the traditional style of the community: Agaves are roasted in an un-lined earthen pit filled with local wood including mesquite…

…the roasted maguey are then chopped to size by machete before being milled with horse drawn tahona; the mash is fermented with well water before ultimately being double distilled in coper alembique stills.

  • Fortunato & Fedro

  • Various maguey waiting to roast

It’s a true family business, with Fortunato’s wife Victoria often involved with production, and son-in-law Pedro taking an increasingly significant role. His daughter Estela manages sales from the bodega, and even her young daughters get involved while not at school.

World map with pins of visitor home countries in the bodega, and Estela in the bodega.

Multicolumn

Multicolumn

Gracias Fortunato & Family

House Tasting Notes:

Nose: Heavy, quite earthy, and almost meaty. Tricky to call this as a Karwinski (unlike its dry season counterpart).

Palate: Cured meats and smoked cheeses. It’s sweet but salty, with a little background brine. Like some kind of Austrian apres ski snack plate, but from the Mexican campo rather than the European alps!

Finish: Seems to get richer and richer as it aerates. Quite incredible to get this much depth that belies the single maguey Karwinski distillation.

Grab a bottle for your collection while stocks last:

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