arroqueño - santa catarina minas
Batch: TPH-02
Release date: June 2024
We’re pleased to present this special collaborative batch, bottled in partnership with amigos at Cinco Sentidos. The following words for this batch page have been provided by Cinco Sentidos founder Jason Cox.
At a lunch event in Santa Catarina Minas in 2015, a mezcalero friend mentioned the name of a producer to us, and made the simple but profound endorsement that the producer’s Arroqueño was “muy chingón,” - a lofty compliment, given that this friend is known to have exceedingly high standards.
A few minutes later, the very same producer ambled over to our table, introduced himself as Pedro Pascual and invited us to a full jicara of an Arroqueño that was as warm and inviting as the energy of the man who shared it with us.
Entranced by the eloquence of the spirit Tío Pedro had poured for us, we were ecstatic when he invited us to visit him at his home to try more mezcal. At the time, we didn't know that the seeds of what would become a strong friendship were being sowed.
Arroqueño arriving at the palenque
Huge plants
Cooked arroqueño waiting to be milled
Since that day, a lot has happened in the world of agave and mezcal. Already scarce in 2015, Arroqueño has all but disappeared in many Central Valley communities since. Given that Arroqueño can take more than two decades to reach maturity, many farmers have opted to plant Espadín instead.
Prior to the Arroqueño shortage, Arroqueño was always one of the most prized specialties of Tio Pedro, but a lack of regionally available ripe plant has led him to produce less than 250 liters of spirit from the plant between 2015 and 2020.
That all changed in 2021, when Pedro’s nephew, Lalo, met a magueyero from a small village some six hours away from Santa Catarina Minas. It turns out that the magueyero has continued to cultivate Arroqueño (along with Mexicano and Espadín), piquing Lalo and Pedro’s curiosity. They trucked in just over three tons to give it a test in 2021.
Happy with the results, Tio Pedro and Lalo continued to purchase and produce Arroqueño throughout the year, which allows us to share with you the same spirit that captivated us nearly eight years ago.
With over 60 years of experience, Tío Pedro always has the final say on the spirits made at his palenque - so he put the final touch on this batch, blending the heads, hearts and tails from the distillation run to create a spirit that suited his tastes.
This particular batch was distilled in September 2022. Tío Pedro and Lalo worked together to roast these giant piñas, which on average weighed over 220 kg per piece. The mash from these agaves required more than two weeks to fully ferment, at which point they were distilled by nephew Lalo in the family’s set of 3x 100-liter clay pot stills.
That arroqueño went into glass in November 2022, pulled out 6 months later in May 2023, to be sent to London for bottling by The Sin Gusano Project. The final bottles are available now.
Gracias Tio Pedro & Cinco Sentidos
House tasting notes:
Nose: Richly mineral and earthy, with forest notes like damp tree bark. It’s clearly distilled in clay, and we’re clearly in for a treat.
Palate: That Minas minerality is immediately present on first sip, with a saline tang not betrayed by the nose. A fantastically silky mouth feel spreads around the whole mouth, introducing notes of stone fruit like apricot and peach. This is one to take slow over a large pour. With aeration an initial woodiness has become fruitier, like elderberries. Flavours continue to expand and become more botanical, like strong cold brew tea, with notes of thyme and rosemary.
Finish: After quite the flavour ride, there’s a final salty bite on the finish that beckons you in for another round.
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