Destilado de Agave, Madrecuixe 'Victor Ramos'

• Destilado de Agave produced in Mengolí de Morelos, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca
• Maestro Mezcalero Victor Ramos
• 100% Bicuixe (A. karwinskii)
• Agave is cooked in a conical earthen oven
• Crushed using traditional horse-drawn stone mill (tahona)
• Fermented with natural yeast in open-air cypress wood vats (tinas) using well water
• Distilled once, using traditional copper pot still with condenser (refrescadera)
• Sharp and angular on the approach, with notable toasting on the nose, followed by crushed peanut shells, tobacco, sweet carrot, fried snow peas, salted caramel, lentil, sage, raspberry seeds, Craisins, and black currants
• 200 liters produced 
• 52% ABV (ABV may vary batch to batch)

This single-varietal batch from Tío Victor Ramos features one of the quintessential endemic species and distillation methods of the Mengolí region of Miahuatlán’s Sierra Sur. It’s a glimpse of cultural heritage in a bottle and a delicious spirit that will linger in the imagination. 

Tasting Notes

The term “Gusto Historico” refers to the sense of history, people, and place that can be experienced through flavor—the cultural practices of food and drink. This batch is a prime example of that concept: Tío Victor here shares one of the formerly common endemic agave of his region in the Sierra Sur of Miahuatlán, Agave karwinskii, now rare in Oaxaca, distilled in a single pass using a small reflux condenser (refrescadera), which is a historical marker of the region’s mezcal style, inherited from neighboring Ejutla. The resulting spirit is bright and refreshing on the nose with distinctive aromatics of crushed peanut shells and dry tobacco leaf, followed by a silky mouthfeel and long flavors of sweet carrot, fried snap peas, salted caramel, lentil, sage, and subtle red berries. A benchmark batch, but only 200 liters were produced!