Mezcal Pulquero

• Mezcal produced in Candelaria Yegolé, Zoquitlán, Oaxaca
• Maestro Mezcalero Vicente Sánchez Parada
• 100% Pulquero (Agave atrovirens)
• Cooked in an earthen pit oven; milled using traditional horse-drawn stone tahona
• Fermented with river water in pine & cypress tanks
• Distilled twice using copper alembic pot stills
• Bright aromatics of pear skin, sea breeze, and raspberries give way to a dense and vegetal palate of roasted carrot, garbanzo, sweet potato, chocolate malt, and candy corn
• 48% ABV (ABV may vary batch to batch)

Though previously misidentified as Agave salmiana, Rey Campero’s Pulquero is in fact another species altogether, A. atrovirens, which is used to produce pulque in Zoquitlán. Though Rey Campero has occasionally used some in its ensambles, this is the first batch we’ve seen from the family which is 100% Pulquero! And don’t get it twisted—the name refers only to the varietal, not the method; this mezcal is made purely in the traditional methods of Oaxaca, with an earthen pit oven and a stone mill, no fresh pulque added. Yet it’s still wildly unique, with a bright, dynamic freshness on the nose and dense, vegetal heft on the palate.

Tasting Notes

While several species of agave can generate aguamiel, the “honey water” or sap needed to produce pulque, two species tend to dominate the commercial production of pulque in Mexico (and thus may be locally referred to as Pulquero): Agave salmiana and Agave americana. However, recently it has been determined that a proportion of what had previously been misidentified as A. salmiana is in fact another species altogether, Agave atrovirens. It is this variety that is used to produce pulque in Zoquitlán, where the Parada family produces Rey Campero. Though Vicente and Romulo have occasionally used some Pulquero in their ensambles, alongside Espadín or Tepeztate, this is the first batch we’ve seen from the family which is 100% Agave atrovirens. Don’t be confused by the name – the term Pulquero here is referring only to the varietal, not the method. Unlike mezcaleros in some other regions, such as Michoacán or San Luis Potosí, who may add a percentage of fresh pulque to their fermenting or distilling process, this mezcal is made purely in the traditional methods of Oaxaca—the agave piña is harvested and cooked, milled and fermented with river water, and finally distilled twice in an alembic copper pot. Yet don’t expect it to taste quite like anything else you’ve had before—this unique species brings a dynamic, bright freshness on the nose and dense, vegetal heft on the palate which dances in familiar Zoquitlán territory yet offers an entirely new perspective on the region’s style. Both a recalibration and a reward for fans of Rey Campero’s distinct style.

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