Mezcal, Tepextate + Chino + Coyote 'Vicente Sanchez Parada'

• AMMA-Certified Mezcal produced in Candelaria Yegolé, Zoquitlán, Oaxaca
• Maestro Mezcalero Vicente Sánchez Parada
• Distilled from 40% Tepeztate (A. marmorata), 30% Chino (A. cupreata), 30% Coyote (A. sp)
• 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
• Comforting notes of honeycomb, hedge trimmings, and spearmint are joined by kumquat, red Twizzlers, jackfruit, dried papaya, hemp, old tobacco, burnt sugar, and a whisper of vanilla bean
• 51.4% ABV (ABV may vary batch to batch)

Rey Campero from another planet! This unique and extremely limited ensamble defies expectations to share an outrageous blend of the rare and massive Tepeztate with Chino – a local term for the Cupreata variety, not commonly grown in Oaxaca – and Coyote – a cross-pollinated hybrid of two other agave species. There will never be another batch like this!

Tasting Notes

One word: Woah! 

If Vicente’s other release (Rey Campero ‘Mexicano + Madre Cuishe’) on this third installment of his ensambleexperiments was a bona fide classic, a benchmark of the brand’s style, then this release represents the other end of the spectrum. A departure in varietal, aromatics, and aesthetics as much as any the label has put forth so far, this micro-batch seems designed to defy expectations. Leading with the rare, and exceedingly difficult to cultivate, Tepeztate (which takes decades to reach maturity for harvest), the remainder of the batch is split between two thrilling and mysterious choices of variety: Chino, aka Cupreata, which is common to states like Guerrero and Michoacan but is exceedingly rare today in Oaxaca; and Coyote, which can take on different meanings in different communities (here referring to the previously unclassified A.sp cross-pollinated hybrid of A. potatorum and A. karwinskii). This new hybrid species was given taxonomic classification in 2020 as A. lyobaa, but subtle variations continue to unfold—evolution in real time! As much a distillate to be enjoyed as it is a time capsule for future consideration as these plants and methods change, this batch is extremely limited and extremely special.

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