Sin Gusano 20cl - Coyote con Tobala y Tepextate - Amatlán

Nicolas and his family make exceptional micro-batch agave spirits on family land rich in agave diversity in San Luis Amatlán. Nicolas is something of a wizard when it comes to ensembles and this rarely-seen agave mix is one of his personal favourites.

The batch is mostly maguey Coyote (70%), with a roughly 15% mix of each maguey Tobala (A. Potatorum) and maguey Tepextate (A. Marmorata). Each of these is highly prized and relatively rarely used agave species.

The plant known as Coyote in the Miahuatlán region grows egg-shaped. It’s an entirely different species from the Agave Americana known as Coyote in other parts of Oaxaca. There can be quite a wide variance in the size of these plants, which are almost exclusively found in the wild. Producers who work with Coyote see it as a localised hybrid between Agave Karwinsli, Agave Potatorum, and Agave Seemanniana. Although at least one of the local varieties has been officially classified as Agave Lyobaa.

Tepextate and Tobala are a little less complex to understand, but no less highly prized, with their length maturation times and inherent natures making them relatively difficult to cultivate.

Agave Potatorum doesn’t produce hijuelos (baby clones that can be collected and re-planted, and Agave Marmorata can take half a lifetime to reach maturity).

It’s the norm at this palenque to create field blends from a mixed roast with various agaves that were ripe at the time. For this batch, Nicolas selected only the most well-roasted Coyote, Tobala, and Tepextate plants, which had spent a week in the pit.

It’s a particularly tiny single tina fermentation batch, double distilled in the palenque’s copper alembic in October 2021.

After proofing with heads and tails (puntas y colas) the final yield was just 34 litres.

Aroma: floral, vegetal, and salty - jasmine, damp pine forest and fresh-cut rosemary

Palate: spice blend explosion, with oregano and anise coming through before a round mouth feel and pleasing sweetness fill the mid-palate. With time in the glass, opens up to become fruitier, with sweet and sour notes of kumquat and vanilla, while retaining the unmistakable saline backbone that runs through Nicolas’ spirits. Exceptional – both a distiller and house favourite.

ABV: 47%