Clash of the Cuixe mezcal list

Sunday, November 22

Thanks so much for joining for Clash of the Cuixe! It meant a lot to have you join for this karwinskii-themed tasting, and I truly hope you enjoyed it.

Hope to see you again, perhaps for another virtual tasting, a private event (if you have any ideas!), or something else. You can always reach out via Instagram or by sending a note to hello@mezcal.nyc.

1. Armando Isidro Aquino bicuixe (your label reads: “Bicuixe”)

Master producer: Armando Isidro Aquino. Community: San Pablo Etla, Oaxaca. Agave variety: Bicuixe (subvariety of the species Agave karwinskii). Roasted in earthen pit oven, fermented in open wood vats, double distilled in copper stills, September 2017. Bottle 6 of 8. 40% alcohol.

An atypical example of a spirit made from bicuixe, in that this one was made in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca and proofed down to 40%, although the low proof arguably allows the character and aromatic nuances of the agave variety to shine through. Bottled by Agavache, a mezcal education group and consultancy in Mexico City.

2. Samuel Santiago barreño (“Barreño”)

Master producer: Samuel Santiago (note: the label on this bottle is incorrect). Community: San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca. Agave variety: Barreño (the Agave karwinskii subtype more commonly known as “barril”). Roasted in earthen pit oven, double distilled in copper. Alcohol content estimated at 48%.

A punchier, more intense example of karwinskii spirits, at a more standard 48% alcohol, from a young producer known for his use of organic farming and other sustainability-minded techniques. Bottled by Cinco Flores, a new Mexican brand that is just beginning to try and distribute in the U.S. For me, this spirit is dry and focused, with a lot of spicy intensity while not being in your face.

3. Felix Angeles tripon (“Tripon”)

Master producer: Felix Angeles. Community: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. Agave variety: Tripon, a local karwinskii subtype specific to the celebrated clay pot distillation town of Santa Catarina Minas. Roasted in earthen pit oven, fermented in wood, double distilled in small clay pot stills. Purchased in September 2019, so this was most likely a batch from earlier that year. Alcohol content unknown but probably around 48 to 50%.

This one shows off the sweeter, richer side of karwinskiis, a profile that may be due to the clay pot distillation employed here. Felix Angeles doesn’t really bottle commercially but is a regular on the mezcal tour circuit, partly because of his town’s proximity to Oaxaca City.

4. Victor Ramos coyote (“Coyote”)

Master producer: Victor Ramos, who works with his son, Emanuel, and is one of the more prolific and better-known producers in the southern Oaxacan region of Miahuatlán. Community: Mengoli de Morelos, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. Agave variety: coyote, a local term for a hybrid that usually results from cross-pollination of Agave potatorum (tobala) and Agave karwinskii (often madrecuixe), with some other genetics possibly thrown in. Roasted in earthen pit oven, fermented in wood, distilled in copper with “refrescadera.” December 2018, 200 liters, 48% alcohol.

Finally we reach the heartland of the karwinskii agave, the southern region of Miahuatlán, and yet this one shows off another fascinating aspect of this agave: its ability to cross-pollinate with other varieties. The coyote is a bit richer in sugar than most karwinskiis, which is reflected in the flavor of the distillate. The label on this bottle is from Rancho Los Nahuales, a new project from Marco Ochoa, formerly of Mezcaloteca, although the spirit was purchased directly from the Ramoses during a visit.

5. Tio Juan tobasiche (“Tobasiche”)

Master producer: Juan Garcia (most likely!), a.k.a. Tio Juan. Community: San Luis Amatlan, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. Agave variety: Tobasiche (Agave karwinskii). Roasted in earthen pit oven, distilled in copper, most likely with refrescadera. High proof, estimated at 50 to 60% (I personally put it at low to mid 50s). Bottled by Cinco Flores.

A bold and high-proof version of the Miahuatlán style, highlighting all the spicy, sweet, green intensity that can make Miahuatlán karwinskii spirits so appealing.

6. Cinco Sentidos Bicuixe-Madrecuixe (“Bicuixe Madrecuixe”)

Master producer: Atenogenes Garcia. Community: San Isidro Guishe, Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. Agave variety: bicuixe and madrecuixe, two karwinskii subvarieties. Roasted in earthen pit oven, milled with a millstone (tahona), fermented in pine and cypress tanks, double distilled in copper stills. 48.2% alcohol. Batch EN02, bottle 142 of 268.

This batch is quite unusual in that it is actually a blend of two batches from this producer: one distilled in April 2013, and the second from February 2014. (Typically multiple batches are not blended and bottled together.) Partly as a result of the age of these batches prior to bottling — and because my personal bottle has been open for more than a year, and thus has been slowly oxidizing — there is a roundness and gentleness here, coupled with intense and focused flavors. Bottled by Cinco Sentidos, the independent bottler associated with the Oaxaca City restaurant El Destilado.