Barril - Chichicapam
Batch: FH-02
Producer: Fortunato & Victoria Hernandéz
Agave: Barril (A.Karwinski)
Region: San Baltazar Chichicapam, Ocotlán, Oaxaca
Distillation style: Copper alembic, double passed
ABV: 47.6%
Release date: February 2022
Profile notes: Rich sweet English marmalade and mild smoke on the nose gives way to spiced Mexican chamoy on the palate. Deliciously balanced mid-palate of sweet, spice, and smoke, fade into a tingly finish leaving you wanting another sweet sip.
Fortunato with his wife Victoria and the rest of the team, preparing a roast
In the Ocotlán valley of central Oaxaca sits the community of San Baltazar Chichicapam, and within that the co-operative palenqe pictured below. Local mezcaleros without their own equipment can use the co-op for a fee of 2 litres of finished mezcal per filled fermentation vat.
The co-operative palenque in Chichicapam
This is where Fortunato, along with his wife Victoria, have for years been making their batches, and where we first met them in 2016. This batch of Barril is the last of theirs to come out of the co-op, and provided Fortunato the necessary funds to put the roof on his own brand new palenque, which was constructed in 2020 and is now operational.
Fortunato works with a wide variety of agave, but this batch is 100% Barril (A.Karwinski).
Fortunato showing us a roasted agave Barril
Fortunato works with a wide variety of agave, but this batch is 100% Barril (A.Karwinski). The roast is a classic earthen hono, milling by machete (see vid below) and horse drawn tahona. Fermentation happens in classic wooden tinas. Everything is double distilled in a classic copper alembic.
Victoria overseeing the mill at the co-op palenque
Big thanks to Fortunato & Victoria for another winning batch. And watch this space for the first batch out of their new independent palenque.
Full production details and 25% discount codes were sent to MAS members along with the February 2022 subscription delivery.
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