Honey, I’m home!
So… It has been a while again. Every now and then it is important to come back to Mexico and recharge the batteries a bit. I arrived in Oaxaca late friday night with my compadre Max. Yesterday we spent most of the day in the historical center, a couple of markets and a few Mezcalerias. A lot of impressions in this beautifully colorful city.
The main reason we are here this time, part from the obvious love for Mezcal, is to research artesian Mezcal production. We are doing a presentation on mezcal at Berlin Bar Convent on the 8th of october. The week ahead of us is jam packed with palenque visits. I will try to do a few shorter post, but now it is time for comida!!
New Beginnings
Amigos y Amigas,
For a long time now i have lost the faith a little bit in the world of agave. for some reason I had a feeling that everything was working against my beliefs and that the industry was turning evil. For that reason I have been particularly active on this blog. The inspiration have been on a record low and all my energy I have spent at The Barking Dog. Which is fair enough, I expected it to be a lot of work opening a bar, but not to drown in it, but luckily I escaped just as my nose was going under the surface. I felt that I got stuck again, not sure where this leads me, what my role in all of this was, it even got to the point where I could spend a whole day without having a little Mezcal. Mental I know. I felt it was time to leave. Last time I was on holidays was in Mexico two and a half years ago and with all the hard work this industry brings with it, newly acquired knowledge taught me that it is needed more often than that. So the last three weeks I have spent on the beach with my girlfriend and a lot of Mezcal. Drinking Mezcal on the beach many days in a row made it much easier for me to put things in to perspective, and I came back a more relaxed man than before.
Upon my arrival back home a little bird had told me there was a surprise or two waiting for me in the bar and for the first time in a long while I was actually truly excited about trying a new product, butterflies in the belly kind of feeling, you know what I mean. The main attraction was the latest addition to the Ocho portfolio, but there was also a new Mezcal on the Danish market, Illegal. I have heard and read a lot about this, but never gotten around to try it sober, which is the first thing I will do after finishing this post. The basic range of Don Fulano is now available and Herencia Mexicana is if not right now in the basement of Juuls, it will be very soon. So much more about this later. The thing I have missed in Tequila lately is the power of the agave when it is un diluted. My favourite Tequilas have always been from the more traditional distilleries, and now I know why. They do not dilute the Tequila after distillation. It gives the Tequila a completely different character and power in flavour. Almost like the alcohol disappears and what is exposed is purely the flavour of the Tequila. However after drinking a lot of Mezcal which is usually at a higher abv, it is a little bit hard to go back to the 40% Tequilas. The become almost too delicate. Then I found Don Fulano 50% which has much more power in its flavour, richer notes of cooked agave, wild green plants and dusty roads. Before that the only one I knew was Herradura Blanco 46% which was far better that the export strength. And now the christmas present of the year, Ocho Anejo Cask Strength. Aged 18 months and 24 days and served at 54.4% abv this goddess of Anejo Tequilas explodes in your mouth and gives you the full expression of the agaves. This time from Rancho Los Corrales. This fills me with new hope and belief that the true agave industry will survive. The Tequila boom will most likely explode at some point and sales and promotion will go down. But we will see more and more aficionados within the category of agave.
This blog post was sponsored by a decent sized Del Maguey Minero. Salud!
Agave In The Mix
Buenas tardes!
Lately there have been a lot of focus on tastings and master classes about Tequila and Mezcal here in Denmark. Which of course is very positive from my point of wiev. It is how ever very easy when promoting alcohol that taste that good, by itself, to forget to mix it, and a mixed drink is actually most people’s rediscovery of this beautiful spirits. As a result of this conclusion, I got invited to Juuls Vinhandel to do a cocktail follow-up session of the recent Tequila events. I thought to mix a few very simple drinks that anyone can recreate at home. First up was variations of the Paloma, probably the most mixed Tequila drink in Mexico. My first introduction to this drink was while working in Green & Red, where we used Reposado Tequila, fresh pink grapefruit, dash of sugar and sparkling water with a squeezed lime wedge on top, served in a highball glass with a salted rim, while on my first trip to Mexico I found out that it was simply Tequila with a grapefruit soda called Squirt, served with a pinch of salt inside the drink. Yet an other twist on this great drink is the Batanga, which is Tequila with coke and half a lime squeezed in, served in a highball with a salted rim. One of my favourite drinks for the moment is Tequila and Tonic, so I added a bit of fresh pink grapefruit juice to it, a squeeze of lime, added a salt rim and ended up with Paloma No 19. Showcasing these four drinks in the shop was great fun, and the customers found it interesting to try such simple twists on the same drink, with a very big difference in taste. The last drink on the menu for the day is one I am very proud of, it is called Bienvenidos and is a mix(4:2:2) of Del Maguey’s Vida, Kahlua and fresh lime juice, served straight up with a lime zest, which apparently appeals a lot to scotch drinkers. It was really a good experience standing in the middle of a busy liquor store on a friday afternoon talking about the booze that I love and mixing good drinks with it. Thanks to everybody who came down and supported, karma will credit you for that, I am sure.
If you want more detailed recipies drop me a line, Buen Domingo!
Life Has A Funny Way Of Turning Mexican
So what that means in reality is that about a month ago I got a text past midnight sometime. Jaime Muñoz from Los Danzantes is in town hosting a last-minute Mezcal masterclass. Whit such short notice the turn up was great, we got about 20 people together, which is a good number for an intimate masterclass. Quite naturally after the masterclass we got to talking. Talking lead to drinking. Drinking led to dancing, and just like that, another great night was over. Trying to scribble a little something together after that was not really fair to my memory, and lucky for me Jaime was in town for another couple of days, for the Copenhagen Cooking festival. As we all know Mexican food is best served with a glass of Mezcal on the side. Backed by the Mexican embassy Jand his crew from Los Danzantes were delivering just this, food and Mezcal. As well as making 22.000 liters of artisanal Mezcal every year, Danzantes also own three restaurants around Mexcio. I have been writing about production of Mezcal a few time already, so I wont bother you with that this time, but more about one of the men behind Danzantes. I do remember a few things that we spoke about on our night out, and after emailing back and for it is now all clear. Jaime said that we do not choose to work with the maguey (agave), but the maguey chooses us. ” The people who in the last few years got involved with Mezcal have been chosen by Mezcal, to spread the word. It’s an information from the soil that wants to be liberated. Through the agave/mezcal he will find his way and is chosen by the people to find the objective. We get chosen like you, Axel and me did. We just taste the Mezcal and make Mezcal a lifestyle. Without knowing how we get involved in the business, we will find each other.” The name Danzantes comes from a ancient spiritual dance named Los Danzantes Concheros and in the ancient dance of Concheros exist the NAHUAL, that is the soul of an animal that take care of you in this life, and everybody has one, which explains the label on the Danzantes bottle, Jaime and his two brothers.
Danzantes has another brand called Alipus, which is produced in different villages bu different distillers. We have had Alipus in Denmark for a while now, but Jaime had an ace up his sleeve. Alipus Sta. Ana Del Rio, one of the most interesting Mezcals I have tried in a long time. Unfortunately this is only avalible in Oaxaca, probably only in the village of Santa Ana Del Rio. ” The producer Eduardo Hernandez Melchor is an indigenous from the mountains of Oaxaca and he only speck his indigenous dialect and for a Mezcal can be export have to be certificate by COMERCAM that is the organisation that takes care of the quality of Mezcal, and they only speak Spanish, so in a few words it’s a communication problem.” Jaime Thank you very much for this bottle. It has been tasted by many, and will be tasted by more, but not too many, ought a have some for myself.
As for Jaimes impression of Copenhagen. ” Well is very different from where I come, is very organized, elegant and sophisticated. The design is very impressive and the architecture, old and new are very nice.But the best thing is the women, they are beautiful! “
Salud!
The Backside Of Commercialisation
It is very easy to forget what is happening behind the scenes some times. On the one hand I am very happy that the world gets to see more of Tequila and Mezcal, and especially in Europe. The more the merrier as long as the quality is good that is. Lately I have been working a lot with Mezcal, which is a bit of a new world for me, and I have yet to go to Mezcal country, yet there is a lot to find out on the internet. I stumbled over a blog post a while ago which I will post some bits and pieces of here. Just as I am falling in love with this beautiful spirit, I find reasons to get upset about it. I hope this will make sense for everybody.
” About half an hour from Oaxaca City on Cristobal Colón highway, is a fairly new distillery, Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto (casa AGP). When little Earl (Earl Fish, Mezcal enthusiast) entered Casa AGP, whose security little Earl describes as “tough as any airport”, they waived their metal detecting wand over him and discovered his digital camera. “No sir,” the security guard said. “It is the policy of Coca-Cola to not allow photographs.” Coca- Cola? Who knew? His cell phone in the other pocket suffered the same temporary confiscation. ”
Already here I feel that something is wrong. No Tequila distillery I have been to has ever had this type of security. Only a couple of times have I been asked not to take photos, but only in certain areas, which I think is fair enough. The vibe has however never been hostile, more likely to be the other way around, I find Mexicans to be very friendly and generous when I come to visit. However I will cut straight to the chase.
” S.A. de
C.V. stands for “Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable”. It describes a company whose capital partners are anonymous and of variable investment. Most foreign investments in Mexico are designated S.A. de C.V. CIMSA S.A. de C.V.-Coca Cola, a consortium of businesses “100% Mexican” produces Casa AGP Mezcal. I also saw it written in inverse order, as Coca-Cola-CIMSA.
CIMSA was founded in 1925 and currently operates through three self-described “Strategic Business Units”: Soft drinks; BEDLA (Bebidas de los Angeles) which sells purified water; and Casa AGP, the newest unit, oriented toward commercialization of Mezcal, to sell inside Mexico about 20% of product, with 80% destined for foreign consumption. To put the enterprise in perspective, the same Group that bottles Coke in Cuernavaca built the Mezcal plant in Oaxaca. It also built the international airport in Cuernavaca.
Casa AGP inaugurated its Oaxaca distillery in August, 2008 in a village named Lanacci. Governor Ulises Ruiz Ortiz, Senator Adolfo Toledo Infanzón, Secretary of Tourism Beatriz Rodríguez Casasnovas, and Secretary of Economy Enrique Sada Fernández among other officials, all carefully pre-selected, attended. Head honcho Colombo Álvarez asserted then, that in five years Oaxaca Mezcal would be positioned in the international European and Asian markets. In the first year the product would arrive in Spain, the USA, China, Korea and Thailand. Subsequently, they would sell in Germany, Russia and Italy. He was right on. ”
This “mafia-like” setup might not sound as scary to the world of Mezcal as it might do to Mexico in general, but it gets worse. And this is a textbook example of capitalism. Coca-Cola is looking to produce 45.000 liters of Mezcal daily, while the artisan producers ar running max capacity at 2-3000 liters a week. What does this mean?
” A distillery producing thousands of liters of liquor uses water not only for cooking and distilling, but also for necessary wash-up and cleaning in a large industrial plant. Casa AGP claims it uses high-tech treatment of residual waste water. More than one contractor was contemplated, and the ultimate winner was IGR Ambiental. Their wastewater treatment facility for the distillery, finally certified as environmentally sound by the UN in 2010 (not in 2008 when the plant went into production), supposedly will handle 90,000 liters of waste-water per week, and recover methane gas to produce steam, cooking the Mezcal in something like a double boiler process. Selling back carbon credits offers Casa AGP a financial bonus; another international environmental fraud. Little Earl saw a very large wastewater storage tank on the property; there are photos, but thus far no indication that the water is being processed.
Wastewater treatment does not explain where the clean water comes from in the first place, or how much must be consumed for a Mezcal production of 45,000 liters. According to the website oaxacalibre.com on September 11, 2007, Governor Ulises Ruiz made an agreement with Coca-Cola to exploit water in exchange for money for political PRI campaigns. Allegedly, Coke was given permission to drill wells in the Central Valley. Interviewing APPO activist Florentino Lopez, the site reported:
Interviewer: “On the internet you circulate statements in which you indicate an unhealthy relationship between the governor Ulises Ruiz and the soft drink business Coca-Cola. Are such assertions true?”
Lopez: – “It seems to us that Ulises has, in the first place, sought the backing of businesses and primarily the transnationals, because that has a basis in development of Plan Puebla Panama in Oaxaca, with development of diverse projects such as the urban megaproject, the tourist corridor, the trans-isthmus corridor, and the Dominican [tourist] route. Then, after that comes commercialization of all the state resources, including the cultural ones.
We have denounced the case of Coca Cola which established a series of agreements to exploit the hydraulic resources and which received several objections, for example the case of the neighbors of Viguera, when they were blocking the well located near the Juarez Monument. They informed us that the State Institute for Water and the National Water Commission had contracted with the Coca Cola company to drill wells in this zone of Viguera and in other places like Huitzo, Telixtlahuaca, and Etla, which have below-ground aquifers. And while the neighborhoods and districts have solicited drilling for the benefit of the communities they have not been given permission; Coca Cola has several wells drilled in this zone that have been granted by agreement with the government of Ulises Ruiz Ortiz.”
Interviewer: “Does the sale of these permissions to Coca Cola relate to the resources that will be in the electoral process this year?”
Lopez: “It has to do exactly with this situation, or it could be said the political accommodation being developed here in Oaxaca has to do directly with the relationship Ulises Ruiz Ortiz has with transnational corporations, not only Coca Cola, but a series of corporations which directly helps the Ulises Ruiz team to stay in power”
Interviewer: “Have you considered actions against this corporation?”
Lopez: “Up to now we have called for a boycott of Coca Cola products because they are doing damage and commercializing the natural resources of the people of Oaxaca transnationals are taking over the extraction and administration of water in Mexico. Apparently, one or more wells were drilled inside the Casa AGP complex. Purified water for distilling the fermented juices gets trucked in. Most likely the company trucking in purified water is the partner BEDLA, with water coming from parts unknown, but how far can one profitably truck water?“
So to take this topic very far, is the commercialisation of Mezcal killing off the art, craft and culture behind this magical spirit and forcing local producers to work for the big distilleries? Hopefully not, but how much can one make without water? Do yourself and the rest of us a big favour, only drink Mezcal and Tequila if you know where it comes from, stay true to the source and remember why we drink. It is going to cost you a little extra, but damn it tastes good.
Please visit the distilleries webpage: Here
Salud!
Putting Mezcal To The Test
It is a lot happening in Mezcal Denmark right now. About a month ago we received our first shipment of quality Mezcal, and a month later it is all sold out. Not really as I expected though, a few bars, but a lot of private enthusiasts were there early to pick up some of the best Mezcal known to man. The conclusion of this is that we will have to order a lot more! Great news for a dry Denmark.
Yesterday we thought it was about time to put all our brands to the test (Del Maguey, Alipus, Los Danzantes & Piedre Almas). Me and Max (from Juuls) invited a handful of the top bartenders from around town, a few interested waitresses and a couple of booze writers, to a down to earth tasting forum. We wanted to create conversation around the products, tasting back to back and most importantly, get people’s honest opinion about Mezcal. Everybody was welcomed with a cocktail I created especially for this event, a healthy measure of Alipus San Andres, squeeze of lemon, a touch of agave sirup and a sprig of mint, built in a snifter with a few ice cubes. A Mexican take on the classic Ti’Punch, let us call is Juulietta to suit the occasion. After a short introduction to Mezcal we moved down into the cellar where a tasting tabled had been prepared. Before we started tasting, we did a little warm-up exercise for the mouth to be ready for what was to come. This exersise is very simple. Pour yourself a glass of Mezcal / Tequila and follow theese steps. 1. Wet your lips and let them air dry and you will find a lot of flavour on your lips, which is one place we never really think of when it comes to tasting. 2. Take a small sip and rub it around your gums with your tounge, this will burn a little bit, but is well worth it afterwards. 3. Take a small sip and leave it under your tounge for 5-10 seconds. 4. Take a small sip and use your tounge to rub it around your palate. 5. The final step is where you start building your library of Agave spirits. On your tounge. Leave a small sip on top of your tounge and let is massage it for a bit. There will be a bit of burn, and for most people the burn will be in different places, this is how you remember each and every brand. If you are well-trained that is. To have some kind of reference we did the warm-up and first tasting with the most widely available Mezcal in Denmark, Lajita. Then it was onto the heavy artillery. It does not really make any sense for me to put everybody’s tasting notes and thoughts on here, so I wont. Just make sure you come to the next tasting hosted by Tres Mariachis!
Salud Amigos y Amigas, jajajaja!!
Tequileros En Dinamarca
Ooh, I just love those nights when not even a handful of guys get together for some serious Tequila tasting. My good friend Mads just got back from Mexico, and believe me he brought some treasures back with him. Just before he left I told him to stop by Tommy’s Restaurant in San Fransisco (stop over for a few days) and give the Chinaco Negro a taste, at a pretty decent dollar. Compared to the cost of the bottle. A few days later I get a text “You just cost me 1500 dkk bro”, I wasn’t very hard to figure that one out. Chinaco Negro is the most extraordinary bottle of extra anejo I have tried.
Back in Denmark me, Mads and Perth (who quite recently got back from Mexico with treasure) got together for some good food followed by a lot of Tequila. The point of this evening was not really to take tasting notes and go too deep into every Tequila. It was simply to crack a few very fine bottles open that we normally wouldn’t. The food was enjoyed with El Tequileno Blanco, 100%, which compliments seafood a slight spicy finish very well.
We started with opening an old bottle of Tapatio Blanco, the bottle is at least five years old, square shaped with the old white paper label. As far as I know, nothing has changed in the production since, but I am afraid to say that it is a very different Tequila. Might it be bottle aging causing this? We thought we would play it cool and go through the blancos to start with, which turned out to be about 90% of the bottles. Following up on the Tapatio with some beautifully packaged Clase Azul blanco, almost like candy in my mouth. The always delicate and crisp Partida Blanco leading us on to Casa Noble which was one of the first blancos I got reallt hooked on. And of course, finishing off this round with the grand daddy of blancos, Los Abuelos. It puts me in such a good mood having the opportunity to drink all of these exceptional Tequila in Denmark. When I drink Tequila there is really something special happening, I get filled with life. A similar feeling to having spent the whole day out doors in the sun, relaxed, happy and energetic. Conclusion, Tequila makes mankind go through the winter in a good mood.
Mads picked up a bottle called 99.000 hours from Corralejo and this was next on the table. I was personally not very impressed with the packaging, but when has that ever had anything to do with anything? 99.000 hours from the agave was planted until the sweet juices touches the bottle. Personally I do not think this is one of the better products from Corralejo, but for the price is costs in Mexico, I would leave it up to all of you to decide for yourselves. Centinella Reposado is always a safe bet, though I do not see it across the Atlantic very often. A very pleasant surprise. El Tequileno Gran Reserva was next up, and say what you want, but El Tequileno always delivers.
Chinaco negro was the menu for the finale, and trust me, when you open a bottle of the price range, it sounds different, and a quite mmmmming smile comes from Mads lips as he smells it. Read my lips when I say that this is an extra anejo worth spending your money on and it would be a shame to let this bottle just sit on your shelf.
Just because I could I also pulled out the most outstanding Mezcal I have tried, Piedre Almas Pechuga, crazy flavours of plums and apples mixed with a slight smokeyness that turns into the wildest agave flavours and a strong finnish of fresh tobacco. I am still a little in doubt if I can still taste it or not.
Sad but true this took place on the day Tommy Bermejo was laid to rest forever. Tommy I am truly sad I never got to meet you in person, though I am sure our paths will meet in spirit.
Salud Tommy!
This Is Just The Beginning of Mezcal In Denmark
Jajajaja!
This past few weeks have been filled with hard work and a lot of goodies. Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th was the first of many Copenhagen Spirits and Cocktails(.com). Copenhagen’s first bar show. A few weeks before that I started cooperating with Juuls(.dk) Vinhandel. A liquor store very dedicated to scotch whisky, but there is so much more than scotch in their excellent shop, as from yesterday they also have a great selection of Mezcal, so far they have Piedre Almas, Alipus, Los Danzantez, Del Maguey and there is more to come. You all remember Axel Huhn(mezcaleria.de), my Mezcal crazy friend from Berlin who I met at BCB in october. He did Denmark a big favour and delivered a pallet of Mezcal just in time for CSC, unfortunately we could not get everything on time, but we had more than enough to make some serious noise at this exceptional bar show. A lot of people got introduced to Mezcal over those two days, and due to a large international interest in the show Denmark got put on the map for serious Mezcal and Tequila. Funny enough I found it easier to introduce Mezcal to the visitors than Tequila, there you go.. That is what generations of scotch drinkers does to a nation, and I am thankful for it, you make my life easier.
The first day at CSC I devoted to the beauty of a simple Slutty Mary made with Viva Mexico Blanco, in the small but comfortable house of Barkonsult(.com). What better cocktail to serve at a bar show that starts 10:00 in the morning? Great Success. Right across the aisle I overlooked all my Mezcal in the house of Juuls and took a stroll every now and then to refill my glass and have a chat with the boys.
Day two Juuls had 2 hours in the main bar and I was asked to make two cocktails to showcase Mezcal and Tequila. On top of this I had the pleasure to work with a very good friend and old college, Mikael Nilsson from Salon 39 who mixed up two fine drinks using either Rye Whiskey or Gin. A little sad for Tequila, my cocktail with Mezcal stole all the thunder. A very simple concoction of Del Maguey Vida, Kahlua and fresh lime. Smokey, fresh, exotic and strong, just like the end to a very good weekend!
Skål i Mezcal!
Bienvenidos:
40ml Del Maguey Vida
20ml Kahlua
20ml Fresh Lime
Simply stirr this drink ice cold and garnish with a lime twist
Mother Of The Blue Agave
As I mentioned before I met Axel Huhn (from http://www.mezcaleria.de ) on my trip to bar convent in Berlin. Axel had a big bag of goodies that day that he sent home with me, and as if that was not enough, the following week I received yet another package. More Mezcal. One thing led to another and a week later I sat down to taste the good selection with my two good friends and fellow bartenders Terkel Kleist and Mikael Nilsson. Both working at the much respected bar Salon 39 in Copenhagen. But more about that later.
As it is right now high-end Tequila is getting very big while quality Mezcal only started making appearances very few years ago. Dont get me wrong, this is very positive both ways. Tequila opened up a whole world for agave spirits. It was hard pushing Tequila 5 years ago, but now people gladly taste if you ask them. Ones we have led our guest on to Tequila, how about we taste some Mezcal, and most of them are up for it. Some like it, some don’t. If you have the time taste them back and forth. I find it that if I explain a little about what we are drinking, they are actually quite likely to recommend Mezcal to a friend.
It is very easy to state that a main difference between Tequila and Mezcal is the agave plant and that you produce Mezcal in Oaxaca. This is true, however there is much more to it as I am sure most of you know. Agave Espadín, the genetic mother to the blue agave grows locally in Oaxaca and is used for 90% of Mezcal production. Espadín grows relatively large and yields a high grade of convertible sugars. It also reproduce faster than other species.
While some smaller producers focus on wild agave, such as Agave Potatorum (Tobalá), Agave Rodacantha (Agave Mexicano), Agave Karwinskii (Tobaziche). The most popular being Tobalá which lives in remote places in the forest of Oaxaca. Making the job for the Magueyeros (harvesters) an awful lot harder.
The agave is as well as Tequila cooked in a stone oven, but slightly different engineering. Instead of building a little house you fill with agave and steam cook it, think digging a big hole in the ground and cover the sides with stone. Kind of a huge stone bowl. Light a great fire for about 24 hours to heat up the stone. Remove and cover stone with moist agave fiber from previous production, fill with raw agave, insulate with more moist agave fiber and cover with soil. Let cook for 5 days or so. After a little go in a classic tahona (stone mill) the sweet juices are ready for fermentation. Though some smaller producers use canoe-shaped wooden troughs and big mallets to crush the agaves.
Traditionally the fermentation vat was made from cowhide, but has since upgraded to dug-out trunks, stone pits and tubs. But most commonly big wooden vats. Traditional Mezcal producers depend on the natural bond between the airborne yeasts and the ones on the agave. Some times chunks of roasted agave is added for extra flavour. This process kan take as little as 5 days a warm summer and up to three weeks a cold one. You really can’t stress the magic in the air.
Towards the end of fermentation you will have decreasing sounds inside the vat. You can see it on the shape of the openings in the pulp floating on top of the vat (both caused by the expulsion of CO2), the smell and temperature of the mash, as well as the taste of samples taken on different levels of the container. The result is Tepache, a low alcohol juice with pulp in it. Similar to pulque.
Mezcal stils are seen built from everything, agaves, bamboo, mud, clay, copper you name it. Distilled twice, usually. I have seen a few triple distilled Mezcals, and drank them too. One very particular one was a Pechuga.
This particular way of making Mezcal can only be made towards the end of the year, when it is local fruit season. A Mezcal is chosen and added back in to the still in fairly small amounts (75liters, for Del Maguey). Appels, plums, pineapple, bananas, almonds and rice are added for maceration. A whole chicken (some say turkey), skin removed and washed from greased is suspended by springs inside the still, and third distillation can start. The chicken is to balance out the flavours of the fruit. The Pechuga (chicken) is then traditionally hung up in the families altar room.
This really shows the hard work that goes in to Mezcal. Very likely a lot of the products made on hillsides of Oaxaca would not do most of us very good, unless you have been born with the stuff. But it shows the pride to make it. You start somewhere and get better as your situation gets better. Mezcal is just around the corner. Coca Cola just bought a brand!
Back to the tasting we did last week, here comes some product information and tasting notes. I will only list the top 5 out of the 15 Mezcals from the tasting. Mezcals I proudly recommend to have a good taste or two.
Alipus San Juan, Batch 5757
Made from the Espadin Agave by master distiller Don Joel Antonio Cruz, double distilled in copper pot.
On the nose it has bubble gummy red fruit flavours, light agave and a bit of yoghurt creamyness and on the tounge its is creamy light with smokey red berry flavours balanced with a full-bodied agave.
Piedre Almas Tobaziche, Batch 01-TC
Made from the Tobazitche agave by master distiller Don Alfonso Sanchez, double distilled in copper pot.
Very floral nose on this very particular Mezcal, like wet grass smell in the morning when its been raining and fresh flowers. Nutty long smoke finnish with butter and honeycomb finished of with a long mild aftertaste of smoke and bitter coffee. This being the favourite of the three of us.
Piedre Almas Espadin, Batch 05-E
Made from the Espadin Agave by master distiller Don Alfonso Sanchez, double distilled in copper pot.
Very straight forward nose of ethanol and vanilla and a taste som simple and clean, full-bodied agave, dry but gentle.
Real Minero Mezcala del 3, Batch 001-2005
Made from a mix of Espadin, Largo and Tripon Agaves by master distiller Don Lorenzo Angeles, double distilled in 160l clay pot.
A very hearby nose with loads of agave and damp soil with a complementing taste of ripe strawberries, banana and vanilla and a long mellow smoke finnish filled with agave.
Real Minero Tobalá, Batch 001-2008
Made from Tobalá Agave by master distiller Don Lorenzo Angeles, double distilled in 160l clay pot.
A beautiful nose of perfectly cooked agave and honey like black pepper. This very balanced Mezcal mostly tastes of sweet cooked agave with hints of sweet liquorice and sour dough.
”Fine Mezcal, made naturally from 100% agave, is probably the purest, most traditional spirit available on planet earth. Mezcal smells like history. It tastes like wonder and superstition. It finishes with ancestral connections to the past and mystical visions of the future. Love it or hate it, no one remains ambivalent after tasting mezcal”
Lance Cutler, Tequila Lovers Guide to Mexico (and Mezcal), Wine Patrol Press 2000
Salud!
Enter Mezcal and twele different styles of wisdom
Que pedo?!
Sunday noon a couple of weeks ago I got on the plane to Berlin to visit a bar exhibition, Bar Convent Berlin. As always when I go to a bar show it is in the agave section where you are most likely to find me, drinking the sweet juices of the agave. This year there was a few Mezcals had popped up, which is a little bit unusual, but with a big smile i took a big bite and enjoyed that as well. It might not have been the best Mezcals on the market, but I always find it good to try everything. However to get to the point, I met Axel Huhn who specialises in importing boutique Mezcals, we started talking and one thing led to another and before i knew it i had samples of nine different bottles of Mezcal and yesterday i received three more. So with a total of twelve bottles I will next week have a Mezcal tasting forum with a couple of friends. I will write down all the tasting notes, personal notes and a little presentation of what Mezcal is and how it is done! That is all for now.
Salud!
Tres Mariachis 