NETA Espadin ´22

Getting personal with legendary producer, it has been from him (and his brother Celso) that magnetized Agavera to the NETA family. This gentleman has given up on the drink already several years ago and he still makes extraordinary juice.

Buckle up for an incredible capón ride here!

Though the variety of Agave angustifolia commonly known as Espadín is now widespread in Oaxaca, it is not actually native to the region. Some claim that Espadín began to appear in Oaxaca as early as the 1930’s, but most references date its arrival several decades later when government programs and Matatlán-based business interests began to promote its cultivation. Because Espadín yields well, reproduces easily, and matures quickly, it is prized as a cash crop and is planted widely throughout the state. However, a spirit made from this agave should not be overlooked just because of the ubiquity of its raw material. In fact, precisely for this reason, Espadín serves as an excellent lens for understanding the different terrains and production methods of Oaxaca. A quality Espadín, like this 2021 production from maestro Cándido García Cruz, is a reflection both of the spirit’s place of origin and the skill of its maker. Don Cándido consistently produces some of the most delicious and complex Espadín around, and this small batch is no exception.

In their harvest of maguey in the days surrounding the full moon of March 2021, the family selected 25 quiotudo Espadín agaves from the La Mina parcel of red, rocky earth to be dedicated to this production.

• Maguey(es): Espadín capón (Agave angustifolia)
  
• Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown, La Mina parcel
  
• Producer: Cándido García Cruz
  
• Region: Logoche, Miahuatlán
  
• Date of production: April 2022
  
• Soil type: rocky red tierra colorada
  
• Rest time after harvest: eight days
  
• Oven: Conical earthen oven; six days with mesquite wood
  
• Rest time after oven: six days
  
• Maceration: Machete and mechanical shredder
  
• Fermentation: Native yeasts; two 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood vats
  
• Dry fermentation time: 48 hours
  
• Wet fermentation time: 10 days
  
• Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills
  
• Final composition: heads, hearts, and high proof tails
  
• Batch size: 200L
  
• ABV: 46%
• ESPCAN2104