VAGO MEZCAL

Situated along the banks of the Rio Atoyac River in the tiny village of Candelaria Yegol (est. population 254), Aquilino Garcia Lopez is hard at work examining the Espadin agave maturing on his estate. His farm, which is situated over 3,500 feet above sea level, is surrounded by the Sierra Sur mountains and enjoys an intensely warm, dry climate along with a nutrient-rich soil, making it perfect for the maturation and cultivation of flavorful Espadin agave. The estate was constructed fifteen years ago, says Aquilino, by "my grandfather, father and me" (Aquilino is a third-generation mezcalero).After the natural spring waters of the Rio Atoyac River have nourished his agave for nearly a decade, Aquilino searches for the most ripe and flavorful agave growing on his plantation. Then, he harvests the agave by hand and removes their hearts, or pias, which he takes back to his distillery (the distillery doubles as his home). The pias are then cooked in an earthen oven that was built into the ground and is completely exposed to the elements. The heat from the oven caramelizes the pias natural sugars and gives the pias a slightly smoky aroma and flavor profile. Once the pias have been roasted, they are crushed under the weight of a traditional stone wheel that is pulled by a mule (a full oven of agave will take the mule approximately four or five days to crush). The remaining agave pulp and juices are placed into tanks made of pine wood and fermented using natural, airborne yeasts for approximately one week the actual length varies depending on the temperature at the time.In order to craft Mezcal Vago Espadin, Aquilino distills the fermented mash twice through a 200-liter copper-pot still. The mezcal is then allowed to rest for two to three months in stainless steel tanks before it is triple filtered and bottled by hand. Each bottle of Mezcal Vago Espadin takes roughly 16.5 pounds of agave to make and each batch produces fewer than 1000 bottles. Mezcal Vago Espadin has a light aroma of sweet potatoes, citrus and flint. The aroma opens up to notes of anise, bananas and plantains, and ends with a caramel, woody finish.Each Mezcal Vago represents a unique expression of Mexicos terroir, and is made in a time-honored, traditional fashion by a single distiller who has studied the craft since childhood. Pick up a bottle of each today!