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Mezcal
Chichicapa TM Chichicapa has a relatively light nose, yet is deep and sweet on the tongue with a very complex character. It has a long finish, with a distinct smokiness and hint of mint at the end. Chichicapa is 2 hours south of Oaxaca, and 2 hours to the west on a dirt road. (Unable to locate on GoogleEarth.) The pueblo elevation is about 7,000 feet. Chichicapa is separated from the valley of Oaxaca by a mountain range. The valley is broad, about thirty miles deep and ten miles wide. The climate is desert and tropical, with banana trees, guava, mangoes and other exotic fruits. Faustino Garcia Vasquez is the maker of Chichicapa. He is a humble and talented craftsmen with great respect for the ancient processes.
THE
“FACTORY” – omg! http://drinkdogma.com/mezcal-a-can-of-worms/ . . . A few months ago, I had the opportunity to meet Ron Cooper who imports mezcal from several different villages in Oaxaca. Each single village mezcal is a distinct expression of the traditional methods used by local villagers, and they are not only the best mezcals I have ever tasted, they might just be my favorite spirits in the world. Really – they are that good. Each batch is limited and produced without modification to technique or the organic ingredients used by villagers for hundreds of years. Of the line that Del Maguey produces, my two favorites are the Tobala and the Chichicapa. Rather than being made from the more common Espadin, the Tobala is made from 100% tobala, a traditional type of agave used in some of history’s earliest mezcals that were produced following Cortez’s takeover of the Aztecs. The Tobala has an almost grassy element that compliments a more lightly styled mezcal. The Del Maguey Tobala has the longest finish of anything I have ever drank; it is amazing.
The Chichicapa, however, definitely has the most complex, wonderful, evolving
character of any spirit in my opinion. The flavor is by no means subtle and is
as powerful and intense as Laphroaig 15, my favorite scotch, but there is the
added complexity of the agave flavor and traditional Mexican process. Again, the
finish is insane, and my scotch seems increasingly boring ever since I started
drinking this stuff. I’m not sure the Chichicapa is for everyone because if you
aren’t familiar with the bolder flavors found in tequila and scotch, you may
find this spirit to be too overwhelming. But, if you enjoy these types of
flavors, or you just want to experience what an outstanding mezcal and
world-class spirit tastes like, you need to pick up a bottle of this as soon as
possible.
Del Maguey (pronounced: ma-gay) brings you a collection of fine, rare,
unblended mezcals made by individual family producers in tiny remote villages
scattered throughout the state of Oaxaca (prounced: wah-ha-kah), Mexico. Each
Del Maguey Mezcal bears the name of the village where it is produced. Using
natural processes over four hundred years old, the village palenquero (maker)
captures the true body and spirit of mezcal with only
two ingredients: water and
the heart of the maguey (agave). The hearts of maguey are roasted over hot
stones in a pit in the ground for three to five days covered with earth. They
are then ground to a mash using horse-powered stone mills, followed by a long
period of natural fermentation in wooden vats and finally distilled twice, very
slowly, in wood-fired clay or copper stills. These mezcals are truly unlike any
others. They are the most rare, pure and fine available in the world. Their
flavor has been described as smokey, true, deep and warm. FACEBOOK - Del-Maguey-Single-Village-Mezcal - see photos / videos!
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