Pluma Negra Tepeztate Mezcal is produced from wild Tepeztate maguey (Agave marmorata) harvested in the shaded high-altitude regions of Oaxaca’s limestone-rich volcanic soil one of the rarest and most technically demanding agave varieties in mezcal production, requiring 25+ years to reach maturity, processed by the Maestro Mezcalero using entirely traditional methods: underground earthen oven, animal-powered tahona stone grinding, pine barrel wild fermentation, and copper pot double distillation.

Tepeztate is among the most challenging agave varieties used in mezcal production it takes 25 to 35 years to reach maturity (vs. 712 years for most cultivated agave), grows exclusively in shaded rocky cliff faces rather than open fields, cannot be cultivated and must be harvested wild, and produces a flavor profile of remarkable herbal complexity that distinguishes it from Espadn-based mezcal. The specific processing at Pluma Negra follows entirely traditional methods: maguey is cut by machete and transported by donkey to an underground earthen oven (conical pit fire, covered with stones and earth) for several days of roasting the earthen oven produces a more subtle, minerally smoke than above-ground wood fire roasting. The baked maguey is then ground by a tahona (large stone wheel pulled by animal power) before wild yeast fermentation in pine barrels, followed by double distillation in small-batch copper pot stills. The result is an austere, herbal, and mineral mezcal that reflects the wild Tepeztate’s character in full.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Fresh herbs, newly cut grass, and eucalyptus the wild Tepeztate’s distinctive green herbal character
• Palate: Warm and soft with bright herbal notes the limestone soil and wild growth contributing mineral depth
• Finish: Long and increasingly complex the Tepeztate character evolving and deepening over time in the glass

Specs

• Producer: Pluma Negra, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Style: Traditional Mezcal Wild Tepeztate
• Agave: Wild Tepeztate (Agave marmorata) 2535 year maturation
• Process: Underground earthen oven animal-powered tahona pine barrel wild fermentation copper pot double distillation
• Size: 750ml

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