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Posts tagged ‘wahaka’

Oct 8

Report from the Monterey Tequila and Mezcal Expo

I spent the weekend in sunny Monterey attending the 4th Annual Tequila and Mezcal Expo.  The tasting presented a nice contrast between the worlds of tequila and mezcal.

Mezcal was well represented by Wahaka, Beneva and the Craft Distillers lines; Mezcalero, Alipus and Los Nahuales.  Craft’s Ansley Coale made for an excellent guide through their mezcals.  He’s quite an engaging speaker on the world of mezcal so if you see him at a tasting make sure to pick his brain.  He guided us through their selections which included Mezcalero #6 which should be released later this year.  It’s extremely different from the 100% espadin #5.  It’s a silvestres blend from Mexicana, Madrecuishe and Bicuishe semi-cultivated on hillsides.  It’s a full and round mezcal that stands up to the promise of the entire line of Mezcalero bottlings.  Once it hits stores I highly recommend seeking out a bottle, it’s one of the more nuanced mezcals out there and the entire Mezcalero project is well worth following.  We will, of course, offer a review once it’s released.

The Beneva blanco was a more straightforward mezcal with a bit of cinnamon on the palate while a retaste of the Wahaka line reminded me that they have a fantastic set of contrasts.  I know that at least Wahaka will be at the Craft Spirits Carnival this Saturday and Sunday October 13th and 14th at Fort Mason in San Francisco so that’s a great opportunity to taste through their line and see what all the buzz is about.

As expected the tequilas were a great contrast with the traditional stalwart Fortalezza making a fantastic showing.  As far as we’re concerned they can do no wrong and offer the best contrast to mezcal because their blanco has a similarly broad mouth feel that doesn’t shy away from full agave flavors.  Tasted side by side with the Mezcalero #5 or #6 you can readily see that they’re from the same family and understand how the terroir, fruit and processes diverge.  The other big highlight from the tequila side of things was the T1 line which was represented by the maker German Gonzalez in his trademark hat.  The blanco is leaner than the Fortalezza but similarly devoted to bringing out the flavors of its agave.  I look forward to tasting it again soon along side a few other blancos and mezcals.

Oh and I fulfilled a lifelong ambition and met William Faulkner! For a second there I thought his ghost would join us in drink but it turned out to be a mariachi harpist with great chops.  Not nearly as good as the author but fantastic entertainment.

 

The mariachi harpist William Faulkner at the 4th annual Monterey Tequila and Mezcal Expo October 6, 2012.

Jun 28

Mezcal tasting in San Francisco

Wahaka will be conducting a mezcal tasting of their products at this Friday evening’s De Young Viva Frida: From the Blue House to the Catwalk event.  Supplies are limited so get their early.

May 16

Mezcal’s party side

The bar

Mezcals set up for our tasting.

Friday night I ran a little mezcal tasting as part of a friend’s 40th birthday party. The social environment brings out the more abrupt and unprompted reactions to mezcal which makes them all the more interesting.

We were tasting:

You can’t take these anecdotal reports too seriously but I was fascinated to find out that:

  • One group of people really likes the leaner, cleaner, tastes of the Wahaka and Fidencio side of the spectrum. They don’t have anything tremendously negative to say about the Vida but they also really enjoyed the Mezcalero.
  • A different group of people really liked Vida and Mezcalero but disliked Wahaka and Fidencio intensely.  Every member of this group mentioned a chemical taste to both.  Some people reacted really violently to that taste so it was a strugglet to get them to keep tasting.  Fortunately everyone soldiered on and ended up enjoying the Vida and Mezcalero.
  • It was fascinating to see a roughly even distribution among these groups.
  • There is a general question about mezcal; what it is, whether it’s tequila, etc. but pretty much anyone is open to an engaged education about the subject when they have a glass in hand.  And, perhaps most importantly, anyone who tasted at least two types of mezcal really enjoyed them.
  • The Mezcalero #3 was a big winner so that’s another win for the silvestres blends.

With all that in mind we’re looking forward to additional tastings.  Stay tuned.

Apr 21

A girl walks into a mezcaleria…

Leon Langle, the bartender at Los Amantes in Oaxaca.

Leon Langle, the bartender at Los Amantes in Oaxaca.

It was a hot night and we’d just returned the rental car.  We planned on a little stroll, a little bite to eat – something relaxing. I stepped into Los Amantes while Alicia went to go grab a cup of coffee. I wanted to say hello to Leon Langle, the man behind the counter who knows his mezcal.

The space itself lends itself to easy conversation.  It’s a small, cozily lit shoebox of a space that’s  lined with antique glass jarras and benches.  Of course the entire space is defined by the bar with a rotating selection of mezcal depending on what’s available.   I never know what to expect:  One night it will be empty so Leon and I can conduct an extensive discussion on his wares.  The next evening it’s a colorful cacophony full of visitors from Mexico City and the odd celebrity sighting of Café Tacvba’s Ruben Albarran.  This night it seemed like an impromptu meeting of palenqueros and brand owners.

Los Amantes

Behind the bar at mezcaleria Los Amantes

There was Eric Hernandez, the palenquero behind Los Amantes and Ilegal, John Rexer, one of the owners of Ilegal, Francisco (mezcal and remembering last names can be a problem sometimes) from Wahaka Mezcal and Charles Collins from Real Matlatl. Eric had brought some pulque, a tart and refreshing drink that is less viscuous here in Oaxaca than the stuff I have tasted in Mexico City. I find it a nice accompaniment to mezcal – better than beer that can lead to a headache the following morning.

Leon poured me a madrecuixe/espadin mix, a pure madrecuixe and an arrenqueño.  NB: The “tastes” at Los Amantes are actually quite generous and are more like shots. Several conversations flowed including how much better my Spanish gets after a few mezcals, traditional dishes from Sinaloa (there was a chef from Sinaloa there,) what artisanal means and what is going on with the wild magueys.

The artisanal question is pretty big and there was no consensus on defining it. Is it when mezcal is made by one palenquero using the traditional process? Or is it based solely on the process so that brands can claim to be artisanal when they use mezcal from different palenques?  This is a question I ask all the time and it is fascinating that no one has the same answer. Unlike “organic” which is certified and therefore defined, artisanal is open to interpretation and, unfortunately, becoming highly misused (Round Table Pizza and their “artisanal” flat bread for example.)

As for the wild maguey question, it is a victim of its own demand at this point. Wild magueys often take 12 years to mature. Palenqueros like Enrique Jimenez (of Fidencio, Del Amigo and Mezcal Amores), Francisco of Wahaka, and many others control the land on which the wild magueys grow and are vested in harvesting only when they are ready. Other palenqueros who don’t have their own (either on their own land or communal property land – which is still very common in Oaxaca) or who don’t have agreements with communal property owners to harvest their own maguey, buy from harvesters who may be picking the magueys before they are ready. Given there is huge demand for the wild magueys, this is certainly an issue that needs to watched as there are huge ecological implications with the overharvesting that is happening. I love the wild maguey mezcals and the constant surprise of their flavor– one tobalá is different from another, the same with an arrenqueño, mexicano, tobaciche, etc. These are not every day mezcals.

Conversation then turned to music, which of course then lead to dancing. I wisely said my goodbyes and headed out to the brilliantly lit Santo Domingo before heading home.