NETA Madrecuixe, Bicuixe, Espadin

About this destilado de agave

NETA Ensamble de Madrecuixe, Bicuixe, and Espadín was distilled by Mezcalero Ranulfo García Pacheco in May 2018. Ranulfo has been distilling agave spirits consistently for over four decades, working principally with the same three varieties of agave: Madrecuixe, Bicuixe, and Espadín. The different agaves are roasted, macerated, fermented, and distilled together which is the true ensamble style as opposed to a post-distillation blend.

For this approximately 800-liter batch, Ranulfo harvested a mix of fully mature Madrecuixe, Bicuixe, and Espadín agaves from the lands that neighbor his ranch in El Sauz, Miahuatlán. Ranulfo uses a refrescadera with his copper pot still. Distilling with a refrescadera, a stainless-steel cylinder which is placed around the cap of the still and filled with cold water, can yield a high proof spirit in a single distillation. As the fermented agave liquid boils in the pot below, the vapors rise and then, given the cold refrescadera, condense and fall back into the boiler pot below. It is then heated again before finally passing through the copper condensing coil and, now liquid mezcal, falls into the containers. Ranulfo fills his refrescadera four times and carefully selects multiple cuts from each run of the still. With his cuts, he is separating the perla-rich “cordon” liquid from the tails which he calls shishe or colas.

NETA

NETA is a colloquial word in Mexico that translates to “the real deal” or “the truth”. Since 2012, the brand has worked closely with several small, family producers and a cooperative of twelve palenqueros from the southern valleys and hills of Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. The region has preserved its reputation for producing some of the finest mezcales and agave spirits anywhere in Mexico. The team behind NETA presents a carefully curated selection of extraordinary spirits that would otherwise never be found outside of its place of origin.

A note about NETA labels: The total bottle count written on the front label might be less than the total batch size. Batches may be split between Mexico, Europe, and the US; the handwritten bottle count represents the number of bottles imported into a particular country.

Learn more about NETA:

• NETA – Spirit Distilled from Agave on the K&L Wines Spirits Journal blog
• NETA is finally here on Mezcalistas