Maguey Sierra Negra (Agave Americana) takes up to 25 years to mature and is not very often seen in agave spirits due to it’s scarcity.
About this mezcal
Maguey Sierra Negra is an Agave Americana. It takes up to 25 years to mature. Sierra Negra is quite rare. It was widely cultivated many years ago but due to the plant’s low seed yield, small amount of hijuelos (agave pups), and lengthy maturation time, maguey Sierra Negra has been mostly abandoned in favor of Agave Espadin. Mezcalero Aquilino Garcia’s first batch of 100% maguey Sierra Negra with Mezcal Vago was produced in April 2018 with just 7 agave piñas that yielded 84 liters of mezcal. Each piña weighed an average of 315 pounds. They were harvested by hand from the Lomas de Cocoshle parcel, which belongs to Aquilino’s brother Benito. After the agave hearts were roasted, they were left to rest for two weeks before being crushed and distilled. This is a special and rare batch from Mezcal Vago, you can read more about it on their blog Mas Mezcal.
Vago Mezcal
Mezcal Vago began when co-founder Judah Kuper visited a hospital in Oaxaca, Mexico. He fell in love with the nurse who treated him. Her father, Aquilino Garcia, was a sustenance farmer who also produced mezcal. Judah and Aquilino, along with Judah’s longtime friend Dylan Sloan, launched Mezcal Vago. In 2013, their first exported bottles arrived in Texas. Each of their mezcals is produced naturally in a traditional palenque with no additives. The brand aims to empower both the master craftsmen with a celebration of his art. Also the consumer by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal. The brand plants 3 agaves for each single agave they harvest. Their goal is to end the use wild agave by 2025 for most of their releases.
In 2017, Mezcal Vago began using different color labels for their different mezcaleros. Emigdio Jarquin (blue label) distills in copper with refrescador. Aquilino and Joel Barriga (tan and gold labels respectively) distill in copper. Tio Rey (red label) distills in clay pots. All their mezcaleros use different water sources and make different distillation cuts. In 2018, Mezcal Vago established an investment partnership with Samson and Surrey. With the new partnership, each Mezcal Vago mezcalero has a stake in Samson and Surrey.
In 2021, Mezcal Vago went through its first major brand redesign since their launch in 2013.
Learn more Mezcal Vago:
- The Mezcal Vago Tasting Room in Oaxaca on Mezcal Reviews
- A podcast interview with co-founder Judah Kuper on Show de Vie Podcast w/Mike G
- The Mezcal Vago blog Mas Mezcal
Transparency in mezcal (and quality too) – Vago’s Sierra Negra story on Mezcalistas
Sierra Negra A-07-SN-08 on Mas Mezcal
Review this bottle
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TrogdordeFuegoanator
40 reviewsApril 2018, 49 liters. 51.30%.
It’s perhaps been since the release that I had any of this bottle, but with the sad passing of the maestro seems like as good of time as any to pour one out. Saludos Don Aquilino.
Soft white flowers on the nose (Agave americana what?), and crisp baked yellow pears on the pallet. A bit of winter spice rolled within. A bottle well oxidized, where the alcohol certainly hovers over the top, taking away from it all a bit. I don’t believe this was the case when the bottle was first opened, simply due to bottle development. Solid example of Sierra Negra.
April 2018, 49 liters. 51.30%.
It’s perhaps been since the release that I had any of this bottle, but with the sad passing of the maestro seems like as good of time as any to pour one out. Saludos Don Aquilino.
Soft white flowers on the nose (Agave americana what?), and crisp baked yellow pears on the pallet. A bit of winter spice rolled within. A bottle well oxidized, where the alcohol certainly hovers over the top, taking away from it all a bit. I don’t believe this was the case wh
t8ke
144 reviewsLong, rich and enticing. Pear, apple, musty earthiness. Tobacco, faint metallic notes, light brine. Soil and sea air.
Incredible offering here. Delicious and complex.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsWow
Wow. Just incredible. Extremely balanced and nuanced. I could down this entire bottle in a few nights. One of the best mezcals ive had
StevenR
13 reviewsLot A-07-SN-18
Toasted cornflakes honey and ripened peaches on the nose is down right hedonistic.. the mouthfeel is oily.. roasted corn cinnamon and peaches fill the mid palate.. this beautiful spirit finishes hot with caramelized sugar..Truely decadent..Another excellent mezcal from Aquilino García.. I am privileged to have a bottle
thamthong
47 reviewsmy first sierra negra. caramel popcorn on the nose. very complex and fragrant on the palate, a melange of vegetal and earthy notes. like jonny said, the flavors here blend into each other seamlessly. would’ve liked to have taken more time with this one but tried this at a bar as they were closing.
Jonny
717 reviewsTotally Angelic. This must be the preferred drink of angels. I’ve been drinking Aquilino’s mezcal for several years. I’ve had many batches and many different varietals. This is my favorite so far. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. The nose sweet with a bit of cinnamon and a hint of brown sugar. The body is full and creamy. There’s a bit of heat on the back of the palate, but it sits well in the overall profile. The flavors are so well balanced and blended into one another. I get some notes of wet stone, bright green moss, potatoes, and a hint of sweet corn. This reminds me of New Hampshire in the fall with all of it’s transitionally earthy tones, colors, and aromas. Lot A-07-SN-18 from April 2018. Total batch is 84 liters.
Totally Angelic. This must be the preferred drink of angels. I’ve been drinking Aquilino’s mezcal for several years. I’ve had many batches and many different varietals. This is my favorite so far. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. The nose sweet with a bit of cinnamon and a hint of brown sugar. The body is full and creamy. There’s a bit of heat on the back of the palate, but it sits well in the overall profile. The flavors are so well balanced and blend