Cuixe Verde | April 2019 | Francisco "Tío Chico" García | CXVFCG1904 | Fall 2022 Release | 138 bottles
Made in April 2019, this 200L batch of Cuixe Verde was one of the last productions made by the legendary Francisco “Tío Chico” García and his wife, Cristina. Tío Chico passed away in December 2020, leaving behind a tremendous legacy in home town of San Luis Amatlán, with the torch now being carried by his children and grandchildren.
The particular maguey known as Cuixe Verde (also known as Verde in the immediate region) is a phenotype endemic exclusively to the region of San Luis Amatlán and grown in quantity by very few families. While it seems to originate from the seed stock of Madrecuixe, the Verde plant itself is almost sterile, and does reproduce from seed. In recent years, a few talented growers have managed to collect a hand full of bulbil clones, but this highly revered maguey almost exclusively reproduces itself in offsets though its rhizome system. Dating back multiple decades, to the envy of many, the family of Tío Chico was known throughout Miahuatlán for cultivating and possessing the greatest amount of Cuixe Verde in the region. When planted in rocky and well-draining terrain, this maguey can reach maturity in eight years, sometimes growing to around two meters tall and nearing 200kg in weight. The Verde possesses an abundance of sugar, making it a truly productive and unique agave. While there are other similar agaves in the general region that are known by the same name, this San Luis Amatlán type is considered by many to be the “true” Cuixe Verde.
We first met the family in a serendipitous moment in the Spring of 2013, in the mountains of Miahuatlán, in between stops as they visited long-standing clients and friends in the villages of the Sierra Sur. We visited their home frequently, and were regularly present for birthday celebrations, weddings, anniversaries, and during the days surrounding Día de Muertos. Tío Chico and Cristian were present at the plaza of Miahuatlán nearly every Monday and had a booth at dozens of different annual bailes in various villages throughout the valley and mountains of Miahuatlán. For over fifty years, the couple facilitated too many fiestas to count, and their contribution to magueyero, palenquero and general miahuateco culture cannot be overstated. This three-year glass aged bottling is in homage to our late friend and teacher of all things Miahuatlán, don Francisco, el Tío Chico del Cuixe Verde. It is to be shared with much love and joy.
§ Maguey(es): Cuixe Verde (Agave karwinskii var.)
§ Provenance of the maguey: Homegrown
§ Producer: Francisco “Tio Chico” García
§ Region: San Luis Amatlán, Miahuatlán
§ Date of production: April 2019
§ Soil type: Rocky red and white earthen parcels; tierra colorada y tierra blanca cascajudo
§ Rest time after harvest: two weeks
§ Oven: Conical earthen oven; six days days with mesquite wood
§ Rest time after oven: seven days
§ Maceration: Machete and mechanical shredder
§ Fermentation: Native yeasts; two 1200L Montezuma cypress sabino wood vats
§ Dry fermentation time: 48 hours
§ Wet fermentation time: six days
§ Distillation: 2x in copper pot stills
§ Final composition: Heads, hearts, and tails
§ Batch size: 200L
§ ABV: 45%