Jabalí
Agave convallis, the agave is used to make jabalí ( hah-bah-LEE) is challenging to work. When José Alberto learned of the difficulty to work jabalí, he wanted to take on the challenge, and his first batches are certainly worth it.
There are a few troubles working with jabalí. First, the piñas have a lower yield compared to higher yield agaves. Second, during fermentation and distillation, the bagasso produces a lot of foam, which needs to be monitored and removed because it contains unwanted saponins and can also damage the stills.
With the low yield and the foam combined the effort is not worth the return, and some producers will mix jabalí with another agave to create a full batch. These 100% agave convallis batches are small and special.
For Release 1 and 2 José Alberto sources his agave convallis from Sola de Vega. In release 3 there are two 50 liter batches, one from Sola de Vega, and the other from San Balthazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca. The resulting destilados are quite different.
Tasting notes
Nose: candied yams, pumpkin, butternut squash
Palate: soft, sweet and savory, baking spices, cantaloupe
Finish: long, viscous, sweet potato and cinnamon
More tasting notes: Mezcal Reviews | Mezcalistas
Production Notes
Species: Agave convallis
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 48.9
Elevation: approximately 1440 meters
Age of maguey: 12-14 years
Cook: 4-5 days in rock-lined conical oven, using locally sourced walnut (nogal)
Milling: By hand with mallets (mazos) in hollow tree trunk (canoa)
Fermentation: Natural 4-7 days in 90-liter clay pots (potable water added after day 1 or 2)
Distillation: Twice in 60-liter clay pots, locally sourced oak (encino) wood-fired
Condensers: Stainless steel & copper
Batch JAJA0422 (*first batch): 100 liters (133 bottles), produced Apr 2021 (190 liters), agave source Sola de Vega
Batch JAJA1122: 150 liters (200 bottles), produced Oct 2021 (190 liters), agave source Sola de Vega
Batch JAJA0524-1: 50 liters (65 bottles), produced Oct 2022 (70 liters), agave source Sola de Vega
Batch JAJA0524-2: 50 liters (65 bottles), produced Apr 2023 (70 liters), agave source San Baltazar Chichicapam
Batch JAJA0626: 50 liters (62 bottles), produced Jan 2025 (70 liters), agave source Santa Maria Zoquitlan
