Origen Raiz Pecho de Venado - Ediciòn 5

49.8% ABV

This is a Pechuga-style mezcal that was originally produced to celebrate the birth of the first born daughter of Origen Raiz founding partner Bildo Saravia. Pechuga means "breast" in Spanish and traditionally was made in Oaxaca for special celebrations, often around harvest season. To make it, a still is filled with mezcal and left to infuse with fruits, herbs, spices and other ingredients overnight prior to a third distillation with the raw breast of a chicken or turkey hung inside of the still during distillation the following day.

Fully mature Cenizo agaves are harvested "capon" which means that the when the agaves begin to sprout their flowering stalk, it is cut off and the plant is left in the ground for 6-9 months. The plant is essentially castrated, leaving all of the fermentable sugars in the "pina" or heart of the plant which can enhance the flavor of the resulting spirit. The agaves are pit roasted, naturally fermented in pine vats, and crushed with a stone tahona. "Venado" means deer and in this case venison breast is the meat used in the process in addition to local fruits and spices which are infused into the "ordinario" or first distillation. It is richly spiced and viscous with a fruity, complex and lengthy finish.

About Origen Raiz:
Origen Raiz is a collaboration between the Saravia family from Durango and Asis and Valentin Cortes from Palenque Guardianes del Mezcal in Oaxaca. Asis and his father Valentin helped the Saravia family build a Viñata (the local term for a palenque or distillery) and shared their expertise in distillation and mezcal production with them. Don Valentin continues to assist them with distillation to this day.

The Cortes family has a long history in the Mezcal space in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca and have their own brand, Mezcal Dixeebe, in addition to having previously produced for El Jolgorio and Nuestra Soledad. They are passionate defenders of traditional Mezcal culture and production methods and their palenque is an oasis of quality and integrity amongst the sea of more industrial production which surrounds them in Matatlan. "Don Vale" is one of our favorite Maestros and we have loved nearly every spirit of his that we've been fortunate enough to taste.

The Saravia family are cattle ranchers who focus on sustainable agriculture and regenerative land management on their massive ranch in Durango, Mexico. They decided to start this project when Bildo Saravia fell deeply in love with agave spirits and befriended the Cortes family. They see this project as both a way to make amazing Mezcal and also to protect and revitalize the land. They harvest only 10% of the mature wild agaves on their property each year, leaving the remaining 90% to go to seed. This supports local pollinators like bats and birds and is vital for maintaining the genetic diversity and strength of the agaves.