Los Nahuales "Nahual de Coyote"

Los Nahuales is produced entirely by hand using authentic artisan methods. A batch is some 7 tons of agaves, yielding approximately 900 bottles. It takes a month. Following harvest the mature agaves are delivered to the distillery in lots of approximately 7 tons, some 90 agaves. They are weighed and cut into smaller pieces. The agaves are roasted in a fire pit, using mesquite. Roasting turns the agave starches into sugars. The crushed solids and the liquids are placed in open-topped 600-liter wood fermentation vats. Fermentation by wild yeast turns the sugars into alcohol. It takes about a week. The fermented juices and solids (tequila is less complex because it leaves the solids out) are distilled twice in 250-liter copper pot still.

Half of each 2nd distillation is carried out with a 200-liter Hoga potstill brought in by Ansley in 2014. The Hoga’s conical hat and swan’s neck yield mezcals of exceptional complexity and finesse.