HOW MEZCAL IS MADE
Yaha-Yahui - Organic Mezcal is produced within the artesanal tradition - all made by hand without the help of modern machinery and 100% natural.
Harvest (3-5 Days)
The agave is a remarkable plant. It blooms only once during its lifetime, which may take decades (up to 35 years) of growth to reach this point. Agaves need to be harvested just before blooming since this is when the piña (the heart) achieves its highest sugar level. At this stage, the piñas are exceptionally heavy. In our first batch, we observed piñas weighing over 340 kg.
The harvest requires significant manpower and, in our case, a horse to transport the heavy plants from the harvest site to the palenque, where the actual Mezcal production occurs.
Roasting (3-5 Days)
To unfold the sugars from the agaves, the piñas must be cooked. For artisanal Mezcal, this occurs in a traditional earthen oven pit. The Maestros Mezcaleros start a fire at the bottom of the pit and carefully cover it with stones, protecting the agaves from burning. Then, the harvested agaves are layered on top of the rocks, which are subsequently covered with petates (mats made from palm leaves) and soil. For our Batch No. 1 the agaves were cooked for 3 days.
Roasting is crucial, as some of the deepest aromas, such as the Mezcal’s distinct smokiness, are developed during this stage.
Shredding & Milling (1-2 Days)
After roasting, the piñas need to be shredded. First, the cooked agave hearts are cut into small pieces by hand using axes and machetes. Then, the pieces of agave are milled with a giant stone wheel called a tahona.
Milling is a very labor-intensive and tiresome work that takes up to 2 days.
Fermentation (8-16 Days)
The most critical stage in the production process is the fermentation of agave fibers, during which sugars are transformed into alcohol.
During this step, all the flavors of the mezcal are developed and refined. The fibers and water are placed in large, open wooden barrels, allowing them to ferment naturally with indigenous and wild yeast for 8 to 16 days—a considerably longer period than in conventional production of fermented alcoholic beverages.
Determining the right moment to end the fermentation process is crucial. If the fibers ferment for too long, the flavors and aromas will change, compromising the quality of the final product. Therefore, during this stage of production, the maestro mezcaleros and their team must be ready day and night to start the distillation process promptly.
Distillation (1-2Days)
The final stage of the production process is distillation. In this stage, the mash (the fermented agave fibers and the fermentation liquid) is distilled using a copper alembic still. This process requires the Maestros Mezcaleros to possess a rich skillset and in-depth knowledge.
Firstly, the separation of the distillation product—cutting off the puntas (heads) and colas (tails) from the Mezcal—defines the quality, bouquet, and flavor profile of the spirit. Knowing when to make these cuts depends on expertise and intuition.
Secondly, in order to cut the puntas and colas properly, steady temperatures are needed. Since, in the artesanal production method, wood fire is used to heat up the still, creating a stable production environment can be quite challenging.
To achieve a clean and high-quality spirit, our Mezcal is distilled twice.