All in Tech Sheets

This special release of Tepeztate is an exciting collaboration with Argonaut Wine & Liquor in Denver, CO. With Vago Co-Founders Judah Kuper and Dylan Sloan having Colorado roots, it has always been a “home market” of sorts, with some of our biggest fans and best friends. Argonaut is no exception. We are very excited to share this special batch of 50 liters of Tepeztate from Emigdio Jarquín that we put aside to rest in glass for one year, allowing it to be designated as Madurado en Vidrio.

Vals NOLA Special Release Batch S-08-E-18

For our friends in New Orleans, we have got something special headed your way! A project two years in the making, we are very excited to announce this very special release in collaboration with our friends at VALS. This 100% Espadín mezcal was distilled by Tío Rey in November of 2018, then rested for six months in antique clay mezcalero cántaros that have been in Aquilino’s family for nearly 100 years. The entire 93-liter batch was then rested again in sealed glass garrafones for another year before being bottled. All 20 cases have just arrived in New Orleans and will ONLY be available to sip at VALS. We have always had a soft spot in our heart for New Orleans, and have been lucky to call many in that city our friends. The Vago family is very excited to share this special batch which combines the traditions of our original two families, Tío Rey’s and Aquilino’s, with our friends at VALS.

Colorado Special Release #2 J-02-TTOB-20

Our latest special release is something we have patiently been waiting for the last few years! Those that follow Mezcal Vago likely know that we have been working with maestro Joel Barriga for a while now, bottling the 100% Espadín he and his son Adán produce in the village of Hacienda Tapanala, hidden in the Oaxacan Sierra Madre del Sur. Over this time we have had several conversations with them about producing other expressions to complement their Espadín and showcase the skill of the father-son team. Well, 2020 is the year! We are very proud to announce our second Colorado-exclusive release is a wonderful ensamble of Tepeztate and Tobalá produced in January of 2020!

Barril en Barro Batch S-18-B-19

NEW! RELEASE! ALERT!…. NEW! RELEASE! ALERT!

It has certainly been a minute since we did a special release for our good friends in California. In an effort to make up for it, we waited for something truly special, and undoubtedly, this 100% Barril en Barro from Tío Rey fits that bill. Produced in the fall of 2019, this new expression for Tío Rey was produced from what we typically would recognize as cultivated Madre Cuixe. At only 245 liters, this entire 50-case batch is currently landing on shelves and back bars in the Golden State. It is sure to be a bright spot in the summer sipping season.

Mexicano Aquilino Batch A-06-M-19

Mezcal Vago’s Mexicano is a treat for connoisseurs. This mezcal has become renowned for its’ nuance and is beautiful sipped on its own. It is one of the lightest, most elegant expressions of mezcal to come out of the Vago lineup. It has a great balance of spiciness and sweetness that is distinct to the Agave Mexicano. Aquilino’s techniques highlight these characteristics from the spicy aroma through a touch of sweetness on the finish. The hints of cacao, cinnamon, and vanilla make it a perfect digestif or pairing with dessert.

Mezcal Vago Bien Picado

Mezcal Vago is excited to share our second ever release of a rare mezcal known as Bien Picado. This savory, earthy batch of Aquilino’s mezcal was produced from 89% Espadín and 11% Mexicano Verde. This small, 139-liter batch of mezcal was produced in February of 2019. Like our first limited run of this mezcal, produced in 2012, the entire batch was sent to our good friends in the great state of Texas. At 139-liters, if you haven’t already procured yourself a bottle, you should probably pony-up to your favorite mezcalería and ask them to pour you a taste. The long, rich finish will create a memory to last until our next batch.

Arroqueño en Barro Batch S-05-A-19

For the first time in over two years, Tío Rey has released a batch of pure Arroqueño en Barro. Typically, Tío Rey can only harvest a couple of ripe piñas at a time, he occasionally has enough ripening at the same time to produce a batch of pure Arroqueño. One of the all-time favorites in the Vago lineup, his last batch is still talked about in mezcalerías around the country and traded on internet message boards. While the last batch was limited to less than 92 liters, this new batch is a bit larger, with 85 cases available. 

Sierra Negra A-07-SN-08

For the first time ever, Aquilino has released a 100% batch of beautiful Sierra Negra.

This 84-liter  batch was created from only seven wild-harvested piñas, weighing 999 kilograms, each piña having an average weight of 315 pounds. They were all harvested by hand on February 3rd from the Loma de Cocoshle parcel, belonging to his brother Benito.

Ensamble de Emigdio Batch E-02-CET-18

Mezcal Vago is excited to release our first batch of ensamble from Emigdi Jarquín. For his inaugural 170-liter batch of ensamble for Mezcal Vago, Don Emigdio selected a blend of wild Cuixe, cultivated Espadín, and wild Tepezate selected from the Chamizal and El Pochotle plots near his palenque in El Nanche, Miahuatlán (16°23'51.4"N 96°33'03.5"W).

Tepeztate/Sierra Negra A-12-TSN-17

If you clamor long enough, and loud enough, we promise we will eventually answer! Three years after our release of the much sought-after original Tepeztate/Sierra Negra ensamble, Aquilino has finally been able to scrounge up enough rare Sierra Negra to craft a second batch of one of his hallmark mezcals.

Ensamble de Aquilino A-10-CTE-16

We were incredibly humbled by the overwhelming response to our previous batch of ensamble from Aquilino, or "Curry-30," as it became affectionately known. However, we were not anticipating the number of hearts that would be broken when people realized that it was released exclusively in the East Bay of Northern California. We decided to be a bit more democratic with our next ensamble; a triple-agave blend produced by Aquilino García López at his palenque in Candelaria Yegolé, Oaxaca (16°29'41.36"N, 96°18'38.69"W). It was produced in early summer 2017 from a 48/28/23 blend 803 kg of wild Cuixe, 472 kg of wild Tepeztate and 380 kg of cultivated Espadín, which yielded just 172 liters of explosive awesomeness. 

Joel Barriga

We are very excited to announce the newest addition to Mezcal Vago, Don Joel Barriga. Joel is Aquilino's cousin and has been distilling mezcal for many generations. His farm and palanque are part of the Hacienda Tapanala, which is about 15 kilometers northeast of and 300 meters higher than Candelaria Yegole, in the high, rolling plateaus of the Sierra Sur. Despite the difference in location, the climate and soil of Tapanala, the very beginnings of terroir, are nearly identical to the land surrounding Aquilino’s. Aquilino has been working with Joel over the last couple months to hone his technique in order to produce a style of Espadín that is very similar to his own. This will allow Aquilino to make more Elote and focus on smaller, more unique batches of mezcal. 

Tobalá de Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez

After the incredible responses we’ve gotten from the first few batches of mezcal from Don Emigdio Jarquín Ramirez, we are excited and fortunate to be able to share his incredible Tobalá. This incredible mezcal is produced by Emigdio at his palenque in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). It is produced from small piñas that usually weigh around 50 pounds, on average and only yield roughly 4% by volume!

S-010/04-CTOB-16 Ensamble en Barro

Okay, Chicago! Y’all in the Second City have been asking, begging, and clamoring for your own special batch from Vago. You have been huge supporters for a while now and its time! The amount of enthusiasm for agave and the copitas you go put down deserve something epic. Something new. Something wild.

Madre Cuixe de Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez

We are incredibly excited to continue to bring Don Emigdio Jarquin’s magic to the world. We send out his microbatch of Pulquero in December and his Espadín to the Southeast. Now, after a couple of months resting at the Vago office, his 480 liter batch of Madrecuixe is ready to be enjoyed. We are excited to put out a mezcal of agave that is so prevalent around the Miahuatlán region. This batch was created from January to April, 2016 at Emigdio’s palenque in the Nanche district of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W).

Espadín Jarquín

This 100% Espadín is distilled by the newest member of our family, Emigdio Jarquín in El Nanche, Miahuatlán de Porfirio Diaz (16°39'78.7"N, 96°55'07.5"W). Don Emigdio is a fourth-generation mezcalero from the Nanche district of Miahuatlán. We searched far and wide for just the right mezcalero to ask to join our family. We knew it they had to have just the right mix of skill and character. After working with Emigdio for nearly a year, we are incredibly pleased to be sharing some of the best Espadín we have tasted. 

Mexicano en Barro - Batch S-30-M-15

New York, you all are some agave freaks. We could not be where we are without you. As a thank you, and after the incredible response to our Blanco y Negra release last year, we have decided to hook up NYC with another, even smaller, extremely limited production bottling. This stunning 53 liter batch of 100% Mexicano (a. Rhodacantha) was produced by Salomón Rey Rodriguez (Tío Rey) in Sola de Vega, Oaxaca (16°28'44.72"N 96°57'42.80"W) in late 2015.

Vago’s newest Special Release allows us to explore just a small bit of the genetic diversity surrounding Santa María, Sola de Vega. Batch S-25-CBSN-15 was produced by Salomón Rey Rodriguez (Tío Rey) in Sola de Vega, Oaxaca (16°28'44.72"N 96°57'42.80"W). We bottled it as a thank you to our friends at Bi-Rite Liquors in San Francisco, California. Their focus on the people that farm and provide our food made us feel they were a great group to partner with for this release, as those same concepts tie-in so directly to our ethos as a brand.