Timing their harvest with the lunar cycle of January 2020, Don Tomás and family included 15 large, 2-year capón Madrecuixe agaves harvested from gravelly, white earth the maestro knows as tierra blanca pedregosa. The maguey was left to rest in the sun for six days before being roasted with local mesquite wood. Upon their unearthing, the piñas were left to sit for an additional three days before being chopped and shredded. Corresponding to the “cook” of the maguey, the quantity of convertible sugars, and the ambient temperatures, Don Tomás patiently waited three days before adding 600 liters of well water to the 600kg of maguey. Assisting along the way, and nearly always present on the palenque, was Faustino, who’s been working with the family for nearly a decade. Final adjustments were made using selected sections of the second round of distillation and composed a total of 80 liters. Don Tomás sold us half and kept the other 40 liters to store in his newly constructed personal reserve of glass-aged joyas.