i e n e n i d o F e r n á n d e z
Bienvenido Fernández Sotol Wheeleri
The Maestro of the Sierra.
Bienve has been distilling sotol since he could carry the bar to knock down the dasylirion stem.
A 4th generation maestro, and legendary storyteller, Bienve has always smiled in the face of adversity. Evading the eye of authorities, he embraced a nomadic life to traverse mountain ranges with the aid of his favorite donkey to carry his copper still. As he traveled, he crafted batches of sotol, lechuguilla, and ensambles from the plants he encountered along the trail.
Distilled in Madera, a city located in the northwest of Chihuahua, at an altitude of 6,900 feet above sea level, this area is known for its coniferous forest vegetation. Its high altitude provides a cool subtropical climate, with humid summers and cold and dry winters.
Technical
MAESTRO VINATERO – Bienvenido Fernández, 4th generation
RAW MATERIAL – 100% wild Dasylirion Wheeleri (the sotol plant)
VIÑATA – Madera, Chihuahua, MX
PLANT SOURCE – Madera, Chihuahua, MX
SOURCE CLIMATE – Borders coniferous forests & arid high desert, humid summers but cold & dry winters, elevation 6,900’
PLANT MATURITY – Madurado en verde 15 years
ROAST – 3 days in an underground conical horno with pine wood, covered with volcanic stone
CRUSH – Mechanical
WILD FERMENTATION – 7 days in stainless steel & tomba
DISTILLATION – Stainless steel alembic, first with pine wood & then with gas
ADJUSTMENT METHOD – With well water until it is parejo
TASTING NOTES –
Aroma – Orange zest, rosemary, juniper
Taste – Pine sap, maple syrup, Lime pith |
Texture – Sticky, idling, satisfying
a t c h e s :
June 2022, 49.4% ABV, rested 15 months in glass
Jan. 2023, 49.13% ABV, rested 8 months in glass
Feb. 2023, 49.78% ABV, rested 7 months in glass
Feb. 2023, 47.45% ABV, rested 7 months in glass
July. 2023, 48.35% ABV, rested 9 months in glass, 21 cases