Maestro 2.0 - Saison Refermented on Roasted Agave Hearts - Collab with La Luna Mezcal and S.A.C.R.E.D. Agave
This batch of Maestro is truly something unique and special. It is the next step in our evolution of brewing with agave and it is by far the most intriguing and pure expression of agave we’ve been able to achieve yet.
The cupreata agave we were fortunate to procure from La Luna takes between 8-10 years to mature before it can be harvested and it is then roasted for multiple days in stone lined hornos using white oak sourced from the estate. Something that takes this much time to reach maturity then takes this much human attention and patience to process is something very special and we wanted to respect that. We wanted to create a beer that was as full an expression of this beautiful agave, the place it came from, and the people who allowed us to use it as possible.
After roasting, the milled agave undergoes spontaneous fermentation prior to distillation. This natural fermentation by the microorganisms native to Michoacan creates much of depth and nuance that ends up in the final distilled product. We wanted to capture some of this magic in this batch of Maestro.
To achieve this we brewed a base wort that was solely hopped with aged whole leaf hops. As hops age their alpha acids degrade. Alpha acids are known as the primarily bittering agent in hops but they also have antimicrobial properties that inhibit acidification from bacteria. As the alpha acids degrade these antimicrobial properties wane but the other preservative effects of the hops stay intact. Using aged hops allows the native microflora from the agave to acidify and ferment the beer while still deterring food spoilage organisms.
After a quick primary fermentation we added the roasted agave hearts directly to the beer. We let it sit for an additional six month and undergo a secondary fermentation on the microorganisms that are native to Michoacan, that hitched a ride on the agave. The process created a beer that is even more uniquely expressive of Michoacan than a beer simply flavored with the roasted agave.
This results in a wonderfully unique beer with notes of sultanas, tanned leather, honeysuckle, bruleed banana, prunes, grilled pineapple, a hint of smoke, and a deft touch of acidity on the finish. It is intentionally carbonated to a very low level to preserve the mouthfeel created by the agave. The combination of the pleasant acidity contributed by the Michoacan microflora and this low level of carbonation creates a drinking experience more akin to that of an orange wine rather than an traditional beer.
A portion of sales will be donated to S.A.C.R.E.D. to replant agave.