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Tequila
Connoisseur
What
is Tequila
| Making
Tequila
| Tequila
Glossary
| Tequila
Trivia
Making
Tequila.
Long
before the Spanish arrived with sophisticated methods of distilling,
the Aztecs were using the agave plant to produce a sacred beverage.
By cutting away the spiky leaves to expose the agave's core, they
were able to extract its juice and create a milky, mildly alcoholic
beverage. While production methods have evolved, the basic process
for gathering agave juice and distilling it into tequila has not
changed all that much from colonial times. For example, all agave
must still be harvested by hand, because of the special skills
required.
The
skill of the jimador.
 The
key to quality tequila is to harvest agaves when they are perfectly
ripe, anywhere from 8 to 12 years. Knowing when to harvest the
heart of the Blue Agave is a special skill of the Jimador. Because
plants mature at different rates, two agaves planted the same
day can differ in harvest times by as much as four years. Overly
ripe agaves produce a heavy, too-sweet spirit. Underripe agaves
produce a bitter or flavorless tequila. A few months prior to
harvesting an agave plant, the Jimador will cut its central flower
spike to encourage growth at the center. This results in a great,
swollen piña
- the heart of the plant. When the time is right, the Jimador
uses a sharp, paddle-shaped blade known as a Coa to slash off
the leaves and reveal the piña, which can weight up to
150 pounds. Harvested piñas are brought to the distillery.
At the distillery, the piñas are shredded prior to cooking
to allow for the most consistent cooking possible. The shredded
piña is cooked in an autoclave and roasted to golden, sugar-laden
perfection.
Fermentation.
 The
cooked agave is milled and mixed with water. If it is a Mixto
tequila, other sugars are added. The resulting mixture - aguamiel
- is pumped into open topped tanks made of wood or stainless steel
to begin fermenting. Most modern distilleries separate the pulp
from the aguamiel to produce a fresher tasting tequila. Colder
fermentation will create a fruitier tequila, while warmer fermentation
will create more complexity. Since few distilleries have refrigeration
tanks will make a difference in the character of the finished
tequila.
The
four factors of production Quality.
Tequila quality is impacted by four key factors during the production
process.
- Ripeness:
Underripe piñas that are roasted too fast or too hot
can become bitter. Overripe agaves may add unpleasant aromas.
- Water:
Just as in whiskey distillation, the source of the water can
make a detectable difference in the taste of the final product.
Water can come from wells, springs or water treatment plants.
- Yeast:
Yeast converts the sugars of the aguamiel into alcohol. The
strain of yeast produces subtle variations in aroma, flavor
and amount of alcohol in the finished tequila.
- Hygiene:
Unclean tanks, stills or barrels can encourage growth of bacteria
which adversely affect the flavor and aroma of the finished
product.
Distillation
 The
distillation process involves boiling and then condensing a liquid,
allowing different compounds to be captured at different boiling
points. Controlling the separation and making the proper selection
of compounds is the "art" of distillation. A distillation
run has three stages. Heads: Usually discarded because of high
alcoholic content and many unwanted compounds. Heart: Valued for
the alcohols and fatty acids that give tequila much of its texture
and complexity. Tails: Lowest in alcohol; may be discarded or
added to the next batch of aguamiel for additional distilling.
Tequila from the first distillation is called ordinario, with
25-35% alcohol. When enough ordinario has been collected, it is
distilled for a second time. The finished product is tequila,
with 40% alcohol.
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