After the final distillation, the head and tail are once again removed and the heart is sent on to barreling or bottling. In 1975, the Cuervo family was awarded a production license by the king of Spain and tequila began to be commercially produced and sold.Where is tequila mainly produced? Harvest the agave. must fermentation and usually rely on spontaneous or pure Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain inoculation. Excelent Article ! Most distillers throw away the heads and tails because these hold the majorityof the impurities. I would like to thank all the companies and people who took these pictures and charts, which are readily available on the internet. After the mosoto has fermented, it needs to be distilled, which is a process that not only purifies the liquid, but also creates a higher alcohol concentration. Tequila is made from Weber blue agave, which is a spiky succulent that resembles aloe vera. Just like every other step in the process, tequila distilleries employ different methods. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. It is distributed in the United States by Diageo, under licensing . This tequila is rare because it must be aged for a minimum of three years. . Give it a try! Great article. Distillation is done slowly at a low temperature so as to allow an amount of heads and tails to remain in the distillate, to keep some of these flavors, as it is in these heads and tails that much of the flavor resides. FERMENTATION. Maturation, if needed, is carried out in white oak barrels to . Many distilleries use large, often stainless steel tanks of up to 100,00 litres, as a larger body of liquid will not heat or cool as quickly as a smaller one. Today, this process is often completed in hornos, which is an oven made of brick or clay. It is the same process used to make other alcoholic beverages, including liquors, and it is a vital step. Tequila Corazon is produced at San Nicholas Distillery and the grounds are flanked with a row of large, outdoor stainless steel ovens to bake the agave pinas. The fermentation process takes 4-6 days, depending on the season. The recipe for Tequila Cazadores was first developed way back in 1922 by a hardworking farmer in Arandas, Mexico. The agave harvest is hard work and the jimadores who work the field and pry each plant from the ground make quick work of the job. Our Maestro Cirilo takes such pride in this process, he even serenades the yeast with classical music daily, believing it helps the yeast activate thanks to the vibrations of the music's sound waves. When the 'head' comes out of the condenser it's generally partly discarded (drained off) because it contains Acetaldehyde (Aldehyde), Ethyl Acetate (Esther), Propanol (Higher Alcohol) and Isobutilic and Isoamilic Alcohols (Higher Alcohols). Copper Pot/Column (81.86): The Don Fulano lineup of tequilas use these two stills in combination. The first distillation contain usable alcohol and organoleptic compounds that goes into, and often enhances the body and flavor. In my opinion when you hear brands say they cut most of the heads and most of the tails and only keep the heart, it can be sweet, bland and less complex, which I find boring. . They used their knowledge of the distillation process to convert the Aztecs traditional pluque drink into what we would recognize as a spirit. There is also a potential but under-utilized market for paper and textiles using these agave fibres. Tequila production can be broken into six stages: harvesting, baking, juicing, fermenting, distilling, and aging. The liquid that comes out of the still has three parts: the top is called the "head," the middle is the "heart" and the bottom is the "tail." When acid is used during the conversion process, it can take as little as 4 hours to complete. Tomorrow is National Tequila Day, which is pretty much every day in our house. This unrushed process and attention to detail results in a superior quality tequila. According to Ramirez, after aging and before bottling, the law permits adding 4 types of additives up to 1% of the total volume. Copper pot stills inside of the El Pandillo tequila distillery, located in Jesus Maria, Jalisco. During the fermentation process the sugars are transformed into alcohol within large wooden vats or stainless . Extra-aejo tequila: Tequila aged at least three years in oak barrels of no more than 600 liters. We use cookies to give you the best experience. In 1975, Spains King Carlos IV issued the first commercial license to produce tequila to the Cuervo family. Step 4 - Fermentation. Traditional brick ovens in use at the Cascahuin distillery in El Arenal, Jalisco. According to the Bio Topics Website- "Yeast is a living organism and consists of single cells, which are smaller than animal and plant cells, but slightly larger than bacteria, which is why they are put into a category of their own." In this case, its just a very efficient extraction tool. The second and usually the last distillation takes 3-4 hours. I do this as my passion, & nothing else. The sugary mosto is added to fermentation tanks with water and yeast. Your email address will not be published. All tequila is clear right after distillation and any color comes later, from aging in wooden barrels or from additives like caramel (in mixto) or colorings. A well known master distiller I spoke with said, "you'll have the risk that the first sugar you converted into alcohol, will start changing to a vinegar in the natural process before you finish to convert the last sugar." Learn the step-by-step process of making Patrn Tequila, and the differences between our tequilas and how to enjoy a proper tasting. This bottle is tall and skinny, giving off a very regal flair that dwarfs every other bottle on the shelf. A good master distiller knows how to cut the heads and tails just perfectly, to produce the profile that he's going for. Very good information on the processes. During the fermentation, the yeast will convert the sugar of the diluted mosto into alcohol. Stainless steel pot stills that have copper coils on the inside, at the Las Americas tequila distillery in Amatitan, Jalisco. As a result of their secrecy, we have very little data to go on. The US requires all Tequila to be imported and sold at 80 proof and the legal maximum limit in order to call it Tequila is 55% abv or 110 proof. For that reason most producers avoid it. Active dry yeast is a type of single-celled organism that is able to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and it is an important part of the fermentation process. 8.6.3. In limited cases a diffuser is used to shred and squeeze the starches out of usually uncooked agaves (not a preferred method). Here's what Tequila drinkers should know about the difference between the Highlands and Lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico. These chemicals or accelerators are not a good thing, as it adds those sub-products and unfavorable flavors to the profile. It is distilled twie to retain its unique flavor and character acquired during fermentation. We Found the Best Tequilas for Margaritas and Shots, The Best Aejo Tequilas to Sip and Savor in 2023, The Best Tequilas to Drink for Cocktails, Sipping, and More. Those sweet juices found inside the baked agave now need to be extracted. The Agave Plant's Importance in Making Tequila. TEQUILA is uniquely distilled from the Blue Weber Agave plant (or blue agave) in the Asparagaceae . Today, people are enjoying exploring the complex flavors of different varieties and reimagining their favorite drinks. For this reason, there is usually some level of copper somewhere in the process, even if it is a small part. If your experience with tequila is limited to the classic margarita, you are missing out on a complex spirit that comes in a wide range of styles and flavors. Column (68.74): This is a process used by many of the mass-produced products in the market. Horno is the traditional, old world 'time tested' cooking method. The idea is to separate and purify the fermented "musts" to eliminate any undesired elements, and doing so is called 'cutting heads and tails'. Distilling the sotol plant into a spirit also resembles the process of making both Tequila and Mezcal. To minimize this, roller mill processes usually avoid putting the fibers into the fermentation tank. Water and yeast are also used during the fermentation process. Tequila is made from ripe blue agave plants which take a minimum of six years to mature but those planted in the highlands frequently take much longer to reach maturity and can be up to 12 years. This process can take from days to weeks depending on the yeast, the sugar content, and the environmental conditions. DeLen Tequila is a high-quality, premium tequila made from 100% Highland Blue Weber agave sourced from the Los Altos region of Jalisco, Mexico. Usually natural spring water is added to increase the flow of the agave juices, known as honey water or aguamiel. Here is more information about each one of these steps: 1. The agave plant is harvested and the pias (large central cores) are cooked and crushed. In 2022, tequila is the second most popular spirit, behind vodka. Here are the basic steps involved in making tequila. Every tequila distillery relies on a specific set of stills. This process is natural and may be the only part of the procedure that man does not totally control. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Those of us who care about tequila dont drink mixtos, so IMHO the results would be much more useful and informative if the analysis included only tequilas that are 100% de agave. one to keep and study again ! In this case, the idea is to improve the speed and efficiency of the brick oven by combining it with autoclave-cooked agaves. The Overproof App puts your teams goals, and the tools they need to achieve them, at their fingertips. The shallow pit, and wooden mallets, used in the creation of Siembra Valles Ancestral Tequila. In the fermentation process of tequila, the type of yeast strain, the temperature (30 or 35C) and the C/N ratio (62 or 188) had a significant influence in the level of higher alcohols produced. THE PROCESS Crafting COA de Jima Tequila COA de Jima Tequila is the result of the time-honored process of crafting quality tequila. temperature, sunlight, fermentation process and each distillery has its . After the agaves are cooked, they are then juiced mechanically. It is a key contributor to Casa Sauza's tequilas. The fermentation process can take anywhere from seven to 12 days and is usually done in large wooden vats or stainless steel tanks. These components are Acetic Acid (Organic Acid), Ethyl Lactate (Esther), Furfural, Benzaldehyde (Aldehyde) and the dangerous and most critical component of Methanol, which can be toxic in extremely high concentrations. I know Camarena does this with his El Tesoro line. Next, the pia needs to be baked so that the sugars can be extracted. Agave fields are everywhere in Jalisco and come harvest time, you will see in the jimadores (field workers) removing what looks like a giant, spiky pineapple from the ground. Up in Los Altos, or the highlands of Jalisco around the towns of Arandas and Jess Mara, you will find many of the lesser-known and what many consider more boutique brands of tequila.

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