Norm & Production process of Tequila

The secret of success of 100% Tequila can only be explained by the unique taste of Tequila thanks to the cooked heart of the Agave Tequilana Weber – la piña.

The cultivation of agave and the production of Tequila are strictly regulated, in order to ensure highest standard of quality. The official Mexican Norm “NOM-006-SCFI-2005”, similar to the German beer purity law, establishes the characteristics and specifications, which the producer must meet to produce and bottle Tequila.

The Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) is an institution that was constituted as a pillar in the consolidation of the prestige achieved by Tequila and its Appellation of Origin.

CRT is in charge of verifying and certifying that all Tequila produced, complies with the above mentioned norm – authorized and ordered by the Federal Government of Mexico.

Each Tequila distillery receives from the CRT after an examination a NOM number. This number is always on the label of each original bottle of Tequila.

Original 100% Agave Tequila always must be bottled in Mexico and only under supervision and control of the CRT. All exports must be registered and authorized by CRT.

Tequila Mixto may also be exported in bulk (loose) and be bottled in the country of import. The label states Tequila only, without the declaration “100% Agave”.
 

Growing area

For the production of Tequila only a very special type of Agave can be used. The "Tequilana Weber Blue Agave". The Agave must also be planted and grown in a specific area of Mexico, were the climatic and soil conditions are especially suitable for the cultivation of Blue Agave plants.

The specific areas are in the State of Jalisco, 6 regions in Guanajuato, 30 regions in the State of Michoacan, 8 regions in Nayarit and 11 regions in Tamaulipas.

The regions are in detail:

All regions in Jalsico and in addition: Abasolo, Manuel Doblado, Cuerámaro, Huanímaro, Pénjamo, Purísima del Rincón, Briseñas de Matamoros, Cabinda, Chilchota, Churintzio, Cotija, Ecuandureo, Jacona, Jiquilpan, Maravatío, Marcos Castellanos, Nvo. Parangaricutiro, Numarán, Pajacuarán, Periban, La Piedad, Régules, Los Reyes, Sahuayo, Táncitaro, Tangamandapio, Tangancicuaro, Tanhuato, Tinguindín, Tocumbo, Venustiano Carranza, Villa Mar, Vista Hermosa, Yurécuaro, Zamora, Zináparo, Ahuacatlán, Amatlán de Cañas , Ixtlan del Río, Jala, Jalisco, San Pedro de Lagunillas, Santa María del Oro, Tepic, Aldana, Altamira, Old Lives them, Gómez Farías, González, Llera, Mante, New Lives them, Ocampo, Rubberized duffel bag, Xicotencatl.

The Blue Agave requires approximately 7 to 12 years for maturity - depending on the sunlight. Today, some of the Agave plants are already harvested after 5 years. The hearts of these plants are small and give little juice. The Agave is harvested by a person called “Jimador”. The harvest itself is called Jima or Jimado. The Jimador frees the heart of the agave from the sharp leaves. The heart is also called Piña and reminds on an enormous pineapple. They weigh can be up to 85 kilograms, depending on the age and maturation. The hearts will be cut into pieces and be cooked in a brick oven or in high-pressure cooker for about 24 - 36 hours between 60 and 95 degrees Celius. When cooking, the heart release the so called “honey water” (aqua Miel). This honey water, depending on the quality, is fermented to distillable alcohol between 36 hours and 10 days of fermentation.

Many manufacturers today use high-pressure cookers (autoclave), to improve efficiency. Here, the Agaves are cooked under pressure and hot steam for 8 to 14 hours. The sugar is converted into simple sugars.
After cooking, the agave hearts are moved to the milling area.
The milling is divided into several stages. The purpose is to extract the sugars that are in the agave's fiber. This is performed in mills, whose structure goes from stone to crushers and stainless steel mills, according to the maker.

The stages of the milling begin with the ripping of the "piñas", which consists of processing the cooked agave by a machine that crumbles it. Later on it's taken to a section where cane-type presses will squeeze the juices.

Once squeezed, this fibrous material goes by a section where water is added for the maximum extraction of sugars. As a result of this process, an agave juice is obtained, and it contains 12% of sugars. With this raw material the must is formulated for the fermentation.

Once the must is prepared for fermentation, it is inoculated with a microbial, which can be a pure yeast wax "saccaromyces cerevisiae" or some other species.

When the must is ready, the fermentation begins. That is one of the most important stages but not too studied because the alcohol is produced as well as other organoleptic components that compose the tequila. This fermentation is carried out in open stainless steel tanks of variable volume. The temperature is always under control and oscillates between 30 and 42 degrees Celsius.

This fermentative process can last between 12 and 72 hours, depending on the desired amount of alcohol which can be 6% for mixed tequila and 4.5% for "Tequila 100%". Once the fermentation is over, the must rests so the important aromatic components can be generated.

The filtered “Mosto” contains beside water also “aldehydes” and “esters”, ethyl alcohol and other alcohols. In order to eliminate unwanted substances, it is now distilled.

There are two different ways to distill Tequila, by using alembics or columns. Using alembics is more common. In case of alembics a tandem of copper alembics is used, which helps to eliminate the unwanted sulfuric elements. In the first alembic, the dead must is heated with steam, and it distills until reaching an ordinary intermediate product, with an alcohol concentration between 25% and 30%; the solid particles, some water, and the heads and tails have been removed from it. The first batch contains the volatile components that distill before ethanol under 80º C, like methanol, isopropanol, and ethyl acetate. The second batch has less volatile alcohols such as amyl and some esters. In the second alembic, the ordinary product is distilled again to enrich its alcoholic content up to 55%, besides refining the product considerably. This 55% alcohol tequila is considered an end product, and that's the one that's sold in bulk. Before being bottled, this distillate is diluted with deionized water, to achieve finished products between 38 to 43%.

Once distilled, the end product is concentrated in tubs where it is diluted to pass it to the "pipones" or casks, where it will be matured depending on the kind of tequila desired. In the maturation process, the last stage is carried out in the white oak or encina casks or "pipones", wood that confers to the end product a very peculiar taste, color, and aroma. Those qualities depend on factors like the age, the thickness of the stave, the alcohol content, and the resting and aging conditions. The humidity and ventilation are important because in the aging process there are oxidative reactions.

At last, before bottling the product, it's necessary to remove some solids which come from the staves through filtration with cellulose or activated charcoal.

Attention: A real 100% Agave Tequila will always expressly indicated it on its label. Any bottle not indicating 100% Agave is for sure a Tequila Mixto.
Tequila exist young bottled (unaged) and is called Tequila Silver (Tequila Blanco), Tequila Aged (Tequila Reosado) or Tequila Extra Aged (Tequila Añejo)

The process of ageing (mature) in oak barrels softens the taste of Tequilas and gives it a special touch by including taste from the substance from the wood barrels.

Note: A Tequila Blanco or a Tequila Reposado is not better or worse than an Tequila Añejo, but different. Tequila Añejo is very mild and contains stronger taste and aromas from the oak barrel storage. A Tequila Blanco still has more flavour of the Agave.

The product is more expensive with increasing storage (ageing), but qualitatively not better, but different, with additional flavour and milder taste.

Unfortunately, often it is claims that the Tequila Añejo would be the best, but this is simply a matter of taste, and we shall try all of them and then decide which Tequila is for us the best.

The raw materials used, the manufacturing process, the different maturity periods, the different barrels and the high art of each distiller also very much determine aroma, taste and quality of Tequila, not just the maturation period in wooden barrels.

The Blanco Tequilas are directly bottled after distillation. They are white, because they have no colouring from the oak barrel storage.
 

The Reposados (aged) mature, depending on the producer, in redwood barrels or even in small oak barrels. The standard prescribes a maturity period of at least two months, but is usually up to 9 month, also up to 11 month. The tequila dyes in the oak barrel and turn brightly yellow. By aging the Tequila gets smoother and becomes more gentle, the colour more intense.

The Añejos (extra aged) ripen usually one to four years in Kentucky bourbon, in French Cognac or Spanish Sherry barrels (Herencia Histroico). By law, the minimum maturity period is of one year. As longer the maturity period is, as darker yellow the Tequila turns, and as softer the taste gets. At the same time the Tequila gets milder, its loosing the fruity Agave taste.

The Tequila Herencia Historico aged extraordinary 5 years in Spanish oak barrels that aged sherry before. One of the most exclusive Tequilas you can get.

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