Agave Spirits Flashcards
The complex nuances of agave-based spirits is the focus of this deck, which covers the history and production styles of Tequila and Mezcal, as well as lesser-known agave spirits from Mexico.
A small amount of sweet liquid released by the agave during cooking in an autoclave?
Aguamiel
What is Abocado?
- Tequila - any combination of caramel color, oak extract, glycerol, and sugar syrup - which can be used to affect the color, flavor, sweetness, and texture of a spirit.
- Mezcal - abocado is not described in Mezcal law and should not be confused with “abocado con”, which is a type of flavored Mezcal.
Additives in tequila are used to change…
- Flavor
- Color
- Sweetness
Agave harvester?
Jimador
What is Agave Silvestres?
Wild Agave, sometimes used for Mezcal production.
Agrarian practices or small-scale production have persisted in Mexico for the production of agave spirits - why?
They are complex and important parts for the culture and heritage of many people.
Culture rather than economics tends to be the focus of many smaller produces.
What is Aguamiel?
- A small amount of sweet liquid released by the agave during cooking
- Not possible to collect when using a fire pit
What is an Autoclave?
- A pressurized steam oven used to cook piñas
- Commonly used for tequila production (no smoke)
Describe Bacanora:
Agave spirit made from espadín in the state of Sonora.
- Must be 100% agave
- Often cooked in fire pits
- Same labeling terms as Mezcal
- Similar flavor to Mezcal.
Besides flowering, how else can an Agave plant reproduce?
Vegetatively
Growing side shoots.
Blue agave and espadin are two species that developed a number of side shoots making them more commercially viable plants.
Translate brick or masonry steam oven:
Horno de mamposteria
What is a Cuchara?
- A device used to capture condensate in an Asian-style clay pot still in Mezcal production.
- Flows to the Culebra (pipe)
What is a Cogollo?
A part of the agave pina, that in some cases is removed, but not by all distillers.
Some argue it gives a waxy flavor, while others like the complexity it brings.
What is a Culebra?
A pipe that carries condensate from the Cuchara to a collection vessel in an Asian-style clay pot still used in mezcal production.
Do agave flavors get more or less pronounced with age, especially age in oak?
Less pronounced with age.
Firepit used for cooking piñas in a traditional manner?
Hornos de pozo
For a distiller aspiring to make high-quality agave spirit, where should they aim for a distillation proof on their product?
Relatively low alcohol strength.
For Mezcal production, what are the four major areas that can impact syle:
- Controlling heat
- Agave fibers - how much will impact the addition of flavor
- Collecting Spirit - and making the cuts - distiller’s choice
- Blending - blending the cuts, and which % of the fractions are used
What is Formulation?
- The process of bringing together the various elements of the materials needed for fermentation.
- These include: agaumiel, water, and where allowed non-agave sugar sources.
What is a Horno de Mamposteria?
- Brick/masonry steam ovens used to roast agave piña.
- First used in tequila production over 100 years ago.
What is/are a Hornos de pozo?
Fire pits traditionally used to cook the piña, still widely used for Mezcal and some other types of agave spirits.
How do diffusers differ from a traditional fructan extraction process?
They crush the piñas first and then cook them.
How efficient are milling systems for extracting sugar from agave?
They can extract up to 85% of the sugars.
How long are piña cooked in fire pits?
3 days to a month, depending on the species of agave.
How long do traditional agave fermentations take to complete?
Upwards of four days.
How long does a Weber blue agave take to reach maturity?
7 to 10 years
How many distillations are used in Mezcal?
Two:
- Is used to separate the water and non-volatile fractions
- Is used to divide the distillate into cuts
How many times do Agave plants flower?
Once, and then they die.
How much blue agave sugars must make up the total to be called tequila?
51% for Tequila.
How much sugar are diffusers able to extract from piñas?
Nearly all of the sugar.
Sometimes this is done with cooked piñas, and sometimes it is done with uncooked piñas.
How much sugar is typically extracted using the tahona method?
About 70%.
In the case of tequila, what kind of sugars can be added to form the sugary liquid?
Non-agave based sugars, usually from corn or sugar cane.
What is a Jimador?
Agave harvester
Kind of flavors found among agave grown in the Jalisco highland regions?
Fruitier
As opposed to agave grown in the lower altitude Tequila Valley, which tend to be more earthy in nature.
Mezcal term used for Mezcal aged in glass vessels of 5L or more for 12 months or more.
Madurado en Vidrio
These are rare.
Maguey means what?
Is another name for the Agave plant.
Mezcal Classes: Madurado en vidrio
A spirit that has been aged in glass vessels larger than 5 L, for more than 12 months.
Mezcal Classes: Abocado con
- Mezcal flavored by maceration
- IE: Agave worm, damiana, lemon, honey, orange, and mango, but anything really can be used that is safe for human consumption.
Mezcal Classes: Añejo
Mezcal aged in wooden containers that are less than 1000L in capacity, for more than 12 months.
Mezcal Classes: Blanco or Joven
Mezcal that has not been altered in any way post-distillation.
Mezcal Classes: Destilado con
- A mezcal that has been re-distilled with a flavoring ingredient
- IE: Turkey or chicken breast, rabbit, mole, plums, but anything fit for human consumption can be used
Mezcal Classes: Reposado
Mezcal aged in wooden containers of any size or shape between 2 and 12 months.
Mezcal: Categories
- Mezcal
- Artisanal Mezcal
- Ancestral Mezcal
Mezcal: Geographical Area
- Most Mezcal comes from Oaxaca
- But, Mezcal can be made in areas over 9 Mexican states
- Puebla, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Durango, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Michoacan
Mezcal: Labeling requirements
- State of production
- Category and class of the Mezcal
- For madurado and añejo, must state the length of maturation
- Must clearly state 100% maguey or 100% agave, and list the agave(s) used
- If more than one agave is used, then must list all in descending order of percentages
Mezcal: Regulated Processes
The regulations are dependant on the category being produced, but there are 3 points common to all categories:
- Any variety of cultivated or wild agave can be used
- No non-agave sugars can be used to make Mezcal
- Government-approved sweeteners, colorings, and flavorings can be added to Mezcal
Modern steam oven used for cooking piñas?
Autoclave
Name for the heart of the agave after it is harvested?
Piña - as it looks like a pineapple.
Name three spirits other than Tequila and Mezcal that are made from or are similar to agave spirits, in Mexico:
- Bacanora (agave-based)
- Raicilla (agave-based)
- Sotol (not agave)
What is Oro Joven Tequila?
Typically a blend of an unaged spirit with abocado, which provides the color and oak flavor.
Possible to produce by blending an aged Tequila with a Blanco.
What is Pechuga?
A Mezcal distilled with a chicken or turkey breast, or possibly other meats, in the still.
This is not a legally defined labeling term.
What is/are Pipones?
Traditional, large, older wooden vessels used for maturing agave distillate; often used for Reposado.
What is Racilla?
Agave spirit made in Jalisco.
- Can be made from a number of agaves
- Not in the Mezcal DO, as such cannot be called Mezcal
- No real regulations
Regarding additives, what is the difference between Mezcal and Tequila?
No additives are allowed in Mezcal, while additives and color are allowed in Tequila.
What types of agave are self-seeding?
Wild agave that grow to maturity in place.
What are Semi-wild agave?
Plants that self-seed, but then are moved to a farm when young.
What is Sotol?
Not an agave spirit, but made from a species of Dasylirion (and often Dasylirion wheeleri), which is similar.
- Made and categorized similar to Agave spirits
- Must be grown in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, or Durango
- Similar regulation for labeling as Tequila
- Sotol - can have up to 49% non-Dasylirion sugars
- Sotol Puro - 100% Dasylirion sugars
Spanish for pineapples:
Piñas
What is a Tahona?
Large stone wheel used to crush the cooked piñas and extract the sugary liquid.
Tequila label translations:
- Blanco, Plata
- Joven, Oro
- Reposado
- Añejo
- Extra Añejo
- Blanco, Plata - Silver
- Joven, Oro - Gold
- Reposado - Aged
- Añejo - Extra aged
- Extra Añejo - Ultra Aged
Tequila minimum age: Añejo
Tequila aged for a minimum of one year in oak vessels with a capacity of 600L or less.
Abocado is permitted.
Tequila minimum age: Joven or Oro
Blanco Tequila that has been softened by abocado.
A blend of Blanco Tequila with Reposado and/or Anejo, Extra Anejo, is also considered to be Joven or Oro.
Tequila minimum age: Plato or Blanco
Period of storage in an oak vessel of less than 2 months.
Abocado is not permitted.
Tequila minimum age: Reposado
Aged for a minimum of 2 months in oak vessels.
A blend of Reposado with Anejo and/or Extra Anejo is considered Reposado.
Tequila: 100%
- 100% -agave, -puro de agave, -puro agave
- This will appear on a label if the producer has made their tequila from 100% blue agave fermentable sugars
Tequila: Conversion and extraction
- Conversion of fructans into sugars can be achieved using a number of options, such as heat and acids
- Extraction can be achieved with either physical, chemical, or enzymatic methods
Tequila: explain Formulation
49% or less of the fermentable sugars for Tequila can come from non-blue agave sources.
Tequila: Limits on the stills types for distillation?
There are no limits or requirements placed on still types.
Tequila: Permitted agave?
- Tequila must be made from Agave tequilana Weber (var. azul)
- Grown in the state of Jalisco, or selected areas of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas
Tequila: How many possible label term combinations?
Because the labeling terms can be used for either ‘Tequila’ or ‘Tequila 100% de agave’, there are 10 possible combinations available.
Tequila: Tequila (label term)
- On the label, ‘tequila’ means that at least 51% of the fermentable sugars came from agave and that 49% or less came from other sources
- These are sometimes referred to as ‘mixto’, but this is not an authorized label term
Tequila: Post Distillation
- Options determined by the class of tequila being made
- Can include the use of inert vessels, wood vessels, and additives, such as abocado (the process of adding) versus abocante (what is added)
The commercial forces that drive Tequila production?
- Scale
- Efficiency
- Innovation
These are not necessarily detrimental to quality but can change the style
The scientific name for the agave used to make most Mezcal?
Agave angustifolia Haw (var. espadin)
Commonly referred to as agave espadin.
The scientific name for the Tequila agave?
Agave tequiliana Weber (var. azul)
The traditional method used by distillers to extract fructans from the piña?
Cook and then crush the piña.
Three tiers of the Tequila industry:
- Farmers
- Distillers
- Brand Owners
What is the time agave plants need to come to maturity?
5 to 30 years, depending on the variety.
To what level do cultural forces play on the production of Tequila and Mezcal?
Powerful and deeply routed cultural forces based on historical practices have a great deal of value and are the driving force behind many production styles.
True / False:
There is only one agave species that is used for making tequila and mezcal?
False
There are many different species.
True / False:
Fructans are complex carbohydrates that can be fermented by yeast.
False
They need to be converted into fermentable sugars and then extracted from the piña before yeast can convert them to alcohol.
True / False:
The majority of agave used by the spirit industry are grown wild.
False
The majority are cultivated
Two factors impacting the size and weight of the piña?
Species and the location the plant is grown.
What are crushed piñas mixed with to release the sugars from the plant material?
Water, which then creates a sugary liquid that yeast can act upon.
What are most Tequila aged in these days?
ASBs from the American Whiskey industry.
American Standard Barrels
What are now the most commonly used maturation vessels for tequila?
American Standard Barrels (ASB), formerly used in the production of whiskey, and often reused multiple times.
What are the legal maximum and minimum distillation strengths for Tequila and Mezcal?
There are none.
What can happen to piñas cooked in a traditional fire pit?
Can acquire a smoky aroma.
What can sometimes play a role in traditional agave fermentations?
Bacteria
What happens when an agave plant finishes flowering?
It dies, as all of the energy stores are used up.
What happens when an agave reaches maturity?
A single flowering occurs.
What happens with the main central part of the agave as the plant matures?
It grows large with complex carbohydrates called fructans.
What has modern technology helped to improve with the process of extracting sugars from agave fibers?
It has helped to maximize the conversion of fructans as well as the amount of sugars extracted from the piñas.
What is a fundamental difference between Mezcal and ‘Tequila’?
- All Mezcal must be made from 100% agave sugars,
- Tequila can be a combination of agave-derived sugars and other non-agave-derived sugars
What is left after the harvest of an agave?
Only the body of the plant - the leaves are discarded.
What is the heart of the piña made of?
Hard fibrous plant material.
What is the potential disadvantage to using a diffuser and only cooking the extracted sugars rather than the agave fibers and/or piñas?
Less complexity and a lack of expressiveness in the taste of the spirit.
What production drive can have a negative impact on the quality?
The relentless pursuit of efficiency.
What type of ovens can be used in Ancestral Mezcal production?
No ovens may be used, only fire pits are allowed.
What type of ovens can be used in Artisanal Mezcal production?
Brick ovens may be used, but Autoclaves may not.
What types of stills are legally required for tequila and mezcal production?
There are no requirements for the type of still that can be used for either, except for Artisanal and Ancestral Mezcal, which must be made in directly heated pot stills.
What types of stills do agave spirit distillers have available?
A variety
- small clay pot stills (only for mezcal)
- larger simple pot stills (only for mezcal)
- more conventional pot stills
- column stills
Where are fructans located in the piña?
In the structure of the plant, which is made from hard fibrous material.
What is the non-agave sugar source used to augment the agave sugar for Tequila production?
Refined pure sugar is used and is typically sourced from sugar cane or corn.
Which Mexican spirit has a labeling system that is based on heritage practices?
Mezcal
Why are some innovations in production not used or frowned upon, even in Tequila production?
They are either too radical or because they do not preserve the basic identity of Tequila.
Why do some producers continue to use mallets and axes to process the piña?
Family tradition, more than anything, really.
