Tequila & Mezcal Flashcards
Where are agave plants native from?
Central America
Where are the carbohydrates stored in the agave plant?
In the central core called PINA (the part holding the leaves)
How long does the agave plant, take to reach maturity?
15-20 years
What happens when the agave plant matures?
It flowers and die (he used all the carbs/fructan)
What aromas does agave give?
Vegetable, bellpepper, pepper
At what time is agave supposed to be harvested?
When they reach maturity but before they flower
How many methods is there to process agave? What are they?
2 methods.
1)Cooking/crushing and 2)using a diffuser
Describe what the cooking part in processing the pina accomplishes?
It transforms the fructan(carbs) into fermentable sugar through heat, also it softens it to make it easier to crush.
What is used to cook the pina?
-Bricks ovens
-Stone pits
-Autoclaves
Brick oven cooks it slowly
Stone Pits give it a smoky aroma(used more for Mezcal)
What are autoclaves?
They are pressurized steam oven to cook the pina in the processing of agave
It’s a more modern technique
What advantages is there in using autoclaves?
The pressure allows a higher heat to be attained therfore a better conversion of fructan into simple carbs
The heat cooks the pina evenly
it allows consistent quality and flavour profile
Describe the steps in processing the Agave.
- -Cooked/steamed
-Crushed (using a tahona, mechanical mill, or by hand)
-Flushed through water(to extract all the sugar, not too much water is used)
2.-Diffused(liquid rich in fructan is released)
-Cooked to transform the fructan into a sugary liquid
What are the advantages & inconvenients of both cooking/crushing method and diffuser method.
Cooking/crushing: a lot of characterful aromas, but is not efficient in extracting the sugar
Diffusing: Efficient in extracting the sugar, less flavours
Producers are allowed to add non-agave sugar to make tequila. Up to what percentage?
49%
Tequila only can add non-agave sugar, Mezcal cannot(it has to be 100% agave sugar)
What are ambient yeast? what do they achieve when used?
Those are wild yeast present in the environment. They can add more complexity to a spirit when used.
They are usually used in mezcal making
What can be done with the pina fiber after being crushed if not discarded?
They can be added to the fermenter to enhance the agave character
True or false?
Agave spirit can be distilled in both pot or column still. Also can be aged both in inert vessel or oak barrel/vessel.
True
some spirit are distilled below 60% abv and have pronouced intensity aroma
Inert vessel aging is more common than oak, but the latter can add more complexity
What is the difference between aging in oak barrel and oak vessels?
Oak barrel are smaller, therefore there’s a better interaction between the spirit and the barrel.
Oak vessels are larger, therefore the interaction is slower
Fill the Gap:
___ is often distilled in large modern stainless steel still wheras ____ are distilled in small simple pot still.
Tequila, Mezcal
Fill the gap:
____ has it’s pina almost always steamed, whereas ____ often has it’s roasted in stone lined pits.
Tequila, Mezcal
What types of still are often used to distill spirits meant to be tequilla? Mezcal?
Tequila: Large modern stainless steel pot still
Mezcal: small copper still or clay still
stainless steel stil are used for tequila because they are more focused on consistency, efficiency and hygiene
For mezcal they are more focused on the flavour profile, the terroir, and the artisanale nature of mezcal
What variation in normal processes can enhance the character of tequila?
Slow cooked, fiber added to the fermenter, double distillation at low abv (below 60%)
There are 5 classes of tequila, what are they, and what are the ageing requirements?
-Blanco/Plata (silver): no minimum ageing
-Joven/oro (gold): no minimum ageing
-Reposado (aged): 2 months in oak (no size specified)
-Anejo (extra aged): 1 year in oak barrel
-Extra anejo (extra aged): 3 years in oak barrel
What is the variety of agave used for tequila making, and which region of Mexico is the most famous for it?
Blue agave. Jalisco.
What variety of agave is mostly used for mezcal making? Where the vast majority of it come from?
Angustifolia (espadin). Oaxaca.
There are 2 categories of Tequila and 3 categories of Mezcal, what are they?
-Tequila and 100%blue agave tequila
-Mezcal, Artesanal Mezcal, Ancestral Mezcal
For mezcal, the higher the categorie, the more restriction are applied
There are 3 classes of Mezcal, what are they and their ageing requirements?
-Blanco/joven (unaged)
-Reposado (2 months in oak)
-Anejo (1 year in oak)
