Tequilla/ Mezcal Flashcards

Question

Mezcal- Label Designations:

Answer 1

Añejo: Mezcal aged in oak barrels of no more than 200-liter capacity for at least one year. Reposado: Mezcal aged in oak barrels for at least 2 months. Joven: Young mezcal. 100% Agave: Mezcal produced only from agave varieties. (Basic mezcal can include up to 20% of other carbohydrate material.)

Answer 2

1994 (last modified in 2015)

Answer 3

􀂃Raw material: cane juice (largest cane producer in the world) & sometimes use of corn starter 􀂃 Distillation: pot still, linked pot stills but usually column still. Ageing w different woods but mostly sweetened (max 6g/l). 􀂃 Traditionally lower abv (for more vegetal notes) vs. modern Cachaca (more like Vodka). In Caipirinha w lime & sugar.

Answer 4

􀂃Nahuatl tribe from pre-Colombian Mexico => Agave = personification of fertility goddess into versatile plant. Tequitl: ‘the working place’. 1608: Mezcal wine mentioned during Spanish occupation. 1636: Mezcal wine legalised. 1795: Modern Tequila industry born with distiller’s license given to José Maria Cuervo. 19th: Boom in Mezcal wine around the town of Tequila 1948: invention of Margarita which helped boost sales in the US 􀂃Now: resurgence of Tequila via premium brands.

Answer 5

``` 􀂃Tequila must be made from min 51% blue agave grown & distilled in Jalisco state, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacan or Tamaulipas (since 77) 􀂃 2 types of Tequila: 1. Puro de Agave (100% Agave) 2. Tequila regular (mixto): up to 49% non agave fermentable sugars allowed during fermentation 􀂃 5 classifications: 1) Plata / Blanco / Silver: white unaged 2) Gold: blanco + caramel tinting 3) Reposado: 2-12mths in 10-30,000l oak VATs (pipones) 4) Anejo: min 12mths in 600l barrels 5) Muy anejo: min 3 years ```

Answer 6

􀂃Agave: succulent related to the amaryllis (≠cactus). Grown throughout Jalisco but those for Tequila around village of Tequila and the highlands. Takes 6 years to mature and most are harvested between 7-10 years. Pina: starchy heart. 􀂃 Quality of plant = key influence on final spirit 􀂃 Terroirs: Highland Tequila -> fruitier aromas w green mango + poire William flavours Lowland Tequila -> earthier & more robust Tamaulipas -> more vegetal w lime zestiness

Answer 7

A. Cooking 􀂃Leaves taken off to leave only pinas (core/heart) which is full of carbs. 􀂃Heating in halves naturally to encourage creation of sugar. 2 methods: 1. Horno: brick oven for 36-48h + caramelised pinas left in oven for 2 days to let distiller collect liquefied sugars (aguamiel) NB: Roasting gives the final Tequila a more smoky flavours 2. Autoclave: pressurised cookers for 6h. Quicker but can be aggressive and lead to excess methanol in final spirit. B.Milling 􀂃Ovens emptied. 􀂃Soggy fibrous matter from cooking crushed into aguamiel juice 􀂃Aguamiel juice + optional other fermentable sugars (usually molasses or corn-based syrup) for mixto

Answer 8

􀂃Commercial yeasts (for mixto) or own yeast strains (for puro) or wild yeasts (Tapatio Tequila maker) – Key for flavours 􀂃 24-72h normally and up to 10 days for wild yeasts ferments. 􀂃 5-7% abv wash

Answer 9

􀂃Mostly stainless steel continuous stills. 􀂃 Otherwise, double distillation: 1. copper/stainless steel pot (20% abv) 2. Pot/continuous still (-> 55% abv) 􀂃 Max 55% abv v pungent distillate. Never highly rectified to retain vegetal, earthy character

Answer 10

􀂃Majority esp. whites/blanco -> reduced & bottled 􀂃Reposados: in pipones for 2-12mths 􀂃Anejos: less than 3 yeards ex Bourbon barrels mostly. NB: wood can easily overtake agave flavours so most anejos are less complex vs. reposado. 􀂃Muy anejo (since 2006): min 3 years in oak barrels max 600l

Answer 11

􀂃#1 Jose Cuervo w 4.4m cs/yr 􀂃#2 Sauza – 3m cs/yr 􀂃#3 Patrón – 2m cs/yr

Answer 12

􀂃Waterwhite colourless to golden 􀂃Vegetal (agave, bell pepper, grass), smoky, peppery, citrus. Some coconut, vanilla if aged. 􀂃Light to medium bodied

Answer 13

􀂃Spirit from any type of agave (wild, Silvestre, tobala, espadin) and from anywhere in Mexico. Most famous: Oaxaca. 􀂃Name means ‘oven-cooked agave'

Answer 14

􀂃Relatively small scale (6m litres produced each year in Mexico). 􀂃 Production: 1. Pinas first roasted in pits or clay ovens, then crushed in a mill and placed in fermenters. 2. Usually wild yeasts so fermentation up to 30 days. 3. 1 distillation for most rustic and 2 for better ones w separation of heads, heart & tails. 􀂃 Mostly unaged and to drink neat. Best quality brand: Del Maguey 􀂃 Oaxaca state tend to have a worm in the bottle. NB: worm not required and has no hallucinatory properties.

Answer 15

Tequila is a product of Mexico, primarily produced in and around the city of the same name in the western state of Jalisco.

Answer 16

Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Michoacán also have limited regions of production

Answer 17

Tequila is produced from the fermented juice of the cooked piña (pineapple), the heart of the blue agave plant. However, only the best Tequila is actually produced with 100% blue agave juice; most Tequila is mixto, with law mandating a minimum 51% blue agave—other sugars make up the remainder of the ferment. Distillation either occurs in a traditional pot still (twice) or by the continuous method. If bottled immediately after distillation, the Tequila is blanco, or silver. Tequila aged 60 days to one year in oak casks will be labeled reposado. Añejo Tequilas are aged even more, to a maximum of three years in cask. Finally, a newer category established in 2006 permits Tequila aged a minimum of three years in cask to be labeled Extra Añejo. Such Tequila may be an exceptional after-dinner drink, similar to Single Malt Scotch or Cognac, yet some purists prefer the younger spirits, where the oak does not mask the intrinsically salty, grassy character of the spirit.

Answer 18

but not all mezcal is Tequila. Like Cognac and brandy, Tequila is a subset of the larger category of mezcal. Mezcal is the distilled liquor produced from fermented agave, principally in the state of Oaxaca. Mezcal distillers typically use maguey (Agave americana) or espadin agave (Agave angustifolia) rather than blue agave (Agave tequiliana). Like Tequila, Mezcal may be labeled as reposado or añejo with proper aging in cask. The infamous worm can be found in some bottles of mezcal (mezcal con gusano), not Tequila—a marketing gimmick dating to the 1940s, and often a sign of a poorer quality spirit.

Answer 19

Tequila is protected as an Appellation of Origin limited to specified areas within Mexico. Over time, this area has been expanded, and today it covers a selection of specific municipalities within the five states of Jalisco (5), Nayarit (11), Guanajuato (29), Michoacan (8) and Tamaulipas (all 43).

Answer 20

Only blue agave (Agave tequillana Weber var. azui), grown and distilled in the delimited area may be used.

Answer 21

This must be between 35 and 55% abv.

Answer 22

Types- there are two types of Tequila - 'Tequila 100% agave': All of the fermentable sugars must be extracted from blue agave are also permitted. - Tequila: 51 per cent of fermentable sugars must be extracted fro Blue Agave. Up to 49 per cent of fermentable sugars may be sourced from other non- agave products. These are sometimes referred to as 'mix' but this is not an authorised labelling term. It can also be bottled under supervision outside the designated area. Classifications- there are five grades of Tequila: - Blanco (Silver): There are no minimum ageing requirements. - Joven or Oro (Gold): A Blanco that has been softened by avocado. A blend of Blanco with Resposado and/or Anejo and/or Muy Anejo Tequila is also considered to be Joven. - Resposado (Aged): A tequila aged for a minimum of two months in oak. It can be softened by abocado. A blend of Resposado and/ or Anejo and/ or Muy Anejo Tequila to be Resposado. - Anejo (Extra Aged): A tequila aged for a minimum of one year in oak barrels with a maximum capacity of 600L. It can be softened by abocado. - Muy Anejo (Ultra Aged): A tequila aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels with a capacity not exceeding 600L. It can be softened by abocado.

Answer 23

A large number of agave varieties are permitted in the production of Mescal Similar to Tequila, there are two types of Mezcal: - Mezcal 100% Agave: This is made from 100 per cent of agave. - Mezcal: This is made using up to 20 per cent of non-agave fermentable sugars. Classifications: There are three grades of Mezcal: - Joven (young): typically unaged - Resposado aged in oak for a minimum of two months. - Anejo or Anejado (aged in oak): aged in oak for a minimum of 12 months in containers with a maximum capacity of 200L Avocado can be used when making Mezcal.