Tequilla & Mezcal

Question 1

name of carbohydrate at core of Agave plant?

Answer 1

inulin - consumed by the flower unless harvested (at peak maturity/flavour/level of inulin).

Question 2

aromas associated with agave?

Answer 2

herbacious
bell peppar
vegetables 
pepper
earth
(common to all agave species)

Question 3

Duration of maturation of Agave plant?

Answer 3

15-20 yrs to mature

Blue Agave/Agave tequilana Weber 7-10 years

Question 4

name of core of Agave plant

Answer 4

pina

Question 5

how convert for sugar

Answer 5

cooking

Question 6

2 cooking methods?

which for Mezcal?

Answer 6

slow steaming in brick ovens

roasting in stone-lined pits (Mezcal)

then crushed to release sweet juices - some using traditional large stone wheel.

Question 7

name given to process of creating sweet juice?

Answer 7

formulation,

Question 8

addition of non-agave sugars?

Answer 8

Up to 49% for Tequila. - from non-agave sugar.
This dilutes agave character.
Mezcal 100% agave sugars

Question 9

Distillation equipment

Answer 9

Pot or Column
Best double distilled in pots for max flavour
some collected at below 60% for extra character

Question 10

maturation?

Answer 10

Steel or oak
Most in steel, or large old oak… to retain primary aromas.
short oak maturation can soften out a tequila.
A few age long term - but rare as oak easily dominates.

Question 11

Colour correction method?

Answer 11

caramel colouring.

‘Gold’ all from colouring.

Question 12

Tequila vs Mezcal?

Answer 12

Tequila

• Blue Agave ONLY- aka, Agave tequilana Weber / aka azul (Mezcal - various)
• can use up to 49% non agave sugars (mixto)
• more modern methods/pots
• large scale (Mezcal small producers)
• grown in 5 Mexican states
• no smokey character (see Mezcal)

Question 13

ingredient for smoothness and mimic effect of maturation?

Answer 13

Using ‘abicado’

Question 14

Collective name for agave spirits?

Answer 14

Mezcal

also appears as a regional delineated spirit

Question 15

Most famous Mexican region for Tequila?

Answer 15

Jalisco “ha-LIS-co”

Question 16

Diversity from Agave tequilana Weber/Tequila? x4

Answer 16

climate sensitive: at altitude = fuller flavour

cooked more slowly in brick ovens

fermentation with agave fibres

double distillation at low strengths = warming and more pronounced agave character

Question 17

Key Mezcal region?

Answer 17

Oaxaca “wa-HA-ka”

Question 18

Mezcal - most commonly used agave species?

Answer 18

Agave angustifolia Haw/ aka espadin

Question 19

extra aroma associated Mezcal’s stone roasting process/formulation?

Answer 19

smokey - a signatory aroma of Mezcal

Question 20

3 key factors for best Mezcal?

Answer 20

roasting process,
use of agave fibres in fermentation,
distillation in simple pot stills to low strength

-= smokey, earthy, vegetal character

Question 21

2016 legislation on Mezcal?

Answer 21

Mezcal - can inc steam cooking, and can use any crushing method, any still type.

Artisanal Mezcal - only roasting pits and brick ovens allowed, fibres in fermentation, directly heated metal or clay pot still.

Ancestral Mezcal - similar to Artisanal: only roasting pits, no mechanised mills/crushing, use of fibres in fermentation AND distillation. Direct heat source - must be Clay only pots.

Question 22

2016 legilsation: ‘Mezcal’

Answer 22

can inc steam cooking, and can use any crushing method, any still type.

Question 23

2016 legilsation: Artisanal Mezcal -

Answer 23

only roasting pits and brick ovens allowed, fibres in fermentation, directly heated metal or clay pot still.

Question 24

2016 legilsation: Ancestral Mezcal -

Answer 24

similar to Artisanal: only roasting pits, no mechanised mills/crushing, use of fibres in fermentation AND distillation. Direct heat source - must be Clay only pots.

Question 25

Tequila Reposssado ageing requirements?

Answer 25

2 months

normally matured in very large oak casks/ same as Mezcal.

Question 26

Tequila Blanco (silver) ageing requirements?

Answer 26

no ageing requirements

Question 27

Tequila Joven, Oro (Gold) ageing requirements?

Answer 27

no ageing requirements

Question 28

Tequila Anejo (extra aged) ageing requirements?

Answer 28

one year in oak barrel/ same as Mezcal

Question 29

Tequila extra anejo (ultra aged) ageing requirements?

Answer 29

matured in oak barrels 3 years

Question 30

Mezcal Joven/Blanco from 2016 ageing requirements?

Answer 30

unaged

Question 31

Mezcal Reposssado ageing requirements?

Answer 31

2 months

normally matured in very large oak casks/ same as Tequila

Question 32

Mezcal Anejo (extra aged) ageing requirements?

Answer 32

one year in oak barrel/ same as Tequila

Question 33

Notes 1

Answer 33

100% Agave
Tequila that is made exclusively from sugars of the “Agave Tequilana Weber, variedad Azul” (Agave Tequilana Weber, blue variety). Premium tequilas are made with “100% de Agave,” and can only be bottled in Mexico, not bulk-shipped for bottling outside of Mexico. 100% de Agave is one of the two official categories of tequila. The other category is “mixto”. This product must be labeled using one of the following statements: “100% de agave,” “100% puro de agave,” “100% agave,” or “100% puro agave,” to which the word “azul” [“blue”] may be added.

Abocado
Tequila that has not been aged in wood. After the tequila is distilled some producers allow it to settle and finish for a few weeks in the tanks before bottling. These tequilas are often called suave, joven, gold, or abocado, implying youth and smoothness.

This procedure is used to soften the flavor of tequila, generally by the addition of one or more of the following - caramel color, natural extract of oak and encino, glycerin, sugar syrup. The amounts of these ingredients should not exceed 1% of the total weight of tequila before being bottled, and the resulting coloration must be yellowish.

Question 34

Agave notes

Answer 34

Agave
A plant that belongs to the amaryllis family. A distant relative of the lily, but not in the cactus family. Agave plants are succulents with spiny, blue-green green leaves that grow out of a pineapple shaped base that take 8 to 12 years to mature. Agave is poisonous when raw, but has a sweet, mild flavor when baked or made into a syrup. There are over 300 varieties, but only the blue agave (agave tequilana weber azul), cultivated primarily in the state of Jalisco, is used to make tequila. Because of the shape of the agave leaves are similar to the outstretched fingers of a human hand, prehispanic Mexican Indians called the plant “maitl” or “metl” which means “hand.”

Question 35

Jima notes

Answer 35

Jima
Harvesting. The operation of cutting all the leaves from the agave, pulling the piñas out of the ground before shipping the piñas to a fabrica for processing into tequila.

Jimador (heem-a-dor)
The skilled laborer that harvests mature agave plants in the fields. The jimador’s task is a crucial one, since he decides when the plant is ready, usually 8 to 12 years after it is planted. The tool he’s using is called a coa. It has a sharp, round metal tool on the end of it that’s used to pull up the plant and slice off the leaves, leaving a pina, which is Spanish for pineapple or pine cone – which is what the agave looks like after it’s been reduced to just the heart. The jimador is often one of three generations of farmers in the same field. The skills are passed from father to son. Sometimes called a desvirador.

Question 36

Mezcal notes

Answer 36

Mezcal is another name for maguey plant. Additionally, Mezcal is the generic name for all spirits distilled from the agave, as well as the name of a regional beverage, similar to tequila, but made mostly in the state Oaxaca. Note that Mezcal is not the same as Tequila — the two should never be confused. Technically, tequila is a form of Mezcal, more properly known as “Mezcal de Tequila”.

Unlike Tequila, Mezcal can be made from 11 types of agave endemic to Oaxaca, such as quishe, pasmo, tepestate, tobala, espadin, largo, pulque, azul, blanco, ciereago, and mexicano. This diversity produces a range of flavors similar to grape varieties in wine making. Around 90% of mezcal is made from the agave espadin. Mezcal is native to the states of San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Jalisco, Durango, Morelos, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.

The fermentation of agave juice dates to pre-Columbian times, when the alcoholic drink was declared to be “a gift from the gods” by the high priests and was to only be consumed during sacrificial offerings to the gods and for medicinal use.

When the Spanish conquerors arrived 400 years ago they taught distillation techniques to Mexico’s native inhabitants and the first distilled spirit in the Americas was born: Mezcal.

The Mexican state of Oaxaca is the official home of Mezcal and a traditional center for Mezcal making in Mexico, producing 60 percent of the country’s Mezcal. Because Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s poorest states, it has a huge stake in Mezcal’s success abroad.

Mezcal producers in the villages of Oaxaca still use the same traditional method of roasting agave in underground wood-fired pits, and distilling in small-batch, copper pot stills. One of the important drinks of rustic, rural Oaxaca - Mezcal is the traditional toast of choice at ceremonial occasions such as baptisms, weddings and town fiestas. A vital aspect of native Zapotec and Mixtec culture, Mezcal is slowly becoming sought after and highly regarded by fine spirits connoisseurs around the world. Mezcal producers hope the demand for agave will rise as consumers around the world are captivated by the drink they loftily describe as “Oaxaca’s cognac.”

Mezcal, like a whisky or scotch, has many variations and characteristics. The priciest Mezcal, smooth, amber-colored and aged in oak barrels, can sell for more than $60 a bottle. At the lower end of the spectrum is the clear, throat-burning Mezcal that usually has a worm. That product is labeled “joven,” or “young.” Similar to special European products of origin such as wine and cheese, Mezcal is protected as an “Appellation of Origin”. The Official Mexican Standard (Norma Oficial Mexicana) acts as a form of support in the process of certification, verification and monitoring of Mezcal.

Whatever the reason, Mezcal is still notorious for the worm in the bottle.