Tequilla & Mezcal Flashcards
name of carbohydrate at core of Agave plant?
inulin - consumed by the flower unless harvested (at peak maturity/flavour/level of inulin).
aromas associated with agave?
herbacious bell pepper vegetables pepper earth (common to all agave species)
Duration of maturation of Agave plant?
15-20 yrs to mature
Blue Agave/Agave tequilana Weber 7-10 years
name of core of Agave plant
pina
how convert into sugar
cooking
2 cooking methods?
which for Mezcal?
Tequila: slow steaming in brick ovens traditionally. Sometimes pressurised steam oven (faster)
Mezcal: roasting in stone-lined pits
Once cooked - then crushed to release sweet juices - some using traditional large stone wheel. Crushed agave flushed through water to ensure all sugar extracted.
name given to process of creating sweet liquid for fermentation?
formulation,
addition of non-agave sugars?
Up to 49% for Tequila. - from non-agave sugar.
This dilutes agave character.
Mezcal 100% agave sugars
Distillation equipment
Pot or Column
Best double distilled in pots for max flavour
some collected at below 60% for extra character
maturation?
Steel or oak
Most in steel, or large old oak… to retain primary aromas.
short oak maturation can soften out & develop complexity in a tequila.
A few age long term - but rare as oak easily dominates.
Colour correction method?
caramel colouring.
‘Gold’ all from colouring.
‘Abocado’ = additive used. also creates textural smoothness.
Tequila vs Mezcal?
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)
ingredient for smoothness and mimic effect of maturation?
Using ‘abocado’
Collective name for agave spirits?
Mezcal
also appears as a regional delineated spirit
Most famous Mexican region for Tequila?
Jalisco “ha-LIS-co”