What's all the fuss about Tequila?
In actual fact, all tequilas are mezcal. As a producer of mezcal made only using the blue agave, the town of Tequila had acquired a certain fame by the early nineteenth century. Since 1950, the Mexican government has designated five states as legal production regions of the blue agave and several other states have been allowed to call their mezcal "tequila".
The first mention of tequila as a beverage is in the town's tax record of 1873. There is an entry showing that three barrels of vino de mezcal de la region de tequila "mezcal wine from the region of tequila" were sent to Santa Fe, New Mexico via El Paso, Texas.
The plant that produces the basic liquid, agave tequilana, is known popularly as the maguey azul or blue maguey. This agave tequilana is about one-half the size of the pulque-producing magueys. The blue maguey grows well in two zones near the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, centered around the towns of Tequila and Tepatitlan. The highland region of Los Altos and Arrandas are respected for quality maguey. Tequila is 40 miles west of Guadalajara and Tepatitlan an equal distance east.
Under cultivation, an acre of land will nourish about 1,200 plants. In 1971, there were 62,000 acres under cultivation, planted to some 75 million magueys. The blue maguey matures in six to eight years, somewhat more rapidly than the pulque producing maguey.
To process the tequila maguey, the pulpy spikes are hacked off, leaving the heart, called pina (pineapple) because of its appearance. These hearts weighing from 80 to 175 pounds, are chopped into several pieces and put to roast. Modern distilleries use huge stainless steel steam ovens. The cooked pina is then mechanically shredded and the juice pressed out.
To this juice, corn and cane sugars and chemical yeasts are added. The Mexican Federal Government allows up to 49% other sugars and chemical yeasts to be added to this juice and still be called tequila. After the mixture has been allowed to ferment for a few days in huge stainless steel vats, it is distilled in stainless steel stills using steam or natural gas heat. The first distillation produces an ordinary alcohol of low gradation; the finished product is achieved by a second distillation and the addition of water to bring the proof down to 80 (for the American pallate).
Part of the tequila, colorless at this point, is then aged in wooden casks or tanks for time periods varying from two months to a maximum of seven years. This process turns it a golden color and it is marketed as different grades of tequila reposado or anejo at prices ranging upward according to the months or years of aging.
In 1970, there were 50 tequila factories in the state of Jalisco, many of them minor operations. Presently there are 76 distillerys producing 442 different labels. Three companies account for more than 75 percent of the total production. 17,000 families in the region depended economically on the production of tequila in all its phases from field to bottle. So important and complicated has the industry become, that a degree in tequila engineering is offered at a local university.
SUPER PREMIUM TEQUILAS100% agave tequila is just that; no additional sugars added. Check the label if it says 100% agave - it is a good starting place.
There are still a few producers using hornos (stone or brick ovens) and tahonas (grinding wheels), instead of mechanical crushers. Fermentation is still done in wooden tanks by some distillers.
Aging tequila is broken down as follows:
Blanco (white, silver, etc) can be stored up to two months before bottling.
Gold tequila is white tequila with coloring and /or flavoring.
Reposado (rested) tequila is two months to one year in large vats or oak barrels.
Anejo tequila is aged one year or more in barrels of 350 liters each or smaller.
Anejo tequila does not take long aging real well.
About four or five years is it for tequila.
Del Maguey recommends the following super premiums:
Chinaco
El Tesoro
Herradura
Nacional
Penca Azul
Siete Leguas
Following are the scores in the 2003 San Francisco World Spirits Competition:
Double Gold - BEST TEQUILA "Herradura Reposado Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$40]" "Imported by Sazerac Co. - New Orleans, LA" Silver "El Jimador Añejo Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$100]" "Imported by Sazerac Co. - New Orleans, LA" Silver "Herradura Añejo Tequila Suprema, Jalisco, Mexico [$300]" "Imported by Sazerac Co. - New Orleans, LA" Silver "Herradura Silver Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$36]" "Imported by Sazerac Co. - New Orleans, LA" Double Gold "El Tesoro AñejoTequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$45]" "Imported by Jim Beam Brands - Deerfield, IL" Silver "El Tesoro Silver Tequila Platinum, Jalisco, Mexico [$37]" "Imported by Jim Beam Brands - Deerfield, IL" Double Gold "1800 Añejo Tequila 1800, Mexico [$39]" Imported by Skyy Spirits - NY Gold "Gran Centenario Añejo Tequila, Mexico [$58]" Imported by Skyy Spirits - NY Silver "Gran Centenario Reposado Tequila, Mexico [$53]" Imported by Skyy Spirits - NY Silver "Gran Centenario Silver Tequila Plata, Mexico [$50]" Imported by Skyy Spirits - NY Bronze "1800 Reposado Tequila 1800, Mexico [$24]" Imported by Skyy Spirits - NY Double Gold "Espolon Reposado Tequila, Arandas, Mexico [$40]" "Imported by Shaw Ross - Miami, FL" Silver "Espolon Añejo Tequila, Arandas, Mexico [$43]" "Imported by Shaw Ross - Miami, FL" Silver "Espolon Silver Tequila, Arandas, Mexico [$35]" "Imported by Shaw Ross - Miami, FL" Double Gold Del Señor Reposado Tequila Reserva del Se–or "Jalisco, Mexico" Double Gold "X X X Siglo Treinta Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$20]" "Imported by 123 Spirits, Los Angeles, CA" Double Gold "Jose Cuervo Reposado Tequila Tradicional, Mexico [$22]" "Imported by Diageo - San Francisco, CA" Silver "Don Julio Añejo Tequila, Mexico [$53]" "Imported by Diageo - San Francisco, CA" Silver "Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Mexico [$49]" "Imported by Diageo - San Francisco, CA" Silver "Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Mexico [$49]" "Imported by Diageo - San Francisco, CA" Silver "Jose Cuervo Añejo Tequila Reserva de la Familia, Mexico [$80]" "Imported by Diageo - San Francisco, CA" Gold "Sauza Reposado Tequila Hornitos, Mexico [$24]" "Imported by Allied Domecq Spirits - Westport, CT" Silver "Sauza Silver Tequila Tres Generaciones Plata, Mexico [$33]" "Imported by Allied Domecq Spirits - Westport, CT" Bronze "Sauza Añejo Tequila Tres Generaciones, Mexico [$37]" "Imported by Allied Domecq Spirits - Westport, CT" Silver "Don Eduardo Silver Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$44]" "Imported by Brown-Forman - Louisville, KY" Bronze "Don Eduardo Añejo Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$50]" "Imported by Brown-Forman - Louisville, KY" Silver "Centinela Reposado Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico [$35]" "Imported by Haas Bros. - San Francisco, CA" Bronze "Centinela Añejo Tequila, Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico [$60]" "Imported by Haas Bros. - San Francisco, CA" Silver "Penca Azul Reposado Tequila, Mexico [$90]" "Imported by R & A Imports - Pacific Palisades, CA" Silver "El Conquistador Reposado Tequila, Mexico [$35]" "Imported by Heaven Hill - Bardstown, KY" Silver Cazadores Reposado Tequila [$37] "Imported by Bacardi USA - Miami, FL" Silver Corralejo Reposado Tequila Triple Distilled [$33] "Imported by Wilson Daniels - St. Helena, CA" Silver Amate Reposado Tequila 100% Agave [$45] "Jalisco, Mexico" Silver "Amate Silver Tequila 100% Agave, Jalisco, Mexico [$42]" "Jalisco, Mexico" Silver Centinela Añejo Tequila [$40] "Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico" Silver Del Señor Añejo Tequila Herencia Historico [$250] "Jalisco, Mexico" Silver Del Señor Silver Tequila Herencia de Plata [$39] "Jalisco, Mexico" Silver Los Arango Reposado Tequila [$43] "Guanajuato, Mexico" Silver Sauza Gold Tequila [$16] Mexico Bronze Del Señor Añejo Tequila Herencia de Plata [$45] "Jalisco, Mexico" Bronze La Cava del Villano Mixto Tequila Gold [$13] "Jalisco, Mexico" Bronze "Oro Azul Añejo Tequila, Zapopan, Mexico [$53]" "Imported by Barrel Select Importer - West Bend, WI" Bronze "Oro Azul Silver Tequila Blanco, Zapopan, Mexico [$35]" "Imported by Barrel Select Importer - West Bend, WI"
Enjoy the pureness of Del Maguey mezcals.
Take your time. We have.
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