Im particularly interested in what types of yeasts are used. Often called. The agave matures for seven Tequila and mezcal are both traditional Mexican liquors that are produced from cooked Agave spp. We use cookies to give you the best experience. The fermentation process follows. The Agave Plant's Importance in Making Tequila. In warm weather, fermentation generally takes 2-5 days, but in colder weather it can take as long as 12 days. Want to know more? Instead, it is the culmination of every step in the tequila-making process, from the agave to the barrel, that will affect the final product's quality. This tequila is rare because it must be aged for a minimum of three years. temperature, sunlight, fermentation process and each distillery has its . In this case, the column still is used in a different way than normal, making use of its continuous process, and not the ability to create high-proof tequila in a single pass. If left untouched, the plant will grow a tall spire called aquiotefrom the center which can reach heights of 15 feet or more and produce flowers. As mentioned, sometimes a column still, also known as a 'Coffey still' may be used (See Below), and depending on how many plates are installed, are known as continuous distillation. Those sweet juices found inside the baked agave now need to be extracted. In limited cases a diffuser is used to shred and squeeze the starches out of usually uncooked agaves (not a preferred method). Autoclave (post diffuser) (70.82): Heres where it gets interesting. Your email address will not be published. Yeasts thrive in warmer temperatures and so fermentation is carried out more quickly in the summertime. They become dark brown and look caramelized, like a sweet and mushy honeycomb. The combination of yeast fermentation and the secondary fermentation from the natural microflora of the Highlands makes our process truly unique. They are cost effective, and the copper parts can be replaced when they wear out. The idea is to separate and purify the fermented "musts" to eliminate any undesired elements, and doing so is called 'cutting heads and tails'. It does not store any personal data. When all the available oxygen is used up, yeast will convert sugar into . First, the agave needs to be harvested. The key factor that separates tequila is the fact that it is only made from the Weber blue agave plant. . Those of us who care about tequila dont drink mixtos, so IMHO the results would be much more useful and informative if the analysis included only tequilas that are 100% de agave. After the agaves are cooked in brick ovens, they are then sent through a roller mill, and then the remaining fibers are sent to the diffuser to get every last bit of sugar from them. Before bottling, most tequila is filtered through activated carbon or cellulose filters. Roller Mill/Tahona (79.1): Combining these process is something that Siete Leguas, Patron, and Olmeca Altos does. Our tequila is 100% blue agave. Keeping the yeast "happy" is key. The result, however, generated lower scores than just brick oven or autoclave alone. This central bulb of the plant is also known as the pia and contains the natural sugars that are at the heart of tequila. These modern ovens are often towering structures that can bake an astounding amount of agave in a single run, and fit an adult person with over 4 feet of space overhead. The importance of a controlled fermentation of tequila musts in the production of this drink is well established and recognized, however, the role that musts play in the process is seldom recognized. Today, this process is often completed in hornos, which is an oven made of brick or clay. . help control blood sugar levels and prevent type 2 diabetes. Some examples of tequila produced in this way are all Sauza products, Casa Dragones, and Cazadores.. Diffuser (59.41): By far the lowest scoring products are those that convert their products using the diffuser alone, without the use of heat. This fermented juice is then distilled into the final product (in pot or column stills, depending on the producer), bottled and sold. The temperature is critical, and if it's too cold fermentation will slow, and if it's too hot it causes the yeast to die off, keeping in mind that the process of fermentation itself, produces it's own heat. The ratings clearly show that the slower the pace of conversion of agave inulin to fermentable sugar, the higher the scores. 2009-2022, S2F Online, Inc. - Taste Tequila and Tequila Matchmaker are property of S2F Online, Inc. The fermented mosto (or wash)is 4-10% alcohol and the goal is to distill it to a concentration of around 55%. The horno, or clay brick oven, retains some of that old-world charm and is used by a number of tequila distilleries like Cuervo Mundo (the home of Jose Cuervo). Hand Crushed (86.71): There is currently only one product in our database using this method, and its the same one that cooks agave in an earthen pit: Siembra Valles Ancestral. The first distillation is called 'Ordinario', and after the second distillation the liquid is called 'Tequila'. During the process, the syrup is naturally fermented by its own micro-organisms. Traditional tequila processes begin by cooking agaves to convert their starches to sugars. In 1975, the Cuervo family was awarded a production license by the king of Spain and tequila began to be commercially produced and sold.Where is tequila mainly produced? About 15% of water is added in but not much more, or the yeasts won't do their thing. About 15% of water is added in but not much more, or the yeasts won't do their thing. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Some fibers are broken in the process, but not as much as the roller. . 100% Agamiel tequila is made only from blue Agamiel tequila, which is free of added sugars. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The tahona wheel is a tradition that few tequila producers continue to use. Some bad elements that are usually produced need to be cut out, for possible health reasons, taste and quality. Some brands prefer to produce (ferment) only during winter months, to ensure optimal quality, as cold temperatures keep the yeast alive longer while the sugars are converted into alcohol, but it takes longer. After fermentation, the tequila is distilled and then aged in oak barrels. Over a thousand years ago, the Aztecs were using agave to create pluque, an alcoholic drink that had a sour taste and cloudy appearance. Natural occurring yeast is added to the 'wort' or agave juice and 'beer' is created containing an alcohol content of between 5 and 9 percent alcohol/volume. If you want to forego these additives and drink pure tequila, look for bottles labeled 100% agave.. Next, the pia needs to be baked so that the sugars can be extracted. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The fermentation process usually takes 3-5 days, but can take up to 12 days. . Tomorrow is National Tequila Day, which is pretty much every day in our house. Your email address will not be published. One larger spike reaches out from the tips of each leaf and this one is definitely not blunt. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The juice seems alive during fermentation. The juice is then transferred to the fermentation tanks. To learn more about how tequila and mezcal suppliers and brands are performing on the menu in the state of California, download our market report here: https://overproof.com/agave/. Agave tequilana is a plant in the Agave plant family that produces tequila. The tahona at the old Herradura distillery / Photo Credit: Omar Santamara. Tequila fermentation. Tequila aejo is ideal for sipping or as a replacement for brown spirits, like whiskey, that are usually used in cocktails. Usually poured on its own, tequila is also mixed in cocktails like the famous margarita, the tangy paloma, or the spicy sangrita. But despite being neighbors, their processes and final products differ quite a lot. Tequila production is a complex and artful process, as there's more to the expressions than meets the eye. Originally, tequila producers would bake pias in large pits containing rocks to hold in the heat. This plant contains a core bulb known as the pia. aid with weight loss. Fermentation tanks. I say we owe the yeast a big 'Thank You'. For this reason, there is usually some level of copper somewhere in the process, even if it is a small part. Smoking underground imparts a smoky aroma and flavor because wood or charcoal is put at the base of a pit, covered by rocks (usually lava stones). Here is more information about each one of these steps: 1. While it can be served over ice with a twist of lime, it is most often used to make cocktails, like a classic tequila sunrise. Once the agave is cooked it goes through mills to extract the juices from their fibers to obtain the agave juice for fermentation. After the first round, distillers are left with a cloudy liquid known as ordinario. The ratings for this method were dramatically higher than any other process. We are Grover and Scarlet, tequila fans who just cant seem to get enough of tequila. Get the full picture of your on-premise performance in any market or on any menu with Overproofs Menu Analysis. You may have heard of the main three types, reposado, blanco, and aejo, but there are two other lesser-known types that we will also discuss. Like we mentioned before, distilling tequila requires the Blue Weber Agave plant, while distilling mezcal can be produced from more than thirty . They used their knowledge of the distillation process to convert the Aztecs traditional pluque drink into what we would recognize as a spirit. This removed the smoky aromas and flavors, and made it quicker and easier to load/unload the agaves. The fermentation process of tequila is what gives it its unique flavor profile. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. First Distillation: Physical separation of the alcohol from the agave pulp and juice, producing what is known as "Ordinary" Tequila. Just like every other step in the process, tequila distilleries employ different methods. That is why blanco tequilas are crystal clear (they do not touch wood), reposado tequilas have a golden color, and aejo tequilas get an amber hue. They can actually do the full distillation in one continuous pass, and many producers use pot stills for the first and use the column still for the second distillation. Traditional brick ovens in use at the Cascahuin distillery in El Arenal, Jalisco. Introduction. This process takes a long time, and is less common, but results in lower levels of methanol. Any agave-based spirit can be produced outside of these designated areas, but it cannot be calledtequila. 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