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Tequila reached high society in the 1980s when Robert Denton launched Chinaco's ultra-premium añejo tequila into the market. In 1983, it was the first ultra premium on the shelves. Denton marketed the tequila like a fine cognac, and demanded the highest prices of any tequila available for purchase. The rich, elegant Chinaco Añejo lived up to the promises, and almost single handedly created the North American market for upscale tequila. It took U.S. drinkers by storm, and in no time, demand outpaced production. This drove two diehard Chinaco drinkers, John Paul De Joria and Sammy Hagar, of Cabo Wabo fame, to produce their own tequilas. De Joria went on to found Patrón, and Hagar, Cabo Wabo Tequila, awarded the prestigious Distintivo T by the Tequila Regulating Council (Consejo Regulador del Tequila) in 2007, both enormously successful. Today, as of May 19, 2008, 819 certified brands, produced by 123 distillers in México’s tequila producing regions, are registered, and carry the official NOM (Distiller Registration Number), some of which are for export only and not sold in Mexico. Although the U.S. has been the largest consumer for many years, Mexican consumption has grown to rival it, and domestic sales almost equal exports.
Technically, all tequilas are mezcals, which were also known as mezcal wines and mezcal brandies. But not all mezcals are tequilas. Not until the name tequila became common and distinguished from mezcal, did tequila’s modern image immerge. They are distinct products, differentiated by production process, place of origin, and taste, much the same way rye whiskey and Scotch whisky differ, and cognacs must come from the Cognac region of France. To be classified as tequila, it must be made with no less than 51% blue agave juices. Better, premium tequilas are made from 100% agave, as indicated on the label. The 100% agave tequila must be bottled in Mexico. Each type of tequila is strictly regulated and verified by the Mexican government.
Tequila is made by distilling the fermented juices of the blue agave plant, a succulent actually related to the lily and amaryllis. Harvested after about a ten-year growing period, the agave plant is mature enough to be used in the production of tequila. The large bulbous plants are halved or quartered, and slowly baked in adobe ovens, or more quickly in autoclaves or steam ovens, until all starches are converted to sugars. This product is crushed in order to extract the plant’s sweet juices, which are then fermented. Production techniques affect the taste. Generally, traditional methods produce much stronger agave flavors than modern, mass production. Aging in barrels also affects the taste. The woody flavor imparted by the oak can sometimes overpower the natural agave flavor if kept in the barrels too long. Like single-malt Scotches, or small-brewery sakes, tequilas vary according to the company making them, the process, the plants and their growing environment. The temperature, soil, types of equipment, age of the plants, how and when they are harvested, the means by which the plants are baked, and the way the tequila is aged, all affect the flavor and body.
There are five Official Designations of Types of Tequila, defined by period of aging. It is the aging process that creates the different types of tequila. Blanco, or Plata (Silver), is the first stage. All tequila types begin as a Blanco. Its distinction is that it is “unaged.” Fresh from distillation, blanco is transferred to stainless steel tanks before bottling. While this is the youngest tequila, some people say it can also be tastier and more robust than longer-aged varieties, especially if it's marked "100% agave." Blanco tequila is primarily used for mixing, especially in fruit-based drinks. The next type of tequila is called “Joven”, also called Gold. While this is basically the same as blanco, joven tequila can be aged in oak for less than two months’ time, and may have added ingredients, including flavorings and colors that make it look aged, and to smooth a joven’s roughness. Most jovens are mixtos, and it is very rare to find 100% agave joven tequila.
Reposado tequila is aged from two months to a year in large oak casks, or smaller barrels. The flavor of the tequila will vary according to the size of the cask or barrel, and capacities can range up to 20,000 litres. The more contact the tequila has with the wood, the richer and more complex the taste becomes. After these barrels have been used for aging reposado a few times, the “seasoned” casks may also be used for aging añejo tequila. Reposado aged tequila accounts for more than 60% of all tequila sales in México, and can be created as 100% agave or mixto tequila.
An añejo type of tequila is aged in sealed barrels with a maximum capacity of 600 liters, but more commonly with a capacity of about 200 liters. Añejo tequila is aged for a minimum of one year, producing a dark, very robust spirit. It may be aged longer, perhaps for several years, but some tequiliers believe that aging longer than four years ruins the earthy flavor tones. Tequila may be removed from the wooden barrels and stored in stainless steel tanks, which will halt the aging process, while awaiting bottling. The barrels most commonly used for añejos are previously used bourbon or whisky barrels from the USA and Canada. For añejo tequila, new barrels are rarely used because they make the tequila too woody, too quickly. An añejo Tequila is best enjoyed in a snifter, as is a brandy, to appreciate its aroma. As an after dinner “digestivo” to aid digestion and cleanse the palate, fine añejo is recommended.
The latest type designation for tequila is called the extra añejo. This tequila designation by the 2006 NORMA, is also referred to as “vintage” tequila. It is to mature for at least three years in oak containers having a maximum capacity of 600 liters. Because this type was only introduced in 2006, it is still a rare product, but many producers are storing añejos for later release in this category. Some of these extra añejo tequilas, aged five, seven, and possibly even ten years, appeared on the market in 2007. Initial tastings of these extra-aged tequilas suggest they will be rich, complex, and delicious, with highlights of chocolate, caramel, leather, and wood.
Tequila is indeed a complex liquor. To savor its splendor and harmony of flavors, it must be sipped slowly. It is usually served at room temperature, although some prefer it ice-cold. (Alcohol does not freeze, so keeping a bottle in the freezer is okay.) Regardless, serving the tequila neat is the best way to sip it. Traditionally, tequila is served in a "caballito," which is a 2-ounce glass, made exclusively for this purpose. Austria’s Riedel Glass Company recognized that the shape of a glass affects the appreciation of wines and alcoholic beverages, so it created a 6 3/4 oz. tequila glass, resembling a Champagne flute. Reidel maintains “This elegant slender glass has a tall stem, meant to lift fine tequila to the level it deserves, to accord it the appreciation and respect of which it is worthy.” However, the traditional “caballito” remains the favorite glass in which to enjoy Blanco and Reposado.
Blanco and Reposado may be accompanied by "sangrita", perhaps made of tomato and orange juice with salt and chile. However, myriad recipes for sangrita exist. The tequila shot with salt on one hand and a bite of lime is Hollywood stuff. However, some people do put some lime juice in the tequila or bite the lime before sipping it. In many restaurants throughout Mexico, they bring you a small tray with your favorite brand of tequila, a caballito, and a sangrita, salt, and half a lime. As with wine being corked at your table, having your fine sipping tequila brought to your table and poured in front of you is de rigueur.
There is a surprisingly wide variation in tequila flavors, especially within each type, making it difficult for many neophytes to recognize each distinction, especially when the subtler añejo tequilas are involved. Several restaurants and hotels in Los Cabos are now offering tequila tastings, or flights, following the tradition of wine tastings. Schooled and certified tequiliers are the equivalent of wine sommeliers. The tequiliers will help you recognize and appreciate each tequila you taste. In Cabo San Lucas, Pancho’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar boasts a collection of tequilas, with over 500 bottles on its shelves ready to be enjoyed. Pancho’s is a prominent place to partake in a tequila tasting. Forty-five minutes spent with a certified tequila expert and teacher, will enlighten you to the personality, romance, legends, and facts of this celebrated drink. Your flight includes four tequilas and one mezcal. Pancho’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar (624) 143-0973. Esperanza Resort, along the corridor, offers tequila tastings on Tuesday and Saturday, from 5 pm to 6 pm. Reservations required; 10 person maximum; $55.00 US per person. (624) 145-6400. The swanky Las Ventanas al Paraiso is perhaps the most in-depth tequila tasting available in Los Cabos. With its certified tequiliers at the helm, guests at the resort can participate in a class explaining the history, production, and metamorphous of tequila. The class is for guests only, but the bar is open to the public and the bartenders, who are well versed on premium tequila, will guide you through a self-styled review. Ask your hotel concierge for more information and details about tequila tastings in the Los Cabos area.
If you are more interested in creating your own tequila comparisons, there are several things you need to know in order to explain what you are serving. Learn to read the label so you at least know what you are buying. There are many legal requirements for information to be displayed on a tequila label, but none of them necessarily means the contents live up to anything more than minimum standards. But once you learn to decipher the label, a lot of the mysteries become revealed. What you won't see on a tequila label is a vintage, such as a season or a year. Tequila does not depend on a seasonal harvest, since the agave is harvested year round. A distinction can be found on tequila-maker 4 Copas' bottles (La Quemada distillery): “Certified Organic.” As of spring 2007, it was the only tequila company certified as organic to meet U.S. and European standards. Premium tequila producers create intriguing and beautiful bottles and labels. Artisans’ designs yield unique hand-blown glass, crystal, ceramic, and Talavera pottery bottles. Savvy connoisseurs are snapping these up to create beautiful and rich collections of tequila that rival any vault of fine vintage wines.
Tequilas can bewilder you, dare you, and challenge you - or they can woo and seduce you with soft, subtle fragrances and hazy aromas. The Mexican poet Alvaro Mutis wrote: Tequila has no history; there are no anecdotes confirming its birth. This is how it’s been since the beginning of time, for tequila is a gift from the gods, and they don’t tend to offer fables when bestowing favors. [Translated by Mark Schafer, from issue 27, Artes de México magazine.]
By Patricia Krajeski
Learn more about Tequila at TequilaSource.com
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico - Last Revision - July 3, 2008 - FAP
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