History of Tequila

Tequila

TEQUILA IS A STALWART ON THE BACK BAR OF ANY GOOD ESTABLISHMENT AROUND THE WORLD, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NOT ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE SPIRITS AVAILABLE.

WORDS PHIL BAYLY

THE PRODUCTS IN OTHER HERO SPIRITS such as whisky, bourbon, rum, vodka, and gin can easily be grown, harvested, fermented and distilled in under a year, but you can’t rush tequila. It can take anything from six to 14 years to simply grow one small plant and begin the process. Of course, it doesn’t stop there. The plant needs to be cut down, and the process begins again. Intrigued? Of course you are. Let’s delve a little deeper.

THE AGAVE

The agave plant, the very soul of the tequila that ends up on your shelf, dates back over 12 million years, and has been harvested by man for 9,000 years. Agave Tequilana Weber Azul (or the Blue Agave) can be used in the production of tequila. It is indigenous to the region predominantly around the Tropic of Cancer; near the west coast of Mexico, in the state of Jalisco, and is a member of the Agavaceae Family.

Generally speaking, the Blue Agave plant has three ways of reproducing. Firstly, it sends out subterranean shoots called a rhizome, which grow from under the mother plant (called Hijuelos) and forms the new plants as they grow. Secondly, in its final year of growing, a ball of starch forms in the plant’s heart (or centre), and grows a stem called a Quiote, which is around three to four metres tall and will grow flowers. Once the flowers have bloomed, seeds fall and germinate into new plants. Thirdly, on the same Quiote, tiny baby agaves grow, and also fall into the ground to become new plants. As is the circle of life, the ‘mother’ plant will shrivel and die during this process. Not to be forgotten, the rhizome is continuously growing an underground horizontal stem, that intermittently produces shoots from its nodes.

Strictly speaking, harvesting can take place all year round, but planting only happens just before the wet season in June.

Tequila is an Appellation of Origin, similar to Cognac and Champagne, so it can only bear the name if it is grown and produced in a specific region. Only Blue Agaves grown within the DOA (denomination of origin) of Tequila maybe used to produce tequila. Makes it all the more special, don’t you think?

There are five states in Mexico that are in the DOA. The first of these is Jalisco, where 97 per cent of tequila is produced and every municipality of the state is included in the DOA. Also included in this DOA are parts of four other states: Nayarit, Michoacán, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas. If it’s not made in one of these areas, it’s simply not tequila, end of story.

Within the state of Jalisco, there are two predominant locations that produce tequila. Firstly, there is the Tequila Valley, or Vallee de Tequila, and the other Highlands, or Los Altos. What’s the difference? Apart from the terroirs they grow in, tequilas from these regions have differing characteristics, which we will learn about below.

TEQUILA VALLEY

The Tequila Valley runs east west, and the town of Tequila sits right smack bang in the middle of it, about 60 km north-west of Guadalajara (Mexico’s second largest city). It is bordered by a volcano to the south, as well as the Rio de Santiago.

Within the valley, there are four main towns; moving east to west from Arenal, Amatitlan, Tequila and Magdelana.

The valley sits between 1200 and 1500 metres above sea level, and is home to a rich, loamy, volcanic soil that is loaded with crucial silica, and has very little water retention. So what is Silica? Technically speaking, it is a hard, colourless compound. In this context, however, it is incredibly beneficial to soil texture, and helpful in disease resistance in plants. Loam, on the other hand, is soil that contains about 40 per cent sand, 40 per cent silt, and about 20 per cent clay; together they form the perfect conditions for growing delicious Blue Agave.

The average annual temperature in Tequila Valley is about 25 degrees Celsius, with balmy days and warm nights. The wet season is from June through to August, and average rainfall is about 940mm, with the majority falling between these drizzly months.

Once agave is fully grown and all of its leaves have been removed, it weighs about 35kg. When you drink tequila that contains agave from Tequila Valley, you’ll observe an earthy, vegetal taste, and dry character. Similar to red wine, the warm temperatures of day and night help create a dry characteristic in the tequila.

Ever seen these letters on your tequila bottle? NOM stands for Norma Official Mexicanom and the number relates to the company producing the Tequila. CRT stands for the Consejo Regulador del Tequila who are an independent body that test and analyse every tequila produced to certify its quality prior to bottling. See,

A Jimador using a coa blade to cut back and expose the agave’s pineapple shape. The blade is about 30cm in diameter on a long wooded handle you learn something new every day.

HIGHLANDS

Arandas is the capital of the highlands that lies on top of a plateau, about 140km northwest of Guadalajara.

There are four main towns in Highlands: Arandas, Jesus Maria, Altoltonilco el Alto, Tototlan, Zapotlanejo and Tepatitlan de Morelos. Try saying that sentence five times fast.

The highland sits up around 1800 to 2000 metres above sea level, and has very high clay content in its soil profile, giving the soil a beautiful bright terracotta colour from the iron oxide. The soil here has a lower pH than the Valley of Tequila, but that doesn’t affect the quality.

The average annual temperature in the highlands is cooler than The Valley, sitting at around 18 degrees Celsius. The region experiences warm days and cool nights, which helps to increase the starch content in the agave, meaning more starch converts to more sugar.

The average annual rainfall in the Highlands is around 970mm. When the clay soil is wet, it seals, reducing the amount of moisture entering the soil, which helps to produce a smaller agave, sitting at around 15kg. But size isn’t everything; these agaves have much higher starch content than its Valley of Tequila counterparts.

Approximately 70 per cent of agaves used in tequila production come from the Highland region, and the area tends to produce a spirit that is sweet, fruity, and floral in character.

The triangular-shaped area between Arandas, Altoltonilco el Alto, and Jesus Maria is affectionately referred to as ‘the golden triangle’. Obviously this can’t be verified unless you drink all of the tequila in the world (personal challenge?), but it has been said that this is the best land for growing agaves in all of tequila. CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

It’s at this point that we introduce you to the Jornalero, the person who has the very important job of growing the agaves.

The agave, as mentioned before, grows out rhizome called Hijuelos, of which the mother plant can produce up to 25 of these during its life. While the plant is growing, the Hujulos are removed to give space and strength to the mother plant. The Hijuelos are removed anywhere between two and five years after they have been planted. In this process, the roots are cut off and the leaves (or pencas) are trimmed. After this, the Hijuelos are placed in the field to stress for a couple of weeks.

When they’re ready and sufficiently stressed, the Hijuelos are dug into the dry earth, where roots begin to grow and burst out to go searching for water. When the wet season arrives, they finally get

CREDIT: T photography / Shutterstock.com

something to drink and are well on their way to becoming the next generation of agaves.

Why is this process so unique? It comes down to the fact that there was no sexual reproduction, so the plant has the same DNA being replanted over and over again.

In the final year of the agave growing, the plant transforms from being simply leaves, to developing a large ball of starch in its centre. This starchy ball will eventually grow to generate the Quiote, the large stem that flowers and seeds.

When the Quiote starts to grow out from the plant, it is cut off to retain the starches and the piña, which will otherwise shrivel and die.

Once the plant reaches maturity, it begins to die. You can see this happening as its leaves begin to shrivel and go brown. At this point, the Jimador (the dude that harvests the agave) steps in and gets his hands dirty. Figuratively and metaphorically, this is a very highly respected job in the industry. Using a Coa, a sharp round blade on a stick, he cuts the leaves back to expose the agave’s pineapple shape. It is the Jimador’s job to sculpt or shape the piña by removing the leaves and roots that contain acids that will impart a bitter flavour in the final product. But don’t worry; this won’t affect the end profile of the product.

The cut piñas are then loaded on trucks and transported to the patio, the place in the distillery where the agaves are deposited ready for cooking. COOKING

When they arrive at the patio to be cooked, the piñas are usually cut into halves or quarters.

Today, there are two ways to convert the starches in the agave to sugars.

The traditional method uses clay brick ovens that are loaded and sealed before being pumped with steam for 24 to 48 hours in ovens as big as 50 tonnes. That’s a whole lot of agave. The ovens have drains at the bottom to collect all of that delicious agave juice and collect it in a

The Jimador carrying the piñas to the truck which will then be transported to the patio

holding tank so none goes to waste.

Another more modern process uses Autoclaves: big, stainless steel pressure cookers. Agaves are loaded inside, the cooker is sealed and they are cooked under intense pressure, although still using steam.

While these two sound relatively similar, the Autoclave method retains the agave juice until the end without draining, while also giving the producer more control over the temperature. It is not necessarily better or worse to do this, it is simply a different way, and the final result rests in the hands of the maker.

To the trained palate, the autoclave method produces tequila with a more raw agave flavour, as opposed to a cooked agave using the clay oven.

The Autoclave process is a little (or a lot) faster than the clay oven, taking anywhere between four and 24 hours, depending on the producer. It’s similar to cooking meat in a pressure cooker in that the longer it takes, the better the final product will be: juicier and more tender.

EXTRACTION

This is the process of removing the sugars from the agave fibres. You’ll see there are many ways to extract the juice.

TAHONA: This is a traditional process that is still used by a few producers. It uses the Tahona, a large stone wheel of around 120mm in diameter, that is pulled around a central pole in a circular pit by a donkey or by mechanics (told you it was old). The cooked agaves are placed in the pit, and the stone crushes the piñas. From here, the juices are drained into a holding tank. While it sounds awesomely rustic and traditional, this is a very inefficient process, and only obtains about 66 per cent of the sugars from the fibre. Because it is so inefficient, producers will often ferment with the fibres as well, and once the spirit is fermented they will then do a first distillation with the fibres, which adds additional flavour profiles that exist in the fibres themselves.

ROLLER MILL: The second and most common process uses the Roller Mill, which originated in the sugar industry. Cooked agaves are shredded and run through a series of five rollers that crush the agave fibres. Water is then washed over the mash during the process, and at the end you have the sugarless fibres, called Bagaso, separated from the extracted sugar juices. This process is about 75 per cent efficient, but no doubt better than the donkey as far as efficiency is concerned.

DIFFUSOR: This is another means of extracting the sugars and can be used after the Roller Mill, or on its own. The Diffusor is a large, box-shaped container in which fibres are run on a conveyor belt at a slight gradient from one end to the other very slowly, and both heat and enzymes or acids are used to wash the sugars off the fibres.

This is about 97 per cent efficient, and as the term suggests, it diffuses the agave flavours as well as extracting juice. There is some controversy about the use of this process, and some companies no longer use it.

FERMENTATION

Fermentation is the blueprint of any spirit. It is a critical part of the process of creating the unique taste profiles within a spirit.

Prior to this process, the sugars need to be cut with water to bring the Brix level to a fermentable level that is called Mosto, or ‘Must’ in English.

The Mosto is placed in stainless steel or wooden vats which can range from 1000 to 20,000 litres, and are sealed or open depending on the producer’s preference.

From here, yeast is added to the sugar and no less than four things happen: firstly, the yeast multiplies as it eats the sugar, which produces heat, carbon dioxide and alcohol. Depending on the time of year and the volume to be fermented, this can take anywhere from a day to a week, and the end result is a fermented product of around four to 6% ABV. That’s obviously not high enough to be bottled, but a good start.

A note on yeast: producers usually cultivate their strains of yeast in laboratories and these are closely monitored and protected. Some producers rely solely on wild airborne yeast that is created within the microclimate of the distillery.

Wild yeast spores are floating in the air

CREDIT: T photography / Shutterstock.com

around us all the time. To cultivate these, all that is needed is something for them to land on that provides them with moisture, sugar and an ambient temperature of approximately 24 to 27 degrees Celsius.

You can collect wild yeast cultures from fruit, plants, and even mouldy hay, bird droppings, feathers, insects and soil.

Slow fermentation will give characteristics such as mellow butter and cooked agave, while fast fermentation imparts characteristics of green, uncooked agave and green pineapple.

Some producers will use accelerators to speed the process for more efficiency, however slow fermentation is thought to be better, and will tend to retain more varietal characteristics and delicate flavours. DISTILLATION

As you read earlier, tequila by the definition of the NOM (Norma Official Mexicano) is distilled at least twice.

There are two ways this can be done: in a column still, or using a pot still called an Alembique.

POT STILL: The Alembique (or pot still) was invented around 790AD, although the design is believed to possibly date back to around 450BC in Pakistan.

The method begins with fermented juices being placed in a container, made from either copper or stainless steel, usually with copper elements and brushes inside. Copper is essential because it will remove sulphides from the final product, while acting as a catalyst for the breakdown of esters and sulphuric compounds in the steam vapours that have been produced during fermentation. Copper also avoids the production of Ethylcarbamide, which is toxic and therefore obviously undesirable. Finally, copper helps improve the spirit’s aromas and the quality of the final product.

As always, however, there’s a downside: Copper naturally wears out, and is a lot more expensive than stainless steel, which will last forever but contributes nothing to the breakdown of esters and sulphuric compounds, which as you know are necessary to making a quality spirit. The more copper used, the more contact with the liquid, and therefore the more likely you’ll produce a more flavoursome, complex final product.

Donkeys can play a pivotal role in the production of tequila, from assisting the Jimadors in the fields to working the Tahona

From here, the liquid is heated at a temperature below the boiling point of water, around 78 degrees Celsius, and the alcohol evaporates. The vapours (or esters) combine with the water rising up through the neck of the still, and down into a condensing coil that is submerged in cold water where the vapour turns back into liquid to produce a product known as Ordinario. These vapours are a mixture of alcohol, congeners (the stuff in alcohol that makes you loopy) and other compounds, which all add flavour and aroma. This product has an alcohol content of about 25% ABV.

Generally speaking, there are three components of the distillation process.

The first part is the heads, which contain highly volatile alcohol vapours. These can often include acetone, methanol and ethanol. Being lighter, the heads come off first (hence the name), are separated and then often re-distilled in the next run.

Then comes the heart; that is, the body of the distillation. This is what the whole process is really all about: the heart is a balance of congeners and alcohol. Congeners give a spirit its flavour, aroma, and character and are produced during the fermentation process.

Lastly come the tails (again, hence the name), which are low in ethanol and high in congeners. This part is high in fusel oils, which impart an unpleasant, unwanted flavour and are usually discarded.

The Ordinario is then distilled again using the same process, and produces a much higher ABV, anything between 40 to 55 per cent. Once the liquid has gone through this process it can finally be called tequila!

Some producers say they take it through a third distillation; however this produces a more neutral tequila, and you definitely want your spirit to be anything but neutral.

To be called tequila it must range from 35 to 55% ABV.

Some producers will distil to a higher level and then water it down with purified water, while others will distil to proof, which is normally 38 to 40% ABV. In principle, the latter approach gives tequila the fullest agave flavours.

COLUMN STILL

A Column still, or a Coffrey still, is a continuous still. If you aren’t familiar with these, it’s basically like placing a number of pot stills on top of each other. Originally invented in the nineteenth Century to gain more efficiency, the Column still can produce a very high proof ABV. They can be made from copper, but are usually made from stainless steel, with copper elements inside.

The still itself is a tall column with a series of perforated plates that make up a series of chambers. When ready, the fermented liquid is pumped in from the top and constant heat is applied from the bottom. As the liquid sinks, the heat vaporises, the alcohol and volatile molecules head back up to the top of the still. As the vapours come in contact with each plate, they condense and the congeners remain, letting more ethanol pass into the top. Here, they are diverted into a condenser where it liquefies again as alcohol.

This may then be re-distilled again, either in another column still, or a pot still, to achieve the second distillation requirement of the NOM.

MATURATION

Once the distillation process is finished, the tequila is usually left to oxidise briefly in vats of plastic, wood or stainless steel.

Analysis of the tequila is performed by the CRT (Consejo Regulador del Tequila), who have the tough job of checking that the spirit meets the requirements of the NOM. From there it may stay in stainless steel a while longer, and is then bottled as Blanco tequila.

The spirit may be rested briefly in sealed wood vats for a week or two to oxidise further and soften, after which it turns the colour of pale straw, and bottled as Blanco.

The spirit may have colours and flavours such as caramel and glycerine, or wood shavings added to impart a gold colour and sweeter flavour. It will then be bottled as Joven or Gold (Oro). The most common type of tequila used for this class is regular tequila, such as Sauza Gold or Cuervo Gold; the majority of gold tequilas are made using this process.

The spirit may also be placed in large wooden sealed vats called Pipons, which draw out some of the colour and flavour of the wood and impart them to the liquid. These can be as big as 15 to 20,000 litres, and the tequila will rest in them from a minimum of two months up to 12 months, and then be named Reposado.

In the case of Añejo, the tequila is placed in oak barrels no larger than 600 litres and sealed, then left to age for a minimum of one year but no more than three. This strict maximum allows the inclusion of Spanish sherry barrels.

American oak barrels are commonly used, in particular ex-bourbon barrels (they can only be used once in ageing bourbon). French oak is also commonly used, especially for aged and extra aged tequilas. It is now becoming common to use wine casks, such as Bordeaux barrels, as well as ex-whisky and Cognac barrels to age tequila.

This same process is repeated for Extra Añejo with the minimum age statement of three years. Like we said, you can’t rush good tequila. ❧

OPPOSITE: Steamed agave

Types of Tequila

REGULAR TEQUILA

Pure and simple, this is the stuff that most people would have grown up knowing to be tequila. Although still the dominating style with regards to sales, ‘regular’ tequilas are today being challenged by 100 per cent agave tequilas, which is where the majority of the growth in the category is coming from. A regular tequila needs to be made from at least 51 per cent blue agave sugars, with the remainder traditionally being made up from non agave sugars (such as corn, cane, or molasses). These sugars are mixed together prior to fermentation. Regular tequila may be shipped in bulk and bottled outside of Mexico. 100 PER CENT AGAVE TEQUILA

Unbeknownst to most, all tequila used to be 100 per cent blue agave tequila. When the official standard was established in 1949 it called for 100 per cent of the alcohol coming from blue agave sugars. Over the next two decades this would change to the current requirement of 51 per cent. For true tequila connoisseurs however, 100 per cent blue agave is where it’s at. If a tequila is labeled 100 per cent agave or 100 per cent agave azul, this serves as a guarantee that the spirit is made entirely from blue agave and that it has been bottled in Mexico. CLASSES OF TEQUILA

BLANCO: Blanco tequila is normally an un-aged white tequila that is more or less straight off the still; although some producers do age their blanco tequila for a few weeks. The maximum age for blanco tequila is 60 days.

JOVEN OR ORO: Often known as Gold tequila (unaged regular tequila), which has been adulterated with colouring and flavours including caramel, glycerine or wood chips to give it colour and flavour.

Blanco may be blended with aged tequila to create 100 per cent agave Joven or Oro tequila. For example, Casa Dragones Joven tequila blends un-aged

OPPOSITE: The Day of the Dead is one of the most popular holidays in Mexico. It’s a day where family and friends pray for and remember their friends and family who have passed away, and to support their spiritual journey

BELOW: Maguey being fermented as part of the mezcal process tequila with a small amount of five year Extra Añejo. If the label reads 100 per cent Agave, the tequila cannot contain any other additives or flavourings.

REPOSADO: Reposado means rested, and refers to tequilas that are aged from two months up to a year in oak casks or barrels with no size limit. Reposado was the first style of aged tequila, and is today the most popular style in Mexico. A Reposado tequila served with sangrita on the side is the authentic way to enjoy quality Reposado tequila. A Reposado tequila is commonly served with a non alcoholic drinks called Sangrita (little blood) that is similar to a Bloody Mary mix.

AÑEJO: While reposado tequila can be stored in casks as large as 20,000 litres, Añejo tequila can be stored in barrels of no more than 600 litres, although the majority would be stored in ex-bourbon barrels of around 200 litres. Añejo tequila must be aged for a minimum of 12 month. Añejo tequila is best enjoyed neat as you would a Cognac, or served over ice.

EXTRA AÑEJO: This is a relatively recent addition to the NORMA and was introduced in 2006. The requirements with regards to barrel size remains as per Añejo, however to earn the Extra Añejo classification the tequila must be aged for at least three years. These are highly expensive tequilas with limited availability and should be savoured as you would other fine and expensive spirits such as Cognac or Armagnac.

MEZCAL

WHAT IS MEZCAL?

Now that you’re well-versed in tequila, it’s time to hear about its cousin mezcal.

The category mezcal has been under review of redefiing its original NOM 070 (Mexican Standard) of 2005 for a number of years. In July 2016, it was finally revised for the benefit of the category.

The reason for this is that mezcal has undergone huge changes and popularity in recent years. What we originally understood mezcal to be - as a cheap fiery, spirit - is in most cases no longer relevant.

Mezcal, or should I say artisanal mezcal could be defined as the single malt of agave spirits; complex, rich and full of flavour.

Tequila is moving in to the future in the sense of how it can be refined and aged, whereas mezcal is moving back to its roots of a traditional artisenal spirit. Produced by the village in tiny copper or even claypot (Filipino style) stills in small batch productions, this tradition has been passed down by generation of Mezcaleros (the name given to the producers).

The definition of mezcal in its simplest form is; the Mexican standard NOM-070SCFI-1994 regulates the production of

mezcal and implies the denomination of origin, which limits the production of agave spirits to be called mezcal to the following Mexican states: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Guanajuato und Tamaulipas.

All certified mezcal has a NOM on each label, similar to tequila and is certified by the CRM (Mezcal Regulator Council).

Mezcal must be bottled at its place of origin and may not be exported in bulk.

THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO TYPES OF MEZCAL:

TYPE 1: 100 per cent agave, normally artisanal and produced in small batches.

TYPE 2: Made from at least 80 per cent agave sugars.

THERE WERE THREE CLASSES OF MEZCAL:

ABACADO OR JOVEN: Bottled immediately after distillation. Earthy and smoky flavour, clear (white) or silver (plata). May legally have the “addition of one or more flavoring or colouring agents, as permitted by the Secretariat of Health and Assistance and Assistance.”

REPOSADO OR MADURADO: Aged between two and 11 months in a wooden barrel or vat.

AÑEJO: Aged in oak barrels for at least 12 months in wooden barrels no larger than 200 litres.

The new changes that have come into effect state that mezcal is defined as “A Mexican alcoholic beverage, 100 per cent maguey, obtained by means of the distillation of juices fermented with Mexican

yeasts, whether spontaneous or cultivated, and juices that have been extracted from the mature cooked heads of magueys, harvested within the territory included in the Denomination of Origin, mezcal”.

Traditionally, all alcoholic beverages made from Agave were called Vino Mezcal, similar to how all Cognac is Brandy but not all Brandy is necessarily Cognac. Tequila was a mezcal but mezcal was not tequila. Confused yet?

In 1994, mezcal achieved its recognition as a Denomination of Origin, it can only be produced in eight states of Mexico. They are Oaxaca, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Michoacan and Zacatecas. You know, in case you want to visit.

SOME FACTS ABOUT MEZCAL

• Mezcal is the largest DOA in the world, and any species of agave can be used as long as it is grown in the Denomination of Origin areas.

• Mezcal must be between 36 to 55% ABV

• Export of mezcal in bulk form is prohibited

• The CRM (Consejo Regulador de Mezcal) regulates the production of Mezcal similar to the CRT (Consejo Regulador del Tequila)

• Mezcal can only be produced with 100 per cent agave

• Mezcal means, “cooked maguey” and thus, according to its origins, traditions and even the meaning of its name, all maguey used to produce mezcal must be cooked prior to beginning the fermentation process. This means that diffusers, while still technically allowed, must be used only after oven or autoclave use. All species of Maguey can be used to produce mezcal

THERE ARE FOUR CLASSES OF MEZCAL

BLANCO: The Young, un-aged, formerly known as “Joven.”

MADURADO (Matured): Aged in glass for a minimum of 12 months. The label can state the amount of time it has been aged.

REPOSADO: Aged in barrels between two and 12 months. The wood does not have to be oak. The label can state the amount of time it has been aged.

AÑEJO: Aged over 12 months, in any size or type of wood vessel. The label can state the amount of time it has been aged.

THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES

OF MEZCAL: Mezcal allows the use of autoclaves (pressure cookers); shredders, stainless steel fermentation, and column still distillation. This allows industrial production to continue. One key point is that a diffuser can be used in this category (or any other) for mezcal production. These mezcals are made in the same manner tequila is made, by steam roasting in ovens as opposed to underground pits, fermented in large tanks, and then distilled in stainless steel stills.

ARTISANAL MEZCAL: No autoclaves, but shredders are still okay. Also no stainless steel fermentation, but single batch distillation only in clay pots or copper stills. These mezcals are made by roasting the agaves, and most use the fibers in fermentation in small wooden containers while distilling them in small copper pot stills, although some may use clay pot stills with copper condensers.

ANCESTRAL MEZCAL: Pit ovens only, no shredders, no stainless steel fermentation, and must use maguey fibers. Additionally, only clay pot distillation is allowed where maguey fibers must be used. These fibers add another layer of taste complexity to the spirit that will not exist when distilled without them.

These changes have now bought the mezcal category in line with the current movement taking place within the industry for the benefit of all involved.

One of the most well known towns for producing mezcal is Santiago de Matatlan in the central Valley of Oaxaca, where some 100-plus brands are produced in small palenques or distilleries.

Other villages and regions also in the central valley of Oaxaca include Teotitlan, San Baltazar Chichicapam, Sola de Vega, San Juan del Rio and San Luis del Rio. Each village has its own unique climate and in some cases style of production. So it would be wise to go and try them all.

TYPES OF AGAVES

One of the factors that make mezcal so interesting is the variety of agaves or magueys that may be used and the different characteristics each one has. Here is a list of the most well known varieties:

AGAVE ANGUSTIFOLIA OR ESPADIN: The Agave Espadin is the most common

variety of agave used in the production of mezcal in the state of Oaxaca.

Espadín is most often farmed rather than wild, and it can take between eight to 10 years to mature. It is the predominant variety of agave used in mezcal production simply because of the time it takes to grow, and the volume of sugars it can produce. It is believed to be the genetic parent of blue agave, which is used for tequila, and makes the most approachable of mezcals. It can vary significantly from one village to another. This is because each village will have its own unique elevation and microclimate or terroir that affects the end result. Some mezcals from higher altitudes may have higher, lighter notes. Lower elevations may have deeper, richer notes. Flavour profiles will depend on the vegetation and surrounds of the Palenque (distillery) where the airborne yeast will inoculate the sugars of the agave in the open fermentation tanks.

TOBAZICHE: It looks like a yucca plant with a thin wooden trunk that can reach two metres high and is a member of the Karwinskii family. It has no piña, as do other varieties of agaves, instead, the trunk is cooked in earth ovens. It produces very little juice but has very intense flavours. An average plants can take anything up to 20 to 25 years to grow.

TEPEXTATE: One of the larger agaves used in mezcal production, this plant can take 35 years to mature. It tends to grow in high altitudes above 2000 metres and has huge, broad and twisted leaves. The mezcal produced from tepextate is intense in flavour and is often heavily perfumed, like the gewürztraminer grape. TOBALÁ: Considered the rarest of the agavaceae family, tobalá is cherished by many mezcaleros. It is very small in comparison to other varieties and yields limited quantities of intensely aromatic mezcal. It tends to choose rocky soils, and grows wild in high altitudes, preferring the shade of trees. Tobalá propagates itself only through pollination, it does not send out rhizomes, unlike other varieties of agaves. It relies on bats and other insects to distribute its seeds and pollinate.

DOBADAÁN: More commonly known by its botanical name, rhodacantha, Dobadaán prefers to grow in pine and oak forests, and can be found from Oaxaca to as far north as Sonora.

MEXICANO: This is a sub-variety of agave rhodacantha that prefers to grow in moist areas and at lower elevations and produces a mezcal that tends to be very complex and both sweet and savoury. The plant can take up to 10 years to mature. It’s worth it.

MADRECUIXE: Another member of the Karwinskii family is fast growing and can mature in less than six years, usually found in the dry southern central valleys of Oaxaca. It grows tall and has a thick trunk, similar to a yucca plant; its piña is similar to a huge baseball bat. Madrecuixe mezcal has a green character, often with herbal and vegetal notes and subtle aromas.

ARROQUEÑO: This very large agave may reach maturity in anywhere up to 20 years. The mezcal produced from this agave often has a candied aroma, can tend to be earthy, and often finishes with a bitter chocolate note. ❧