elcome to the fourth print edition of the Spiritual Guide - a guide for spiritual enlightenment by the pious team at Glengarry. Our team have returned from their pilgrimages with news and knowledge they are bursting to share. Here we have created a snapshot in print of the online digital edition where you can read more and explore everything spirit related - www.glengarrywines.co.nz/spiritualguide. Our congregation meets monthly as we heighten our senses and understanding of the spirits surrounding us. We hope you’ll continue to join.
The search for a distillery to partner with led them to Olmeca, which is situated in Arandas the unofficial capital of Los Altos. The brand was introduced in 1967, so has a long history in the region. They had the right land, and also still used many traditional production methods. Besant and Masso knew they wanted a 100% Agave Tequila (unlike most cheap ‘mixto’ tequilas that are only 51% distilled from the plant), so they collaborated with Olmeca Maestro Tequilero Jesús Hernandez, who manages every part of the production from harvesting to aging.
TEQUILA TIME WITH
OLMECA ALTOS
For Olmeca Altos, the agave piñas are first slow cooked for three days in a traditional Hornos (brick oven). 50% of these are then manually crushed by the 500 year old method of tahona rolling (two tonne volcanic stone wheel). This is very expensive and time consuming thus rarely done nowadays. This method draws out the sweet juice and syrup from the fibres, ensuring a rich plush texture. The other 50% is shredded by the more modern roller mill. This hybrid process is the key to a top shelf tequila that is cheap enough to be used for mixing, but good enough for sipping. Unusually for the industry, the
As a huge tequila fan who has visited the region, I was very excited to see Olmeca Altos finally arrive in New Zealand. We’re a long way from Mexico, and quality tequila is still a little difficult to find, and usually fairly pricey. Olmeca Altos changes that, with two excellent variants that are as good as many significantly more expensive tequilas. Altos came from a collaboration who between two famous English bartenders. The late Henry Besant, is the only person to win back to back UK Bar of the year awards, and Dre Masso, who was UK Bartender of the year three times running. They first partnered together to run ‘Green & Red’ in London, a pub that focused on agave instead of ales. It was so hard at the time to find really quality tequila at the price point they required, so the next step was to look at producing their own. They travelled to Jalisco state on and off over three years to study the terroir of the different sub regions; the soil, climate, water and terrain that produce great agave plants. Unlike a grape or wheat crop, good agave takes 7-8 years to properly mature. That means the soil and growing conditions have more impact on the final product than any other spirit. The highlands area of Los Altos, at over 2100m, was where they settled. The red clay volcanic soil and elevation produces tequila that is more feminine, softer and rounder, with more fruit and citrusy characters than the dark and earthy lowlands styles.
mash is fermented with cultivated yeasts for 36 hours, with all the pulp and fibres from the crushed plants included, resulting in a pure and bright cooked agave flavour that is sought after by connoisseurs. It is then double distilled in small batch 100% copper pot stills. The PLATA is totally unaged, bottled straight after distillation. A blanco tequila is always a true test of a brands quality as nothing can be hidden or added, this is a stunning example for the price. The REPOSADO (Rested) is aged in 200 litre former bourbon barrels for 6-8 months, adding caramel, vanilla and oak characters to the mix. Now I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Añejo…
F O R M O R E G O T O - W W W. G L E N G A R R Y W I N E S . C O . N Z / S P I R I T U A L G U I D E
- R.M