TEQUILA

“Tequila is Mexico”, said Carmelita Roman widow of the late tequila producer Jesus Lopez Roman in an interview after her husband’s murder.  “It’s the only product that identifies us as a culture”.
 

Blanco or plata (white or silver) is Tipo (type) 1: the most common type.  It’s considered ‘unaged’ and is under 60 days old, and may be bottled fresh from distillation. Sometimes this is a harsh, young (joven) drink, but it can also be tastier and more robust than highly refined varieties, if it’s marked “100 percent agave”. Some distillers may ‘rest’ blanco tequilas in oak barrels for more smoothness- he maximum allowable period is 30 days.

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. That is the job of mortals, the children of panic and tradition.


Reposado, Tipo 3, means rested. This is aged from two months to up to a year in oak casks or barrels. This is where the better tequilas start and the tastes become richer and more complex. The longer the aging, the darker the colour and the more the wood affects the flavour. Reposado accounts for more than 60% of all tequila sales in Mexico. It was the first type of aged tequila.

“Distilled from melancholy and from lucidity; from an intense love for good; from a need to bite into the earth and hear the poetry of the people’s song”.

Añejo (aged, or vintage) is Tipo 4: aged in government-sealed barrels of no more than 350 liters, for a minimum of a year. They may be aged longer – as eight to ten years, although many authorities say tequila is at its best at four or five years. It is usually removed from the barrels and racked into stainless steel tanks after four years because evaporation in the barrels reaches 50% or more). Many of the añejos become quite dark and the influence of the wood is more pronounced than in the reposado variety. After three or more years, these añejos may be called “my añejo” or “tres añejos” by the manufacturers – a term not recognized officially.
 

Mezcal
Fine mezcal, made naturally from 100% agave, is probably the purest, most traditional spirit available on planet earth. Mezcal smells like history.
It tastes like wonder and superstition. It Finishes with ancestral connections to the past and mystical visions of the future. Love it or hate it, no one remains ambivalent after tasting mezcal”.

Lance Cutler, Tequila Lovers Guide to Mexico (and Mezcal), published 2000.

The differences between tequila and mezcal can be likened to the differences between scotch and rye whiskeys. Or between cognac and brandy. And while mixto tequila may be exported in bulk and bottled outside Mexico, mezcal is always bottled in Mexico. Tequila and mezcal are similar in the amount of alcohol in the bottle: around 38-40% for most tequilas, while the NORMA for mezcal is 36-55%. Mezcal producers are more likely to use traditional methods – artisan style – than tequila manufacturers, and premium mezcals are 100% agave. The ritual toast for mezcal reflects the ancient beliefs that still cling to its use: “ arriba ( above ), abajo (below), al centro (the centre), para adentro (within), “ Mezcal has a distinct, smoky flavour that is quite different from tequila. A good mezcal has a rich, almost sweet body.