What makes a ‘good’ tequila is a hotly held debate. Millie Milliken delves into the processes of making tequila, and asks if one way really is better than the other?
In the world of tequila I have learned many (and am yet to learn more) things. But there is one fact that I grasped very quickly on my foray into the category: people – bartenders – have very specific views on what makes a ‘good’ tequila and a ‘bad’ tequila. Tradition over efficiency, 100% over all else, purity over additives – the list goes on.
This might sound an obvious statement that can be applied to any spirit (or indeed any thing). But unlike, say, whisky, which is often delineated by age; gin which is defined by its botanicals; or rum by where it is made; tequila, which is made from the one species of agave, in one country and without the necessity of ageing, operates by different rules entirely.
Instead, when it comes to Mexico’s national spirit, passions run particularly high when talk turns to autoclaves, additives and anything other than 100% agave. The minutiae in how tequila is made is where we find our clues as to what to expect from the liquid in the bottle. And with an ever-growing sea of brands to navigate as the star of this particular agave spirit continues to rise, these details are becoming ever-more important when it comes to understanding flavour and building out a back bar.
Where you find these details can vary. The bottle will tell you some of the story: a quick Google of the four-digit NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) will give you at the very least which distillery made that particular bottle of tequila. Other hints, such as the name of the master tequilero or tequilera, how old the agave was when harvested, where it was grown, how it was milled, or what stills were used, are also Easter eggs. What does any of this information actually mean, though? And is tradition always better than efficiency when it comes to flavour?
It all starts with the blue weber agave. While it is widely accepted that anything between five and seven years is when this succulent reaches maturity for making tequila, more mature is usually considered better.
But it is more of a sliding scale: A tequila made with a slightly younger agave will be more vegetal in flavour, while older and overripe (sobre maduro) agaves develop more sweetness and are rounder in flavour. In fact, too mature and you run the risk of a tequila with a vinegar note.
Where that agave grows can impact flavour too – the word ‘terroir’ is often sniffed at when referring to spirits, but it goes hand-in-hand with tequila. Highland agave will produce more floral and fruity tequilas, while lowland agave will present as more vegetal, so this is definitely a detail to pay attention to.
Serious research
The 100% agave debate is also something to consider. Adam Fodor, author of The Tequila Connoisseur and founder of The International Tequila Academy, has done some serious research into whether 100% agave tequila is actually what it says it is.
You can also make a poor-quality 100% agave tequila if you’re cutting corners, while a mixto (minimum 51% agave) made well – such as that from El Tequileño – can seriously sing. Moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to veer away from 100%.
How the agave piña is cooked is one of tequila’s biggest causes of contention. Traditionally, piñas are stacked in brick or clay ovens (hornos) where steam is injected and they are cooked for around three whole days to release the sugar needed for fermentation. When it comes to efficiency, though, autoclaves – basically pressure cookers – are able to do the job in as little as eight hours. While ovens might produce richer or more complex tequilas, autoclaves can give a greener character, and some are adapted to cook more slowly to impart more of those traditional flavours. Diffusers are a different story and remove the pre-milling cooking process – this is definitely something to consider when thinking about flavour.
Perhaps the biggest difference I’ve found, not only in terms of flavour but texture, is between using tahonas or roller mills for crushing the cooked agaves. Some brands use one method, such as Cascahuin Tahona, while others blend tequilas that combine the two, like Patrón, and trying two tequilas that showcase the same production method from the same distillery but with different milling processes is a great exercise to do if you get the chance. Tahonas – those large volcanic stone wheels – tend to produce something more earthy and creamy as the liquid from the cooked agave (mosto) interacts with the fibres (bagasse). Roller mills, on the other hand – a more efficient series of rollers injected with water – produce something more fruity and floral as the mosto and bagasse are separated. Having a mix of the two across your menu will make for some good storytelling.
Distillation, of course, matters too. Where a distiller decides to cut will determine a lot about the resulting tequila but so does the type of still they use. Pot stills are much more traditional and produce character, but bigger distilleries often use column stills for that all-important efficiency while also making something lighter and cleaner. Some brands, however, use a combination of the two – Jose Cuervo, Sauza and Herradura to name a few – to balance the two benefits of using either still. Something to think about when it comes to sipping versus mixing tequilas.
And then there are additives. Not inherently bad by any means (they are legal to use and don’t have to be declared if used at a 1% total weight allowance), but it’s good to recognise the tell-tale signs of glycerin, caramel colour, sugar syrup and oak extract. Does it have a note of vanilla cake mix? Is it overly syrupy in the glass? Is there little to no discernible agave character? And does the colour belie the flavour? A ‘yes’ to any or all of these questions is an additive giveaway – whether you care or not is up to you.