mcmachete
Grassy Vet
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2013
- Messages
- 277
So tequila making is kind of interesting. Technically there are legal requirements for something to be called tequila - it must use only 100% blue agave, must be harvested and cooked and distilled in Jalisco, etc - but it allows for up to 1% by volume in additives. So all the organic and blue agave stuff can be true AND they can add to it (it's mostly a slurry of vanilla spiced agave syrup that is caramel colored). For the record, "small batch" is a generally meaningless term as there's no minimum or maximum to the number of barrels used in a batch so basically anything - even a single barrel release - can be called small batch. Sustainability is kind of the name of the game in agave farming and tequila making in general and a lot of makers are on the bandwagon (some are such small producers, they were "green" before it was even a buzzword) - it's just an efficient use of the resources (pulp fibers given to livestock, etc).
Every tequila has a number on the bottle. This is its NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) of origin, or the actual location where the juice is harvested and distilled. Some distilleries produce multiple brands. These NOMs suggest a certain standard in the tequila they are making (the craftsmanship of the master distiller, whether a diffuser is used, cooking methods, type and size of still, etc). Originally, Teremana was intended to be produced at NOM 1416, which makes Avion and Alacran and Campo Azul and others - all of which are fine but generally of a mass produced quality and definitely includes additives. There was a last minute change and a new distillery (NOM 1613) was built just for Teremana. I think this was a smart move overall as quality control can be tighter when it's isolated from other brands. And, they made the choice of employing a copper pot still vs 1416's stainless pot still with a copper coil. (I'm not sure about a few other potential changes, such as whether it's still open air fermentation). But generally, a number of the associated tequila professionals remained involved through the creation of and transition to the new distillery. From what I understand, they all only worked on tequila with additives. Furthermore, the ownership of 1613 and 1416 are the same, despite listing two different corporations, as the addresses listed of each are exactly the same (here's the Teremana Corporation's address and here's Campo Azul's address).
But beyond that, you can absolutely tell when something has additives. Like I said, it's still tasty in the way that Casamigos and Clase Azul and Cincoro are tasty - but that's because they're closer to tequila liqueurs than tequila spirit. There's a prominent vanilla sweetness that is a hallmark of this. That sweet vanilla flavor profile, when produced naturally, comes from the oak aging and tends to be a more subtle characteristic and not necessarily the lead guitar in the band until you reach ultra añejo age. And because it's from the aging, you wouldn't find it as prominent in blancos or reposados as you would in añejos - and when found there's generally a dry tannic component that comes along with it. Also, the additives tend to hide some of the green vegetal flavors that are naturally found in quality distilled agave so the absence or muting of that profile is another indicator. I much prefer the natural non-additive stuff - more complex and interesting flavors, and far less chance of a hangover - and generally don't bother with the additive stuff.
Also, tequilamatchmaker is a great site for a lot of info and they do their own research to certify whether a tequila is produced without additives. Teremana is not certified as such.
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