test your tequila knowledge

first question : is your tequila 100% blue agave ... or not ?

Unless the bottle specifies 100% Blue Agave, it is most likely a Tequila mixto (because it requires only 51% Blue Agave to be classified as a Tequila).

Mixto
Mixto are made by fermenting and distilling a mix of Agave juice and other sugars, usually cane sugar with water. Any Tequila that is not labelled “100% Agave” is a Mixto, and most likely is almost half cane sugar, regardless of any other labelling. Mixto are usually sold in bulk and bottled by the final retailer/wholesaler. It is mostly unaged.
 
About Gold
“Gold or Joven Tequila” is usually a Mixto containing coloring and other additives.
BUT
“100% Agave Gold” are a blend of blanco and one or more other class of Tequila.

100% Blue Agave
Within this category, according to the time spent in oak, different styles of maturation are available: blanco, reposado, anejo, and extra anejo (see below).
By law 100 % Blue Agave Tequila must be bottled in Mexico.
 
When aged, the 100% Blue Agave Tequila are aged in the same type of oak barrels as scotch whiskies and rum such as ex-sherry, ex-bourbon barrels for instance.

IS THIS EASY THOUGH JUST LIKE OTHER AGED SPIRITS ?

which challenges ageing tequila do face?

© 2015 Ana Briceño for Spiritsfully. All rights reserved

Experiments are being made in Tequila ageing but climate is dry and hot in Mexico, so evaporation is a serious challenge.
No one want to loose so much of the precious liquid over the years, especially when the taste is not dramatically improved during the ageing process.

and if your tequila is 100% blue agave DO YOU KNOW WHICH ARE the EXACT categorIES ? !

Plata = Blanco = Silver
1 month in oak

It is generally unaged Tequila and a clear spirit. It is bottled immediately or shortly after distillation and dilution. Some say it is the purest form of Tequila featuring a strong presence of roast or raw Agave flavours. While some people find blancos aggressive, a well-made one can be quite subtle and complex, with citrus, floral, vegetal and mineral flavour notes. Purists often prefer blancos because it prevents producers to hide any flaws in the raw distillate, as is possible with ageing. This is also the best to understand what a terroir can give.

Reposado
maturation of a minimum of 2 to 11 months in oak.

The barrels are most of the time ex-bourbon barrels, which gives flavours of caramel, toast and some vegetal notes. The ageing also imparts colour to the Tequila and softens it.

Añejos
maturation of a minimum of 1 year in oak vats or barrels.

The barrels are often American oak barrels, which give even more depth in the character as well as more caramel, vanilla, toast and even hints of sweet spice.

Extra-añejos
maturation of a minimum of 3 years in oak barrels.
Mexico is a hot country so the more you wait, the more the alcohol evaporates, and the less Tequila there is in the end. This is a very costly decision to take and that is why extra-añejos are mostly seen in the premium market.
There are some discussions and controversies about this new category. It makes Tequila less a product of a terroir. Tequila then enters the same category and vocabulary of appreciation that the darker spirits. In blind tastings, the best extra-añejos are often mistaken for whiskies or brandies.