Tequila

Group: Beverages

Tequila is one of the most popular spirits consumed all over the world. This alcoholic beverage is named after the city of Santiago de Tequila in Mexico, which is a birthplace of this drink made from blue agave, a plant native to State of Jalisco. Thanks to the rich volcanic soil surrounding the city of Tequila, this prosperous agricultural region is the best place on Earth to grow the blue agave. Another name for this intriguing species is Agave tequilana. With its spiky and fleshy leaves it truly reminds of a cactus but is actually related to the lily and amaryllis family.

The heart of the blue agave, also known as piña, is rich in sugars that make it suitable for production of this fermented alcoholic drink. It takes anywhere between eight and twelve years for the blue agave to reach full maturity and deliver its zesty juices. Mexican farmers who harvest agave plants are called jimadors, and their demanding task requires a lot of skill and proficiency. If the plant is harvested too soon, there will not be enough sugars - if it’s harvested too late, the plant will already waste all of the sugars to grow a high stem.

The perfectly ripe heart of agave delivers rich sugary juices that are extracted and allowed to ferment for a couple of days until they turn into alcohol. The fermented substance is then distilled two times to make Blanco, clear silver tequila. Joven, golden tequila, is a blend of Blanco tequila and Reposado tequila. The former one is rested in oak barrels for at least two months (but less than a year) to develop a particularly rich woody flavor. Añejo, or vintage tequila, rests anywhere from one to three years in oak barrels, while Extra Añejo, or extra old, rests in oak barrels for at least three years.

Premium tequilas are made of 100% pure blue agave. This beverage is often consumed with a pinch of salt and a slice of lime, but true connoisseurs consume it clean in a big round glass that allows them to taste all different aromas and scents. To savor the flavor of tequila experts use only the right nostril, since this side of the brain is more responsive to olfactory stimuli. The flavor of tequila depends on a secret recipe and ingredients used in it, the soil where it is grown and a type of the barrels used to rest the fermented agave sap.

Just like a perfume, the scent of tequila is layered in odorous sheets of aroma. To taste a high-end tequila, connoisseurs use all of their senses, but when it comes to smell, they taste it from three different angles. The lower side of the rim, closest to our mouth, offers piercing smell of alcohol. The heart emanates from the center of the glass, allowing us to taste the spices, honey, vanilla, or any other ingredient used to cure the barrel. The top of the glass, which is the inside rim most remote from out mouth, offers the authentic and rich alcohol-free flavor of the woody oak from the barrel. In most cases, the one who takes pleasure it tasting may recognize a strong, distinctive woody aroma of white oak. However, some manufacturers char the wood to obtain an exotic smoky flavor.

The first time that agave has been used to make a perfume was when the famous tequila manufacturer Jose Cuervo created a limited edition fragrance called Angel Mist. The fragrance was made of 100% blue agave, and produced in collaboration with Swiss international fragrance and flavor company Firmenich, Inc. The fragrance was available for the limited time and it was sold together with the then-new Gran Centenario ultra-premium Tequila. This scent was described as "a citrus burst of sparkling lime blended with 100 percent blue agave Gran Centenario Plata Tequila and alluring notes of oakwood."

Tequila note is usually used for bold masculine fragrances such as Kenneth Cole’s Vintage Black, or exotic and playful tropical fragrances such as Set Sail St. Barts by Tommy Bahama.

Perfumes and Colognes With Tequila