The Tequilana Weber Azul variety of agave plant used by
Destilados Olé to produce its tequilas, is grown in the Highlands
of Jalisco, at 2100 meters above sea level and just outside of Arandas.
It
is a cold, semi-dry zone, the ideal environment for our raw material. The
climate and soil conditions keep the agave cool, lending it its distinctive
aroma and flavor and enriching it with the sugars and nutrients of this
privileged land.
When the grinding has been done, the juice, residual pulp and syrup obtained
through cooking are all put into large wooden tubs, where fermentation
will take place. This natural process, aided by natural yeast made from
the very same agave juices, is carefully controlled and supervised day
and night, so that the breakdown of sugars results in quality that can’t
be beat.
The temperature throughout the region is an enormous plus in the fermentation
process, yet one more advantage that nature has given our tequilas.
After a long wait, our harvesters take their coas (special
long-handled spades with round blades), trim the leaves and dig each fully
mature agave up from the earth. Some ten years after planting, the hearts
of the agave plants are ready to go over to the ranch, where they are the
sole raw material used to make our tequilas.
The
agave hearts are quartered and placed in our traditional, handmade stone ovens.
As indicated by the amber color of the agave juices, the cooking, along with
time afterwards to sit, give the tequila its precise flavor and make a sweet,
delicious pulp.
Following
cooking, grinding is carried out manually, as tradition dictates, to produce
the characteristic flavor of the finest tequila. The mill (tahona) is a circular
basin made of fine textured stone to extract the agave juice without harming
it in any way. Grinding takes patience, as a huge carved stone wheel is moved
round and round to release the juices from the cooked hearts so they may
be used to make our “homemade” tequilas.
When the must reaches just the right point, it is transferred
to the cooking still, which is made of copper to ensure a pure tequila flavor.
Heated under pressure, the internal evaporation results in top quality alcohol,
which then goes to the rectifying still. Once again it undergoes a heating
process, to become a first-class white tequila.
The white tequila is poured into oak casks, which lend
it a smooth, generous flavor. It stays there for over three months to be
classified as Reposado (literally, rested), or at least a year for Aged.
Certification is handled by both the Tequila Regulating Board and our Tequilier.
