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Agave Spirits Flashcards

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1
Q

What other countries produce agave based spirits?

A

Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, and the US.

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2
Q

What is Bacanora?

A

An agave distillate made in the state of Sonora in the north of Mexico.

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3
Q

What species is of agave is used for the production of Bacanora?

A

Augustfolia - AKA Agave Yaquiana

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4
Q

What are the four classes of Bacanora?

A

Blanco (no minimum age)
Joven/Oro (No minimum age)
Reposado (min 2 month oak)
Anejo (min 1 year oak 200 L barrels)

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5
Q

How is Bacanora made?

A

The agave piñas are roasted in underground pits of volcanic rock and heated with mesquite charcoal.

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6
Q

When did Bacanora become a denomination of origin?

A

2006

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7
Q

For how many years has Bacanora been made in Sonora?

A

At least 300.

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8
Q

Where does the name Bacanora come from?

A

The town in Sonora where it was first produced.

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9
Q

Can Abocado be used in Bacanora?

A

Yes, except for with Blanco.

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10
Q

Describe Bacanora.

A

Made from 100% agave, quality is high. Has hints of smoke and earth.

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11
Q

What is Raicilla?

A

An agave based distillate made in central Jalisco and parts of Nayarit for over 400 years.

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12
Q

What is the history of Raicilla?

A

It was basically a type of moonshine - bottled at more than 100 proof and consumed locally.

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13
Q

What are the six classes of Raicilla?

A

Joven, Blanco or Plata (Unaltered)
Madurado en Vidrio (Aged in glass 12 months)
Reposado or Oro (Aged in wood 2-12 months)
Anejada (Aged in wood at least 12 months)
Abocado con
Destilado con

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14
Q

What are the three categories of Raicilla?

A

Raicilla
Raicilla Artesanal
Raicilla Tradicion

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15
Q

How is Raicilla fermented?

A

With natural yeast (with or without fibers from the agave).

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16
Q

How is Raicilla distilled?

A

Chinese-style condensation stills similar to Mezcal.

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17
Q

What are the standards for Raicilla?

A

100% Agave (Any variety except blue)
Produced in Jalisco or Nayarit
Bottled at 35-55% ABV

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18
Q

Where does the name of Raicilla come from?

A

It means “little root” - was adapted in the 1780s in an attempt to avoid a tax on Mezcal from Spain - the ploy was mostly successful.

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19
Q

What is Sotol?

A

A distilled spirit made from the Dasylirion plant group - known as the desert spoon plant or sotol. Formerly thought to be agave but recently reclassified. Produced similarly to Mezcal.

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20
Q

When did Sotol receive it’s denomination of Origin?

A

2004

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21
Q

What is the flavor profile of Sotol?

A

Typically less smoky and earthy than mezcal.

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22
Q

Where must the Dasylirion used to make Sotol be grown?

A

Chihuahua, Coahuila, or Durango

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23
Q

What are the two categories of Sotol?

A

Sotol 100% Puro (Made exclusively from Dasylirion sugars)
Sotol (Can add up to 49% non-Dasylirion sugars)

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24
Q

What are the four classes of Sotol?

A

Blanco (no age restrictions)
Joven/Oro (no age restrictions, can use abocado)
Reposado (min 2 months wood)
Anejo (min 1 year wood)

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25
Which classes of Sotol can use Abocado?
All except Blanco.
26
What type of wood must be used for aging Sotol?
Acacia, Ash, Beech, Chestnut, or Oak.
27
What is mezcal wine?
A distilled spirit made from pulque, and early distillation of agave.
28
What is octili poliqhui?
The Aztec name for a fermented juice made from agave. Named after the Aztec god of drink.
29
What is Pulque?
A fermented agave beverage.
30
Why is most pulque consumed locally?
It spoils rapidly.
31
What is a pulqueria?
Neighborhood bars in Mexico that serve pulque.
32
What is the base material for Pulque?
The sap from the Agave Americana (maguey) plant is the base material.
33
How is the sap harvested for the production of Pulque?
After the agave is mature (takes 10-12 years) the floral bud and central leaves are removed, and a small cavity is carved into the center of the base. After a few days, the sap start to flow in. It is harvested once or twice a day. Scraped at regular intervals, can produce sap for 3-6 months.
34
How is the sap fermented in the production of Pulque?
It is brought to a production facility (a tinacal) and placed in a large vat. Fermentation (using Zymomonas mobilis bacteria) is induced by the addition of some freshly made and still fermenting pulque to the vat of fresh sap. Takes 7-14 days typically.
35
What sub-family of Asparagaceae is agaeve a part of?
Agavoideae
36
What are pencas?
The long leave of an agave plant.
37
What happens to agave shoots at the nursery?
They are dried for 1-3 weeks, then planted in nursery area. After around 2 years moved to their final growing site where they'll mature.
38
What botanical family does agave belong to?
Asparagaceae
39
What are the size designations for shoots severed from a parent agave plant?
Lemon-size Onion-size Grapefruit-size
40
What is Miske?
A traditional agave spirit from Ecuador. Has DO status.
41
What is the botanical name of blue agave?
Agave tequilana Weber azul.
42
How high can a blue agave grow?
5-8 feet
43
How wide can a blue agave grow?
8-12 feet.
44
What is a quiote?
A fast growing stalk on an agave plant, the if left to mature will produce flowers and eventually seeds.
45
What is aguamiel?
The juice that builds up in the central rosette stem after the quiote is removed.
46
What are two names of the swollen portion of the agave?
Piña - resembles a pineapple Cabeza - looks like the shape of a head.
47
How are most agave plants reproduced?
Via shoots (hijuelos or pups) that form along the bottom of the plant. During the 3rd to 6th year of a parent plant's cycle, strong enough to be replanted.
48
What are Hijuelos?
Shoots at the bottom of an agave plant, also called pups.
49
What is mosto?
Agave juice that has been extracted.
50
What is a jimador?
A agave fieldworker
51
What is a coa?
The sharp tool used for preparing the agave plant to be harvested.
52
How is an agave plant prepared for harvest?
The central flower spike is removed, which forces the plant to send its growth and sap into the heart.
53
How are agave plants harvested?
The plant is cut from its roots and rolled onto its side. From the position, the leaves (pencase) are sliced off. The piña (cabeza) is sent to the distillery.
54
What is the first thing that happens to piñas when they reach the distillery?
Workers with axes cut them into halves and quarters.
55
What are fructans?
Polysaccharides/complex carbohydrates found in the aguamiel sap inside the piña of agave. They are molecules of fermentable sugar bonded together.
56
What fructans are found in the sap of an agave?
Inulin and agavin.
57
What must be done to aguamiel sap from an agave prior to fermentation?
The fructans must be converted to fermentable sugars. Often done by hydrolysis and/or heat.
58
What is hydrolysis?
The chemical breakdown of a compound due to reaction with water.
59
How does the heat while cooking the piñas during the tequila making process help with the extraction of the juice?
It softens the piña, which makes it easier to crush.
60
What are hornos?
Steam ovens used to cook cut up agave piñas during the tequila making process.
61
What happens after the piñas are cooked?
The steam is turned off, ad they are left in the oven for 2 more days.
62
What are the three main methods of cooking agave?
Hornos de Pozo (Fire pits or underground ovens) Hornos de Mampsteria (Brick steam oven) Stainless autoclaves
63
What is different about cooking agave in an autoclave?
They use higher temperatures, and shorter cooking times, usually 6 hours heating followed by 6 hours steam. Must be carefully controlled to avoid overcooking or burning.
64
What is a tahona?
A huge stone wheel drawn by oxen or horses, the historic method of extracting pulp from cooked agave.
65
What are bagazo?
Leftover fibers from the extraction of juice from agave.
66
What has replaced the historic agave crushing method for tequila production?
Mechanized crushers.
67
What is mosto muerto?
Fermented agave juice ready for distillation.
68
Describe the aroma of agave.
Delicate, earthy, and almost floral.
69
What is Maguey?
A local name for Agave in Mexico.
70
About how long does it take for an agave plant to reach maturity?
5-30 years.
71
What are Bulbils?
Similar to pups, a shoot from a tequila plant that forms on the quiote. It can be replanted like the pup.
72
When are the best pups for cultivating agave collected?
When the agave plants are between two and three years old.
73
What are Agaves Silvestres?
Wild agave plants
74
Are wild agave plants (agaves silvestres) and semi-wild plants used for agave spirit production?
Not generally, but are used by some Mezcal distillers.
75
What are semi-wild agave plants?
Agave plants that self-seed, but at a young age are dug up and replanted in a field with other semi-wild plants.
76
Are fructan or starch molecules smaller?
Fructan molecules are much smaller than starch molecules.
77
What is a Cogollo?
It is a structure of the agave plant located at the tip of the pina. It is either removed during harvesting or prior to cooking.
78
What does cooking do to the fructans in a pina?
It converts the fructans and breaks open the cells where the fructans are stored.
79
What is Mieles in agave production?
Spanish for honey, it is a small amount of sweet liquid released by pinas when they are cooked in a steam oven or autoclave. The liquid can be collected from the base of the oven for use during fermentation.
80
How long do piñas typically cook in autoclaves?
Between 12 and 24 hours, followed by a period of cooling.
81
Does cooking piñas in steam ovens generate smoky aromas?
No.
82
When were Hornos de Mamposteria (brick/masonry ovens) first used in Tequila production?
More than 100 years ago.
83
How long are piñas cooked in Hornos de Mamposteria?
Between 24 and 36 hours.
84
About what percentage of sugar is it estimated that tahonas extract from pinas?
About 70% of the sugars.
85
How much sugar can modern mechanized crushers extract from piñas?
Up to 85%.
86
How much do blue agave pinas typically weigh?
Between 77 and 88 pounds (35-40 kg)
87
What are typical aroma descriptors of blue agave?
Floral, citrus fruit, vegetal, herbaceous
88
What effect does the number of leaves left on the Pina have on the final spirit?
If too many are left on, there may be unwelcome flavors. But some distillers leave some to add complexity to the final spirit.

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