Learn with Altos How Tequila is Made

Do you know what tequila is made of? How long does it take to prepare it? What denominations of origin are there and what are their requirements? How is Reposado or Añejo made?

First of all, it is important to know what raw material tequila is made of. Nothing more and nothing less than blue tequilana Weber agave, which if you have never seen it, is the plant that appears in the following image:

As we will see, from the time the agave is planted until the tequila is bottled and ready to drink can take between 7 and 9 years, depending on the type of tequila we have in our hands. For example, in our case, Reposado is aged for about 6-8 months and Añejo can take up to 14-18 months.

How is Tequila Produced?

In order for tequila to be considered as such, and thus have the appellation of origin, it must be produced in certain regions of Mexico and distilled from agave heads. In addition, this appellation of origin is also influenced by the soil in which the agave is planted, which must have a specific texture and chemistry. In the case of Altos, the agave is planted in the characteristic red soil of Los Altos, which is one of the distinctive elements of the final flavor and aroma of the product. On the other hand, the climate and activities such as cultivation, harvesting, production and aging of tequila must also be taken into account. If these conditions are not met, it cannot be called tequila.

As for the tequila elaboration process, there are a total of 8 different production processes until the final tequila is obtained:

1. The Harvest: as we have already mentioned tequila can only be produced with agave. As for Altos, we use the 100% blue variety.
   The Jima: an exhaustive selection of crops is made to offer only quality raw material.
2. El Cocinado: the agave is divided into parts and put in brick ovens for about 3 days to ferment the starch into sugar.
3. The Piedra Tahona: once the blue agave is cooked, at Altos we grind them in the so-called Piedra Tahona, a 400 year old method that takes the process to another level.
4. The Mill: another way is to use a roller mill with the same objective as the Piedra Tahona.
5. Fermentation: using a specific strain of yeast, at Altos we convert the sugar from the blue agave into an alcohol with citrus and fruity, sweet and fresh aromas. In the end, we achieve between 4-9 degrees of alcohol.
6. Distillation: the agave juice is distilled twice in copper stills, eliminating sulfur compounds in the process.
7. Aging: finally, the tequila is aged in oak barrels, in the case of Reposado and Añejo. In the case of Altos Plata, this process is omitted.

Olmeca Altos, the Premium Tequila Made with an Artisanal Process

What sets Olmeca Altos apart from other tequilas is precisely its production process. 100% blue agave, processes more than 400 years old… In addition, we have managed to create high quality tequilas that have a low impact on the environment. Quality and sustainability, you can’t ask for more from a beverage.