Guide To Identifying High Quality Tequila

Tequila is a popular distilled drink made from Agave Azul commonly known as blue agave grown in just five areas of Mexico. About 99% of tequila made in Mexico are made using blue agaves grown in Jalisco that is home to the town of Tequila. Now you know how the drink got its name.

With the popularity of Tequila Azul keeping on increasing, many brands are engaged in the production of tequila. Here are some of the tips that will help you distinguish real tequila from spirits that are fraudulently endorsed as tequila.

Type Of Tequila

Soon after you take the tequila bottle in hand for inspection, the first thing that you should look for is the type of tequila. The information on the label gives you an idea about how aged the tequila is. Clear, unaged tequila will be labeled as plata, blanco, platinum or silver. If you see the label Reposado, know that the tequila has been aged for two months to one year. Añejo is aged for more than a year and extra añejo is aged for a minimum of three years.

Percent Of Tequila Made From Agave

As tequila is a drink that is sourced from agave, it is desirable that 100% of the tequila is sourced from agave plants itself. The front label will give information about the percentage of tequila that was made from agave. Look for the label “100 percent agave” or “100 percent blue weber agave”. If you do not find any such information on the label, then it means that the tequila is a mixto, which is of lower quality than 100% agave tequila. As per the law, tequilas have to be made with at least 51% agave and the remaining 49% can be filled with some other spirit.

 Country Of Production

Tequila is a distilled spirit that is exclusively made in Mexico. If the label does not say “Hecho en Mexico” or “Product of Mexico”, it means that what you are inspecting is not real tequila.

Alcohol Percent By Volume And Proof

The brand name, the volume of the bottle in milliliters, alcohol percentage by volume and proof will be mentioned on the front label. Tequila sold in the US should be 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume). For flavored tequilas, the respective flavor should be mentioned on the label.

Take care in the selection process to ensure that you are not buying some cheap drink thinking that it is tequila.