Nice content today. I have a couple questions/comments - Wine and Tequila are very similar up to the point of distillation.. So would Tequila actually be closer to Brandy (Armagnac/Cognac) - Do you think open fermentation and its introduction of wild yeast add to the Terroir like the soil and climate? I like the idea of being able to control more of the process, including temperature. This allows for more controlled experimentation as well. Salud
I don't think the wild yeast adds to Terroir. Instead it can lead to off flavors that aren't wanted in the tequila. I would agree that Tequila is indeed a brandy/cognac as it really is a distilled wine. I think that yeast selection as well as temperature control could lead to more consistent better tasting tequila. It was the case on the Carrera 54 project. Keeping the yeast in it's sweet spot resulted in more agave flavor being present with less fermentation based flavors. When yeast is pushed too hot it keads to a thinner flavor profile with more fermentation notes. Several of the master tequileros have told me they produce better tequilas in the colder fall/winter/ spring months. Thanks for watching.
This is interesting... partly because I come from the mezcal world, most of what you suggest is anathema to me-- I want my spirits to be wilder, funkier, and less consistent. But I can appreciate how this would lead to different outcomes, whether good or bad. I'm surprised that more tequila producers don't already do this, since tequila is much more industrial than mezcal.....
While mezcal can be funkier most want it to reflect the flavor of the agave than wild yeast fermentations off flavors. Handing it more like wine can do that. Most tequila producers don't do it because its not the way their Dad/grandpa/great grandpa did it. Science and fermentation research has evolved since then but to upgrade their equipment is also not cheap.
@@TheTequilaHombre I guess I’d say that one person’s off flavors are another person’s character. These flavors aren’t incidental to the overall character of a mezcal. For example, mezcal that’s fermented in cowhide will have flavors from that. That’s part of what makes mezcal fun, the interplay of the agave characteristics with the production methods. I don’t think most mezcal drinkers (or producers) would want to change that. One famous producer has made a rainy season vs dry season version of the same mezcal. Vive la difference! And to each their own ;)
For example since you mentioned diacetyl, there are beer styles where diacetyl is essential to the style, others where it’s a major fault. Or think of wild/sour beer. Mezcal is more like that to me. Tequila might be a different story, for sure.
Nice content today. I have a couple questions/comments
- Wine and Tequila are very similar up to the point of distillation.. So would Tequila actually be closer to Brandy (Armagnac/Cognac)
- Do you think open fermentation and its introduction of wild yeast add to the Terroir like the soil and climate?
I like the idea of being able to control more of the process, including temperature. This allows for more controlled experimentation as well.
Salud
I don't think the wild yeast adds to Terroir. Instead it can lead to off flavors that aren't wanted in the tequila. I would agree that Tequila is indeed a brandy/cognac as it really is a distilled wine. I think that yeast selection as well as temperature control could lead to more consistent better tasting tequila. It was the case on the Carrera 54 project. Keeping the yeast in it's sweet spot resulted in more agave flavor being present with less fermentation based flavors. When yeast is pushed too hot it keads to a thinner flavor profile with more fermentation notes. Several of the master tequileros have told me they produce better tequilas in the colder fall/winter/ spring months. Thanks for watching.
This is interesting... partly because I come from the mezcal world, most of what you suggest is anathema to me-- I want my spirits to be wilder, funkier, and less consistent. But I can appreciate how this would lead to different outcomes, whether good or bad. I'm surprised that more tequila producers don't already do this, since tequila is much more industrial than mezcal.....
While mezcal can be funkier most want it to reflect the flavor of the agave than wild yeast fermentations off flavors. Handing it more like wine can do that. Most tequila producers don't do it because its not the way their Dad/grandpa/great grandpa did it. Science and fermentation research has evolved since then but to upgrade their equipment is also not cheap.
@@TheTequilaHombre I guess I’d say that one person’s off flavors are another person’s character. These flavors aren’t incidental to the overall character of a mezcal. For example, mezcal that’s fermented in cowhide will have flavors from that. That’s part of what makes mezcal fun, the interplay of the agave characteristics with the production methods. I don’t think most mezcal drinkers (or producers) would want to change that. One famous producer has made a rainy season vs dry season version of the same mezcal. Vive la difference! And to each their own ;)
For example since you mentioned diacetyl, there are beer styles where diacetyl is essential to the style, others where it’s a major fault. Or think of wild/sour beer. Mezcal is more like that to me. Tequila might be a different story, for sure.