Olmeca Tequila

Olmeca Tequila is a premium tequila made in Jalisco, Mexico. Olmeca is owned by the Pernod Ricard Group.^[1]

There are three tequilas in the Olmeca family: Olmeca, Olmeca Altos and Olmeca Tezón - all of which contain Tahona Liquid. Olmeca was launched in 1967 and now has a presence in 80 countries worldwide.

Olmeca is a mixto Tequila.

Olmeca Altos 100% Agave Tequila was launched in November 2009.^[2]

Olmeca Tezón is a 100% Agave, 100% Tahona Liquid Tequila.

The brand portfolio also includes a global community of tequila-passionate and professional bartenders, called the Tahona Society.^[3]

Production

Made from hand-selected blue agave picked at the peak of their maturity after 7–8 years of growth. Once harvested, traditional brick ovens are then used to slow cook the piñas, bringing out the sweet and herbal agave notes.

Part of the production process at Olmeca Tequila involves using the 500-year-old traditional and artisanal Tahona method, which consists of a 2 tonne millstone made of volcanic rock, known locally as Tezontle. Once the Agave piñas have been harvested and cooked, they are crushed by the Tahona, creating a pulp and drawing out the sweet juice from the fibres. This juice is referred to as Tahona Liquid, of which a percentage is integrated into the fermentation and distillation process of all Olmeca Tequilas, with Olmeca Tezón exclusively containing 100% Tahona Liquid – certified by Consejo Regulador del Tequila.^[4]

Origins

Olmeca Tequilas are produced at Destileria Colonial de Jalisco. Operation at the plant is overseen by Maestro Tequilero Jesús Hernández and his team of workers. As the Master Distiller he is responsible for supervising all production, from the harvest of the plants in the agave fields to the bottling of the tequila. The Olmeca distillery is situated in the town of Arandas, Jalisco, the unofficial capital of Los Altos (2104 metres above sea level), taking advantage of the high quality blue agave plants that are grown locally.

Tasting Notes

Tasting notes for the Olmeca range are as follows^[5]

Olmeca Blanco Aroma: Fresh herbal notes, complemented by green pepper and with a soft citric finish. Taste: Sweet and slightly smoky with a final soft honey flavour. Age: Unaged and bottled after distillation.

Olmeca Gold: Aroma: Fruity, sweet and citric, a touch smoky and slightly woody. Taste: Sweet, slight honey flavour with a smoky hint of black pepper. Age: Blended 50-50 with Olmeca Silver (not aged) and Olmeca Reposado (aged for 6 months)

Olmeca Reposado: Aroma: Fruity, sweet and citric, a touch smoky and slightly woody. Taste: Sweet, slight honey flavour with a smoky hint of black pepper. Age: Aged for 6 months in 200 litre white American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

Olmeca Añejo: Aroma: Fruity, hint of strawberry, cherry and prune, with lime, smoky and woody hints Taste: Smooth, woody, slightly sweet honey flavour with an extended aftertaste. Age: Aged for 18 months in 200 litre white American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

Olmeca Altos Plata: Aroma: Herbal notes of cooked Agave, slightly citric and sweet, very aromatic and fruity. Taste: Sweet with citric and cooked Agave notes, well balanced and long lasting aftertaste. Age: Unaged and bottled after distillation

Olmeca Altos Reposado: Aroma: Sweet, fruity and fresh citrus, complemented by cooked Agave, vanilla and woody notes. Taste: Sweet and citric with a robust yet pleasant body, with Agave, vanilla and woody flavours Age: Aged for 6–8 months in 200 litre white American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

Olmeca Tezón Blanco: Aroma: Light, clean and fresh herbal scent, soft citric notes like grapefruit. Taste: Citrus fruits with hints of honey, vanilla and spice with a pleasant, lingering finish. Age: Unaged and bottled after distillation.

Olmeca Tezón Reposado: Aroma: Mandarin and lime notes, with a detection of sea salt and a woody finish. Taste: Spiciness with a vanilla richness, grapefruit and orange flavours, and a sweet smoky tail. Age: Aged for 8–10 months in white American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

Olmeca Tezón Añejo: Aroma: Caramel, butterscotch and smoke vanilla, with robust orange peel. Taste: Rich butterscotch vanilla palate, with notes of orange peel, sea salt, oak and a long finish. Age: Aged for 18–20 months in white American oak ex-Bourbon casks.

Reviews of Olmeca

Spirit ratings organizations, such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Beverage Testing Institute, have given accolades to some Olmeca tequilas. The best-performing expression of Olmeca, according to ratings aggregator Proof66, is the Altos Blanco. The Altos Blanco was given scores of 94 and 93 in 2011 and 2012 by the Beverage Testing Institute. The 2011 and 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competitions awarded the Blanco gold and silver medals.^[6]

References