Olmeca Tequila
Encyclopedia
Olmeca Tequila is a premium tequila
made in Jalisco, Mexico. Olmeca is owned by the Pernod Ricard
Group.
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.
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.
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.
. 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.
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.
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 in 2010 and 2011 by the Beverage Testing Institute and a gold medal at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition..
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
made in Jalisco, Mexico. Olmeca is owned by the Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
Group.
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.
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.
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
Tezontle
Tezontle is a porous, extrusive, igneous, volcanic rock used extensively in construction in Mexico. It is usually reddish in color.-Uses:Tezontle can be mixed with concrete to form lightweight concrete blocks, or mixed with cement to create stucco finishes. Tezontle is often used as the top...
. 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.
Origins
Olmeca Tequilas are produced at Destileria Colonial de JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. Operation at the plant is overseen by Maestro Tequilero
Tequilero
Tequilero de Primera is a certification bestowed upon someone who has completed an approved seminar on genuine tequila and is hereby accorded the designation of Tequilero and, as such, is authorized to promote authentic tequila from Mexico...
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 followsOlmeca
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 ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
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 in 2010 and 2011 by the Beverage Testing Institute and a gold medal at the 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition..