Blanco tequila

Tequila blanco is the class of tequila with no or very short ageing. The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) describes blanco as tequila that comes straight from the still and is brought to the desired alcohol percentage with water only.

The standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012 is somewhat broader. In it, blanco or plata is a transparent product, not necessarily colorless. The spirit may mature for less than two months in oak casks. For all classes an alcohol content between 35 and 55 percent applies.

Blanco, plata and silver mean the same thing. The standard literally names the class blanco or plata. For the international market, the producer may replace the Spanish class with an English translation: silver instead of blanco or plata.

In the same way, gold stands for joven or oro. According to the CRT, joven is a mix of blanco with reposado, añejo or extra añejo. So if you see silver, plata or blanco on the bottle, it is the same class under the Mexican standard.

Tequila is made only from Agave tequilana Weber variedad azul, the blue agave. The agave must grow in the area of the designation of origin. According to the CRT, that is 181 municipalities in five states: Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.

Protection of the name tequila was published in the Mexican official gazette on 9 December 1974. Since 1979 the designation has also been protected in the European Union. The CRT, founded in 1994, monitors and certifies compliance with the standard.

During production the heart of the agave, the piña, is cooked. According to the CRT this takes up to six hours at 120 to 125 degrees. Extraction, fermentation and distillation then follow, up to tequila blanco.

The standard has two categories. With tequila 100% de agave, all the sugars come from the blue agave. Other sugars are not permitted and the spirit is bottled by the recognised producer in the area of the designation of origin.

In the tequila category, at least 51 percent of the sugars come from blue agave. Up to 49 percent may come from other sugars. This tequila may also be bottled outside the region. Both categories can be blanco. According to the standard, the label must state both the category and the class.

The difference lies in maturation in wood. Blanco is not aged, or for less than two months. According to the standard, reposado matures for at least two months in direct contact with oak. Añejo matures for at least one year and extra añejo for at least three years, both in casks of at most 600 liters.

On the label you will also see the official quality mark, the contraseña oficial. According to the standard, it should be accompanied by the registration number of the approved producer, issued by the Mexican government or the CRT. The producer’s name and address are also on the bottle, along with a statement such as Hecho en México.

The shop currently has 19 bottles of tequila blanco, all from Mexico. There you will find the Casamigos Tequila Blanco, Cazadores Tequila Blanco, Cazcabel Tequila Blanco, Don Julio Tequila Blanco, Kah Tequila Blanco, La7Vidas Tequila Blanco, Lunazul Tequila Blanco and Rooster Rojo Blanco.

With silver or plata on the label there are the Casa Don Ramon Tequila Punta Diamante Silver, Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Tequila, Patron Tequila Silver, Pueblo Tequila Silver and Sauza Tequila Silver, and also the Ocho Tequila Plata and the Sierra Antiguo Tequila Plata.

Would you like to know how these bottles differ? Feel free to call or drop by ’t Bockje at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.