The Don Julio distillery, La Primavera, doesn’t supply public excursions. They’re a working distillery devoted to creating 100% Blue Weber agave tequila. However they do periodically open their doorways to members of the press. Certainly one of our employees visited the distillery within the Highlands of Jalisco in 2018, and I not too long ago had the prospect to take action as nicely. It was late January, and I used to be pleased to depart snowy Boston for sunny Mexico.
After the two-hour drive from Guadalajara to the distillery, I used to be stunned to see the modest measurement of La Primavera. Don Julio is among the most established tequila manufacturers in Mexico. It has been operating repeatedly because it was based by Julio Gonzalez Estrada in 1942, and the model’s world output has surpassed 5 million instances per yr, second solely to Jose Cuervo. And but, with nearly no area devoted to the general public, it’s compact and sensible, however spectacular nonetheless. Shortly previous the entry to the distillery, somebody was chopping piñas into quarters or thirds and putting them into the masonry ovens the place they prepare dinner, releasing their sugars, over the course of roughly 70 hours.
Conveyor belts carry cooked piñas to the place they’re crushed and boiled in water, releasing the sugars. Then, Don Julio’s distinctive yeast is launched and fermentation begins. The yeast, I used to be knowledgeable, is similar one which Julio Estrada launched and has been in use for many years.
Don Julio makes use of double distillation to finish its Blanco Tequila, and that is the bottom spirit for all of its aged tequilas. My morning tour closed with a tasting of Don Julio’s customary tequila lineup, together with its blanco, reposado, añejo, and 70 (cristalino) tequilas.
For lunch, our hosts arrange tables exterior among the many agave fields, which bought me excited about how distilled spirits are aged. After we think about how growing older contributes to the flavour of whisky, bourbon, rye, and even rum, we usually consider the time a distillate rests in wooden. However a vital side of growing older for tequila is the time it takes to develop absolutely mature piña. Don Julio tequila makes use of Blue Weber agave that has been aged for roughly 7 years. Different types of agave, these used to make mezcal, can take much less time to mature (Espadin is commonly prepared after 6 years) or rather more (Tepeztate can require greater than 25 years), however growing older the agave is a vital side of constructing tequila and mezcal. A enjoyable a part of my go to was planting my very own piña after which chopping the spiky leaves off of a completely mature one utilizing the standard coa de jima, which remains to be used as we speak.
A shock on the finish of my journey was a chance to attempt 4 particular casks on the distillery. The tequilas had been launched by Eusebio Reynoso, Operations VP for Provide Chain, who’s seen beneath standing beside a cask of Don Julio 1942 that was additional aged, pushing into the additional añejo class. There was additionally a personal barrel of the Ultima Reserva. Subsequent got here a reposado aged in a Madeira cask. Lastly, I attempted an additional añejo that was aged in an orange wine cask, which I discovered significantly nuanced and scrumptious. It was an ideal end to a day spent exploring the artwork and craft of constructing Don Julio tequila.
Visited 1 occasions, 1 go to(s) as we speak
