Arrogante Anejo Tequila

Arrogante Anejo Tequila - Arrogante means "Arrogant", the name says it all. 100% Blue Agave, aged for 18 months in previously used Bourbon barrels.

Blue Agaves, used in production of Arrogante Tequila, are grown in the Highlands of Jalisco, known as "Los Altos". Due to the higher altitudes above sea level, these Agave plants take more time to mature than plants grown in the plains, and since it takes more time, the plants consolidate more Agave flavors and then impart these flavors into the final Tequila. In addition, Agave plants that are grown in the Highlands often yield a sweeter citrus flavor, and boast more vegan notes. Agave plants take 7 to 9 years to grow before they are perfect for harvest.

Planting, tending and harvesting the Agave plants remain a manual effort, unchanged by modern technologies, and stretching back hundreds of years. The men who harvest the ripe Agave, the "jimadores", possess generations of knowledge about the plants. The jimadores cut the stems off the plants with the "coa" (knife similar to a machete, but with the rounded blade), and harvest the "heart" of the Agave, which looks like a pineapple (that is why we call it "piña", which means pineapple). An Agave "piña" can weigh up to 80 kilos (normally, it weights around 45-60 kilos). These hearts of the Agave are used to produce Tequila.

We slow-bake our Blue Agaves via traditional methods, in stone ovens called “hornos”. This method ensures that the sugars are properly cooked and not caramelized. Only the juice from the first pressing of the baked Agaves is used, and is then slowly fermented ("mosto"), a process that requires approximately 72-96 hours. In an effort to reduce costs and speed up production, many other producers use stainless steel autoclaves to pressure cook the Agaves and jump-start fermentation with chemically treated commercial yeast. No such short cuts are practiced in the production of Arrogante Tequila. As with other spirits, that are aged in casks, Tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. We age our Tequila in white oak barrels, previously used for bourbon production.

The closer a distillery follows traditional artisanal methods of Tequila production, the better the final result - taste and flavor of the spirit. The master distillers carefully preserve the secrets of production, which are passed from generation to generation. The careful adherence to the artisanal methods of production and strict quality control on each step of the way are the secrets behind the luscious smoothness and richness of flavors which characterize Arrogante Tequila.

Photos by TEQUILA.net