SINGLE ORIGIN AGAVE
FROM OUR FAMILY OWNED FIELDS
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STEP 1
AGAVE IS HARVESTED BY HAND Our craft begins in the field. After maturing for approximately 6–7 years under the hot Jalisco sun, our agave reaches peak ripeness. Skilled jimadores harvest each plant by hand, using a sharp coa to carefully remove the pencas (leaves), revealing the core of the agave referred to as piñas.
DID YOU KNOW?
THERE ARE NO MACHINES THAT CAN HARVEST AGAVE. EACH AGAVE IS CUT BY HAND. |
COOKING, CRUSHING, & FERMENTING
OFF TO THE DISTILLERY
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STEP 2
PIÑAS ARE SLOW COOKED IN AN AUTOCLAVE Once harvested, the piñas are transported to our distillery, Casa Montes Leyva, where it is placed in our stainless steel autoclave and slowly cooked. Heat and steam transform the complex carbohydrates naturally found in our agave into fermentable sugars. The cooking process deepens the agave’s color and flavor.
DID YOU KNOW?
COOKED AGAVE IS VERY SWEET AND IS REMINISCENT OF MOLASSES OR SWEET POTATO |
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STEP 3
AGAVE IS CRUSHED IN A ROLLER MILL The cooked agave piñas are then placed in a roller mill where it is crushed, releasing the sweet agave juice held inside. This is the juice that eventually becomes tequila.
DID YOU KNOW?
AGAVE SMELLS VERY SWEET ONCE ITS BEEN COOKED AND SHREDDED. THIS STAGE OF THE PROCESS ATTRACTS A LOT OF THE LOCAL BEES |
STEP 4
2-3 DAY FERMENTATION The extracted agave juice is then transferred into stainless steel fermentation tanks, where yeast converts the naturally occurring sugars into alcohol. This fermented liquid is known as mosto.
DID YOU KNOW?
AT THIS STAGE IN THE TEQUILA MAKING PROCESS, A LOT OF THE FINAL NOTES FOUND IN TEQUILA CAN BE DETECTED HERE |
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STEP 5
SMALL BATCH DISTILLATION IN COPPER ALAMBIC POTS Once fermentation is complete, the mosto is distilled twice in small batches using copper alambic pot stills. This process concentrates the alcohol while refining the tequila’s character.
DID YOU KNOW?
Copper plays a crucial role by removing impurities, resulting in a smoother, more refined final spirit. |
THE AGING PROCESS
AMERICAN WHITE OAK BARRELS
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STEP 6
GENTLY AGED IN AMERICAN WHITE OAK BARRELS For our aged expressions, we rest our tequila in lightly charred American white oak barrels. Over time, the wood imparts notes of vanilla and warm spice to our tequila, and more complex notes such as caramel, dried fruit, and oak to our more aged varieties.
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Every Expression Begins the Same Way
Whether it's Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, or Extra Añejo, every bottle begins with the same agave, harvested from our family's fields and crafted using the same process. Time in oak changes the flavor, but the foundation remains the same.
