PROCESS
PLANTING
We plant our Blue Weber Agave in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The rich red soil is perfect for growing the healthiest agave. The agave comes from "mother" agaves that provide shoots. These shoots are then carefully harvested and transplanted in a neighboring field. By doing this, we create a high standard of agave that is acclimated to the region.
MAINTAINING
Quality requires attention. We tend to our agave and make sure that it is healthy until the "Jima," also known as harvesting. A family agronomist pays careful attention to the health of the plant. By giving the plant this attention, the agave can yield higher sugars, more growth/weight, thus producing a quality tequila at its maximum potential.
HARVESTING
Our carefully harvested hand-picked agaves are at peak ripeness during the dry season for maximum sugars. By hand selecting only the ripe agave, the practices leave our master distiller a satisfyingly complex and full-bodied product to process into tequila.
COOKING
Cooking the agave using an horno (brick oven) for 24 hours, is an old traditional method that creates complexity that is challenging to attain using modern technology. With modern technology, this process is completed within a few hours, and lacks the character that tequila should have. The complexity is composed of a variety of cooked agave derived from different stages of cooking. The outer agave is cooked thoroughly, leaving strong notes of sweet caramel, peach, citrus, and sweet aroma of nectar. The innermost agave is moderately cooked, leaving vegetal notes like cucumber, jicama, and floral aroma notes. Both of these agaves get extracted together and put into fermentation tanks.
FERMENTATION
After extraction, the juices are transferred to large open tanks to start the fermentation process. The sugars in the extracted agave juices are rich enough that little yeast is applied to activate the fermenting process. The yeast used is organic and is of the highest quality. No other additives are applied to speed up the fermentation process.
DISTILLING
After the fermentation process is complete, the juice transfers over to our pot stills. Although Pot Stills are a slower process, the process's complexity allows the tequila to be full-flavored and full-bodied, making it far superior to high volume column stills. We distill at the lowest temperature possible; although this does delay the process, it is the same as slow cooking a meal; the flavors are more pronounced, and the aroma is more robust. Even with the best agave, and the performance of each step done correctly, the distillation process must be achieved with detail and attention, or the final product could fall very short of its potential.
BARREL AGING
After the distillation process, we then have tequila! The tequila distribution is either to make "Blanco" tequila or storage in French Oak Barrels. Blanco tequila is "Tequila in it's purest form." Rested or Aged Tequila, also known as Reposado and Añejo, adds refined and sophisticated taste and finish. Gonzalez 1939 Reposado is rested for 11 months in French Oak, and the Gonzalez 1939 Añejo is aged for 2 years in French Oak.After this entire completion of making a tequila bottle is finished, it can take from 6-9 years to complete the process.
The Finished Product
A long and diligent process, we are proud to conclude the journey here! Gonzalez 1939 presents Blanco, Reposado, Anejo & Cristalino
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