Mijenta Tequila has long prided itself on producing pure, additive-free, and sustainably produced quality Tequilas - but now in its most ambitious project yet, the brand is departing from the uniformity experienced in the Tequila field, to produce a truly different Tequila.

To be specific, Mijenta will exclusively use agaves grown from seed for its new Maestra Selection No. 1 expression - this is a major move away from the industry standard practice of using agaves replanted through the use of clonal shoots, which while efficient, results in agave clones that feature a more generic taste profile. 

The practice of using clonal shoots is known as hijuelos, and is done by farmers trimming off a stalk from the agave and nestling it in the ground, which will grow into an identical agave plant. This has on the one hand allowed for the Tequila industry to grow in scale significantly, but at the same time resulted in the creation of a monoculture of Blue Weber agave across Mexico, much of whom share an identical genetic blueprint and by extension the same flavour profile.

Ana Maria Romero Mena, Master Distiller for Mijenta.

“With our first release in my new Maestra Selection series, we’ve attempted something that’s never been done before,... This is the first tequila to be made exclusively from agave de semilla, or agave grown from seed. After tasting it at still strength and at 40% ABV, I chose to do this at 50% ABV because I believe it showcases the full richness of the expression, with flavors that leap out of the glass.

An agave produces seeds only at the end of its lifecycle, when the quiote (an asparagus-like stalk) grows from the center of the plant and flowers. The flowers are most commonly pollinated by bats, the process of which brings together DNA from different agaves to create a new generation, which are more robust and less prone to the types of health issues than hijuelos can be." says Mena."

Mijenta's Master Distiller Ana Maria Romero Mena is thus breaking free from the mold by using 100% seeded agaves - these agaves are much costlier and require more time to nurture, but in turn offers more variance in flavour, key when producing Tequila which demands that only the Blue Weber varietal of agaves can be used. The agave used averages 8 years in age, and is said to be naturally high in sugar which makes for a richer Tequila, and thus the new Mijenta expression is said to better reflect the terroir of the Jalisco Highlands.

Official Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright, luminous, with silver hues, and full-bodied.

Aroma: The first impression features intense cooked agave, caramel, and chocolate with tropical fruit hints, floral nuances, subtle herbal notes, and spices, all balanced with a low alcoholic note and a mineral touch.

Taste: It confirms all its olfactory promise, leaving the mouth with intense fruity, spicy, floral tones, and cooked agave. It is sweet and silky. With great persistence.

The new blanco Tequila Mijenta Maestra Selection No. 1 is also bottled at the highest proof for the brand till date, at 50% ABV. However, beyond just the flavours of the Tequila, this moves reflects Mijenta's commitment to sustainability, as monoculture agaves tend to be susceptible to the same threats which may in turn wipe out Mexico's agave fields if it continues to be overly reliant on the same clones, and thus Mijenta has emphasised its hope that other Tequila-makers will soon follow the same path.

Additional Information: The blanco Tequila was produced at NOM 1412 Destiladora Los Altos in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico, with the agaves harvested from the Los Altos region, where it was cooked in a low pressure autoclave, extraction was done using a roller mill, with the water used being deep well water. Fermentation was done in stainless steel tanks with 100% agave, using an open-air fermentation without any fibers. The Tequila is twice distilled in a stainless steel pot, with no aging, coming off the stills at 57% ABV (114 Proof), but brought down to 50% ABV (100 Proof).

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team