Our Process

AGAVE

Our agave is from the Los Altos region on the northern side of Jalisco. It grows from six to seven years at an altitude of
more than 2000 meters above sea level, tended with care and at ideal temperatures. The climate and soil conditions
ensure a lush agave with fruity notes and that it gathers an abundance of sugars over the years.
One by one, our agave is carefully selected, handpicked, and tested for sugars’ levels right on the fields, to guarantee that
our prized ingredient will develop the signature aromas and flavors of our Tequila. Once chosen, the Jima (the cut of the
agave) is made one inch from the piña (the plant’s core) to ensure the herbal presence, aroma, and notes of wet soil that
provide the characteristic raw agave taste of Tequila Blanco (Silver Tequila).

Our agave is cut into pieces and placed in an artisanal stone oven, where it is steamed at a temperature between 90ºC and 100ºC for at least 24 hours, allowing it to cool down for an additional 24 hours.

Once cooked and caramelized, the agave is taken out of the oven and placed on a conveyor belt that leads to a basic mechanic mill. This machine separates the agave juice from the bagasse, taking the first step towards the fermentation phase.

The fermentation vat is carefully prepared with our chosen yeast that has been primed and activated along with fortified nutrients. Once the agave juice is poured into the vat, the yeast will begin slowly converting the sugars into alcohol. No chemical accelerators are added. During this process, which lasts about 96 hours, the wort or “mosto” is carefully watched with constant and periodical revision of temperature, PH, and the conversion rate of sugar into alcohol.

48 hours into the process, we again add a portion of the yeast and nutrients, which expedites the completion of the fermentation process in a uniform way. Finally, having done all of this, our finished “mosto” is ready to be distilled.

This process is accompanied by classical music, the sound waves encouraging the smooth and consistent work of the yeast in converting sugars into alcohol.

The distillation process takes place in copper pot stills and is divided into two steps: destrozado, which takes 16 hours, and rectificado, which takes 8 hours. These processes separate and purify our “mosto“, eliminating any undesired elements, be it water, organic matter, or disagreeable or toxic alcohols.

This is traditionally referred to as cutting “las cabezas y las colas” (the heads and tails), so we are left with the corazón only the very heart of the Tequila.

And so, at 56ºC, General Gorostieta is born.

The process is performed under the strict direction of our Maestra Tequilera (tequila master), who ensures the utmost quality every step of the way. These processes have been developed through intense attention to detail, discipline and perseverance, and require patience and constant observation of both the temperature and alcohol levels. In addition, the distillers periodically sample both the copper pot still stream as it pours in the food-grade stainless steel vat, and that of the entire volume in the vat, to ensure full consistency and composition of the formula.

Once the distillation process is complete, the Tequila is placed in food-grade stainless steel vats where it is cold filtered to eliminate any fatty acids and give it its final shine. We do not use any additives or colorants in our Tequila, as we honor and support the “additive-free” mark from TequilaMatchMaker.com.

Our Tequila Joven is the result of a delicate blend between Tequila Blanco stored and stabilized in vessels for a month, and Tequila Reposado rested in dual-use American Oak barrels for 8 months. As a result, General Gorostieta is the best of both worlds, preserving the fresh and herbal qualities of Tequila Blanco while enhanced by the aromas, smoothness, and silkiness of Tequila Reposado.

Every bottle is carefully inspected against a beam of light, then filled and labeled by hand with meticulous attention and care to detail. Finally, our Maestra Tequilera thoroughly examines and certifies each bottle by signing and numbering every label that passes her quality standards. Only then can a Tequila truly be called General Gorostieta: a limited, small batch of only the best.