Something that’s asked often to the makers of tequila is what tequila do you drink in Mexico? For many years it was local secret and had no name only referred to as El Tequila Privado, a private recipe from a little distillery in Amatitán.
For several generations, a local Amatitán artisan and distilling family has passionately produced this spirit, never moving away from the centuries old codes and customs called “Los Código’s” that have made it one of the most selective tequila in the world.
In Amatitán, every drop of Código1530’s offerings have been perfected the way one would a homemade recipe. Código also means code in Spanish which is fitting because of the many generations it has taken to unlock the code of the Codigo 1530 award winning tequilas.
The Código 1530 bottles bear the Jerusalem Cross as the symbol of its heritage story. Código 1530’s name honours “Los Código’s,” the traditional codes and customs that shaped and still live on in Amatitán and the Los Bajos region to this day. These values are at the core of the proud families who served this tequila in their homes, and the artisan distilling family who has been the guardians of this private tequila for generations.
Let's look at the secrets that Código 1530 Tequila holds!
Agave
Código 1530 harvests agave from their own fields. The Agave used are mature at a minimum of 7 years old. But it's not just age that determines when the Agave is ready to transform into tequila. The sugar level measured in Brix needs to be between 32-34 to become Código 1530 tequila. The minimum set by the CRT (Tequila Regulatory Counsil) is 24 brix, so we know that Código 1530 has its first secret here
Cooking and shredding
To achieve the most consistent cooking, Código 1530 uses an autoclave like many other producers. After the cooking a unique shredder that has been designed by the family that’s been making this tequila for 5 generations. The shredder is designed to keep the long fibers inside the pina intact during the chopping. These long fibers can release harsher tastes when cut that we don’t want in our tequila
First press and cold press
Código 1530agave is cooled for 24 hou
rs before putting it through the propriety chopper. No heat is used when pressing the juice of the agave and the agave is fully cooled. Only the first press is taken for the Tequila. By only using first and cold press a bottle of Código 1530 contains 2-3 times the agave versus most brands.
Distilling to proof
Often tequila is distilled to a high proof and then diluted with water to obtain the required ABV. However, the more water is used the more the flavour is diluted. Código 1530 uses a potstill (instead of a column still) to keep the rich flavours of the Agave intact.
There are a lot of “smooth” tequilas out there that are distilled at a higher alcohol content and have a lot of water added to get it as much as in half to be at proof – this removes all the flavour that come from the terroir of your agave and mouthfeel. Código 1530 aims to keep the profile of the carefully grown Agave intact.
Aging
The Majority of tequilas that hit the shelve are aged in American Oak that formerly held a Bourbon or Whiskey. Código 1530 ages their tequila in French Oak that previously housed an Award Winning Napa Valley Cabernet. Código 1530 has found that Tequila ages better in French Oak barrels because it nurtures the terroir characteristics better during the aging process. Agave and wine just make sense together, they are both terrior driven where whisky and bourbon are not.
Aging times in Award winning Napa Cabernet French oak barrels
Código 1530 Rosa: Aged for 1 Month, giving it the pink hue
Código 1530 Reposado: Aged for 6 months
Código 1530 Anejo: Aged for 18 months
Código 1530 Extra Anejo: Aged for 6 years
Additives and colouring
Did you know Tequila producers can add up to 1% of their volume in additives to fix young agave, low flavour or colour imparted from barrel aging (barrels impart zero flavor after 5 uses). Código 1530 does NOT use any colouring or additives.
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