🥃 Tequila classes
Tequila classes by treatment after distillation: from clear blanco to extra añejo, aged in oak for at least 3 years. Colour alone does not tell you how long it was aged.
Reading a tequila label, you meet the classes: five designations that, under the Mexican standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012, describe what happened to the tequila after distillation: blanco (plata), joven (oro), reposado, añejo and extra añejo. The class determines the ageing period in oak, the cask size and the permitted additives, while the strength is the same for all: 35–55% ABV.
Blanco, or plata, is clear, though not necessarily colourless, tequila without softening additives: after distillation it is only diluted with water to the required strength, and it may spend less than two months in oak. Joven, or oro, is a blend of blanco with aged tequila, or blanco softened with permitted ingredients, so this class does not mean longer ageing.
Reposado is aged at least two months in direct contact with the wood of oak containers of any size. Añejo is aged at least a year in casks of up to 600 L, extra añejo at least three years in the same casks. A blend of reposado with older tequila remains reposado, and a blend of añejo with extra añejo is añejo. Tequila is aged only by authorised producers in the area of origin.
Softening (abocado) is the addition of caramel colouring, natural oak extract, glycerine or sugar syrup, in total no more than 1% of the tequila's mass before bottling. It is allowed for joven, reposado, añejo and extra añejo, but not for blanco. If sweeteners, colourings or flavourings have been added to the tequila, it may contain no more than 75 g/l of sugars. For export, the classes may be named Silver, Gold, Aged, Extra aged and Ultra aged.
Why this matters to you. Colour does not prove ageing: a joven or oro may be a blanco with caramel, and aged classes may also be softened. Only the class tells you about time in oak: reposado, añejo or extra añejo. WHO: there is no safe dose of alcohol.
Facts
| Legal basis | NOM-006-SCFI-2012, points 4.36.1–4.36.5, 5.2, 6.1.1.1, 6.4 |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | blanco: up to 2 months; reposado: from 2 months; añejo: from 1 year; extra añejo: from 3 years |
| Cask type | oak (roble or encino); for añejo and extra añejo, up to 600 L |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 35–55% ABV at 20 °C for all classes |
| Raw material | Agave tequilana Weber, azul variety |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Tequila classes → kind of → 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Blend
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- 🥃 Blue agave
- Works with
- 🍷 Cooper
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Products
- 🌵 Tequila
- Part of
- 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal, 🌵 Tequila
- Similar and different
- 🌵 Mezcal, 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave), 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave), 🥃 Mezcal with worm (con gusano)
- In other topics
- 🏷️ Oak ageing
Frequently asked questions
How many classes does tequila have?
Five: blanco (plata), joven (oro), reposado, añejo and extra añejo. They describe treatment after distillation and apply to both categories, “Tequila” and “100 % de agave” (NOM-006-SCFI-2012).
Is it true that the darker the tequila, the longer it was aged?
No. A joven or oro may be a blanco with caramel colouring, and reposado, añejo and extra añejo may be softened with caramel or oak extract. The class, not the colour, tells you about ageing.
What happens if reposado is blended with añejo?
The blend remains reposado: under the standard, the youngest part determines the class of the blend. Likewise a blend of añejo with extra añejo is called añejo, and blanco with aged tequila is joven or oro.
What is abocado in tequila?
Softening the taste with caramel colouring, natural oak extract, glycerine or sugar syrup, in total no more than 1% of the tequila's mass before bottling. It is not applied to blanco.
What are the tequila classes called in English?
For the international market the standard allows a translation into the language of the country of sale or the names Silver (blanco), Gold (joven), Aged (reposado), Extra aged (añejo) and Ultra aged (extra añejo).
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🥃 Blue agave — Agave tequilana Weber, azul variety, is the only agave for tequila: the category “Tequila” needs at least 51% of sugars from it, “100% de agave” all of them.
- 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave) — Tequila made only from sugars of blue agave from the area of origin, unlike the “Tequila” category, where other sugars may make up to 49%. Look for “100% de agave” on the label.
- 🌵 Mezcal — Mezcal is a Mexican distillate of 100% agave of any species, 35–55% ABV. Plain mezcal, artesanal and ancestral differ in oven, mill and still, not in age. Appellation of origin since 1994.
Similar
🥃 Mezcal artesanal and ancestral · 🥃 Mezcal with worm (con gusano) · 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave) · 🥃 Tequila joven · 🥃 Tequila añejo · 🥃 Tequila extra añejo
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- NOM-006-SCFI-2012, Bebidas alcohólicas — Tequila — Especificaciones (DOF 13.12.2012, Mexico)
- Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT): Denominación de Origen Tequila
- 27 CFR § 5.148 Agave spirits (USA, TTB standard of identity), text via Cornell LII
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)