According to rules and regulations set by the CRT (the body that regulates everything tequila) distilled blue agave can only be called tequila if it has been harvested from one of six Mexican states. It used to be only Jalisco but in the early 2000s, thanks to global demand and a devastating plague, the regulations were changed to include five other Mexican states. For decades Blue Agave has been planted and harvested with little regard to the natural impact it causes. Rapid deforestation has prompted the government to set rules further limiting the areas in which blue agave can be harvested and be called tequila. This has contributed to a change of attitudes within the producer’s sector of tequila. A move that Ruisenor is proud to be a leading example of.
Ruisenor tequila is born at the foothills of the sierras in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. Our agave fields sit in some of the oldest agave planting land where we severely limit the use of agrochemicals, choosing instead to manually remove weeds and plagues by constantly checking our more than 100,000 plants. We are happy to report our neighbors have been following our example in the way they take care of their soil and their agave plants.
The tequila agave is native to a few central Mexico states where the elevation surpasses 5000 feet. In Jalisco, specifically around the canyons of the town of Tequila and Amatitán, agaves are known for their physical characteristics as well as for their high concentration of sugars. Agave Azul grown in the highlands like Los Altos region will result in tequila with a sweet taste and aroma. Agaves harvested in the valley regions, such as Ruisenor tequila, produce a herbaceous flavor in the tequila.