The COLOR of deceit.
Jan 07 '02
The Bottom Line Artificial coloring is almost a shure sign of flavor manipulation in tequilas. Use knowledge and common sense to avoid "painted tequilas" en save your bucks for better brands.
Many people has contacted me asking about the real color of tequila. This is an extremely interesting issue, and once again, there is not a simple answer to this matter. I hope that this article can be useful for you.
What is tequila´s REAL color? Simple: it has NO color at all. PURE tequila is totally transparent, perhaps the best way to describe it is "vivid and shiny crystal clear". The reason most of the people that has been trained in tequila sampling prefer "blanco" types is because this is the purest form of this spirit, and many forms of alteration or manipulation become evident with a simple visual examination. So be aware of this: A great tequila starts with careful filtration, so if you see impurities floating around, you can begin to suspect low quality. Like the rule when selecting great diamonds: clearer and brigher means BETTER.
Now lets talk about colors and hues. Most of you will think that a good thumb of rule when judging what the "right" color must be for a specific type of tequila (gold, aged or extra-aged) would be: "the longer it has stayed inside a barrel, the darker it should be". Sounds easy, right? Now, get out there in the liquor shop and pick 9 different tequilas, and try to pick 3 of each kind based on COLOR alone. Dont cheat by looking at the label.
Ok. Now I bet you picked up at least one gold that you tought was an Añejo, and at least 2 of your Reposados are actually Añejos, and probably you didnt picked up a single Gold type. So...is color a good guide? FACT IS: you will find darker gold types than most añejos, and some añejos and a lot of reposados will fool you, because they are not dark, ambery colored.
With a VERY FEW rare exeptions (Chinaco, Patrón, Casa Noble, Corazón, Tesoro de Don Felipe to name the best known brands), you will notice that many añejos are so dark that can easily trick you to believe they are brandy, rum, cognac, even whiskey.So how can you explain the fact that a 5 year old Casa Noble is not even half as dark as a 2 year old Cuervo Centenario? Simple: artificial coloring.
I cant disclose some of the "tricks of the trade" from tequila makers, but let me assure you that I have witnessed how a 1 day old blanco transforms into a 3 year old añejo in less than 10 minutes. And 4 out of 10 so called "tequila experts" missing this trick. Just add some oak essences and caramel color. Simple. Fast. And highly illegal. But you will be amazed to know how many producers and brands use this practice every day.
My following advice is based on years of practice, comparison and experience. It is almost 100% effective, but it will spare you from a few dissapointments. Here is it:
AVOID: Dark reddish and opaque brownish hues: they are a shure sign of artificial coloring. Also be aware of bright yellows, and you may even enbcounter some specimens that display a dry straw-greenish hue. Ald last but definetly not least: study the color differences among the different types of tequila a given brand offers. If their Gold type is already dark...its highly probable that the color is manipulated.
TRUST: Firm, shiny amber tones on Añejos. Pale straw-yellow shades on Reposados.
FINAL NOTE: Does coloring affect TASTE? Should you avoid artificially colored brands?
Lets put it this way: The BEST tequila, as with any other distilled spirit, is that with the ability to transmit the true essence of its natural origins, pure, unaltered taste. There are very fine tequilas out there that manipulate flavor and color. But if you are forking out big bucks for a "super-premium" tequila brand, where high quality and authenticity shold prevail, any form of manipulation to mislead the consumer (or cheating, in plain english)is, to me, a discusting practice.
Next time you visit the liquor shop, take a look around and see for yourself. Would you trust a brand whose GOLD tequila is a lot darker than the best AÑejo in the shop?
I wont.Neither I would pay for such bottle. Be smart.
Enjoy!
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