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Regulatory Intelligence · Sensory Science · Production Standards

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Agave Spirits

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Ask anything about tequila — production standards, NOM regulations, additive-free verification, regional terroir, aging categories, or brand certification.

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The foundational topics every serious agave spirits professional and enthusiast should understand.

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Tequila Categories
Blanco through Extra Añejo — aging requirements, legal definitions, and the contested cristalino classification under NOM-006-SCFI-2012.
NOM-006CRTAging
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Denomination of Origin
The geographic protection covering five Mexican states — enforcement, highlands vs lowlands, and international recognition.
CRTGeographyDO
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Additive-Free Verification
The 1% additive rule, permitted substances under CRT, and how to verify additive-free claims.
CRTAdditivesAMM
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Reading a NOM Number
How NOM numbers are structured and how to trace a brand back to its distillery of origin.
NOMCRTDistilleries
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Highland vs Lowland Terroir
How altitude, soil, climate, and agave maturation shape fundamentally different sensory profiles.
TerroirSensoryJalisco
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Production Methods
From autoclave to brick oven, tahona to diffuser — how every production decision shapes the final spirit.
ProductionDistillationNOM-006
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Core terminology from CRT regulations and NOM-006.

Abocado
Mellowing, softening, making it smoother...
Agave Tequilana Weber
The only agave species permitted in tequila production...
Agavero
Agave farmer — cultivates blue agave from planting to harvest...
Añejo
Aged minimum one year in oak up to 600L...
Bagazo
Leftover agave fibers after juice extraction...
Barrica
Oak barrel used for aging tequila...
Blanco / Silver / Plata
Unaged or rested up to 60 days — purest agave expression...
Cabeza
Head — first cut of the distillation run, typically discarded...
Capón
Agave with its flowering stalk removed to maximize sugar content...
Corazón
Heart — the desirable middle cut of distillation...
Cosecha
Harvest — agave is harvested year-round as individual plants mature...
Cristalino
Filtered aged tequila — not a legal NOM-006 category...
Denominación de Origen
Geographic protection — tequila can only be produced in 5 Mexican states...
Extra Añejo
Aged minimum three years — introduced 2006...
Horno
Traditional brick oven — slow-cooks agave at ~95°C for 24-72 hours...
Jima / Jimador
Harvest / harvester — skilled worker using a coa tool to extract the piña...
Joven / Gold / Oro
Young — unaged or blanco with mellowing additives...
Los Altos (Highlands)
Eastern Jalisco highlands — red clay soils, slow-maturing agave...
Mellowing (Abocado)
Up to 1% approved softening agents — not permitted for blanco...
Mixto
51% minimum agave sugars — absence of 100% agave = mixto...
NOM
Norma Oficial Mexicana — 4-digit distillery ID on every certified bottle...
Piña
Harvested agave heart — pineapple-shaped, 40-90kg...
Reposado
Rested 2 months to 1 year in oak — agave and wood in balance...
Tahona
Traditional stone crushing wheel — associated with artisanal production...
Tequila Valley (Lowlands)
Western Jalisco valley — volcanic soils, faster maturation, earthier profiles...
Vinazas
Distillation waste liquid — environmental concern, some recycle as fertilizer...