Tequila Sampling

This activity is regulated by the Official Mexican Norm NOM-006-SCFI-2012, Alcoholic Beverages-Tequila- Specifications in the #7 point of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila.

To select the tequila that will be the sample, first the production area elaborates a product plan about the bottled tequila of the following week, and creates a list of them. This list is sent to the dilution area, who is in charge to prepare the tequila before its bottled.

Once the tequila gets diluted, it passes through the filtration process. Cellulose filters are used and everything is stored in a special tank. A sample of the filtered product is taken, to see if the official standards have been met. When the analysis results are within the standards, we are able to continue and manage the next tequila processes:

• Sampled
• Transmittance
• Freezing
• Alcoholic level
• Esters
• Chromatography analysis

These analysis are performed in the Casa Sauza Laboratories, which is accredited by the EMA, A.C. (No. A-161-015/12). When this stage is over and the multiple essays are within the official parameters, tequila is finally liberated to be sampled.
To identify the sampling tequila, several boards were placed in each tank, and they contain the description of the product:

• Lote (lot)
• Producto (product)
• Volumen (volume)
• % Alc. Vol.
• Destino (Destiny)
  

The Lot is composed by the following information that is basically describing the tequila production procedures. For example, for a Blue Silver DBS date-dilution, the first letter belongs to the D of dilution, the second part is composed by the initials of the product, and the last three numbers of the code are the consecutive lot of the year.

To be able to perform this sampling in the right area of the organization, it is important to meet the safety standards using the following protection equipment:

• Steel-toed boots
• Helmet
• Gloves
• Glasses

In order for us to perform the tequila sampling properly, it is important to know that for each tank, 3 tequila liters are needed and they must be contained in 1000 ml bottles. One tequila bottle is taken to the Casa Sauza Laboratories, another one is stored for 2 years in case of any complains, after this a re-processing is required.

When the sampling is done along with the CRT Verification employees, they are the ones who check up that the sampling meets the required norms and rules.

When the bottles are filled with the tequila and finally sealed, they are transferred to the CRT offices in order for the employees to include the labels with all the identification information, previously provided by the company. In any case of having differences in the data, they have only one hour to fix the mistakes with the CRT so they are able to correct everything in time for the product to be delivered.

When the labels are done and placed int he bottles, the verification employee delivers the 24 format. This format is a letter from the EMA (Entidad Mexicana de Acreditación) which is generated in the Casa Sauza Laboratory to perform the proper tests and supervise the results. The bottled labeled with the name "laboratory" is the one that will be taken to that place, where several studies and analysis are applied to the product, such as:

• % Alc. Vol.
• Furfural
• Chromatography
• Dry Extract

When the study is emitted by the laboratory in charge, the information is uploaded to the internal platform in order for the users and employees in charge to download it and dispose of the information they may need.

The bottle labeled as "company" is the one that should be taken to the samples storage room, ready to be tasted and write down all the data in a record to have a control of the bottles that come in. These bottles are stored for 2 years, just in case somebody has a complaint, and after that period of time, the bottles can be emptied.

The bottle identified as "verification unit" is stored in the bulk are where is saved for a month. When the process is completed, the tanks are emptied in order for the liquid to be reprocessed one more time. All these processes are done to prepare the new products to get in a production line.

I invite you to read the next articles where you fill find a lot of information about the strategies and Planned Maintenance Programs we have implemented in Casa Sauza, in order to be the bets place to work and offer high-quality products to our clients.

Planned Maintenance

Autonomous Maintenance in Casa Sauza

Continuous Improvement at Casa Sauza