Tequila is obtained from the distillation of Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, whose fibrous spiky leaves are blue-green in color. It is one of the 273 identified species of the Agavaceae family.
Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, grows at 1500 meters above sea level, in a clayey, permeable, preferably volcanic soil with a high content of basaltic elements and iron. This plant thrives in semiarid climate, meaning that there should be no more than 100 cloudy days a year (though ideally, this number should not exceed 65) with and average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.
It takes seven to twelve years for a Weber’s blue agave to mature. It flowers only once in its life, with a stalk that can grow up to ten meters high. Reproduction is by means of basal offshoots.
The plant got its name from the German naturalist Franz Weber, who arrived in Mexico around 1896. He devoted himself to the study of the flora of western Mexico, and spent a full six years investigating the best agave species for the production of tequila. In 1902, he settled on Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, wich now bears his name.
Weber blue agave takes the shortest amount of time to mature, has the highest carbohydrate content, and usually the largest amount of pups for replanting.
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