What gives tequila its apple and grape edge?
Tequila is distilled from roasted agave — earthy, vegetal, faintly smoky. Yet its aroma profile carries a distinct fruity brightness that has nothing to do with agave and everything to do with fermentation chemistry.
All three esters are yeast byproducts, formed during fermentation when ethanol bonds with fatty acids — meaning tequila's fruit character is less about the agave plant and more about microbial metabolism. Wine shares the same compounds, often at far higher concentrations.
See exactly how far over the detection threshold each compound is — the part of the chemistry that explains why this pairing works. Plus the full ranked list for any ingredient, compound index, and Compare tool.
OAV (Odor Activity Value) = concentration ÷ detection threshold. Numbers above 1 mean the compound contributes detectably to aroma.