Review: Cenote Blanco Tequila
Cenote Blanco Tequila is an ultra premium 100% Weber blue agave recently launched by SPI Group, the parent company of Stoli Vodka, Bayou Rum, Kah Tequila, and Kentucky Owl Bourbon. Cenote is named for the natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock which revealed a secret subterranean world of crystal clear fresh water. The Mayans revered and named cenotes, meaning sacred well. Master Distiller Arturo Fuentes and Master Blender Alejandro Garcia Perez manage the entire process at Fabrica de Tequilos Finos. This is the distillery that also produces Dos Manos, El Diamante Del Cielo, Kirkland Signature, and Kah tequila. Cenote is made from 100% blue agave grown for a minimum 6-7 years before harvesting from the Lowland Region. The water used to craft Cenote is sourced from an artesian well located at the distillery. The water is further filtered through reverse osmosis and carbon filters with silver ions. Cenote is double distilled using a combination of copper and stainless steel pot stills. After distillation the tequila is mellowed in American oak barrels for 3 weeks before bottling. Read more 
Review: Grand Mayan Silver Tequila
Grand Mayan Silver Tequila is made from 100% estate grown Weber Blue agave from the Lowland region, and natural spring water. The spirit is slow distilled three times and bottled in a hand-made ceramic talavera bottle crafted by Mexican artists. Each decanter bakes for 8 hours before it is hand painting and numbered. Grand Mayan is made at Corporativo Destileria Santa Lucia. This distillery has produced tequila for over 70 years and it is where several other tequila brands are crafted. These brands include El Capo, Amate, El Destilador, and Tierra Azteca. Read more
Review: Six Degree Blanco Tequila
Six Degree Blanco Tequila is named for the 6 degrees that connect all of us together. It is crafted from 100% blue agave harvested in the Highlands surrounding the city of Tequila. The pinas are steamed and roast in clay ovens through various times and temperatures to create the multiple tones that tantalize the taste buds. The spirit is triple distilled through a gravity fed distillation process without the use of pumps or motors. The tequila finishes through a custom filter, and then rests for 2 months in stainless steel before bottling in a very attractive vessel. Read more
Review: Blue Iguana Silver Tequila
Blue Iguana Silver Tequila is produced at Distilarora del Valle de Tequila with 100% blue agave grown in both the Highland and Lowland Regions. The agave is hand selected when the brix sugar content is between 23-28. The agave hearts are steam roasted in century old traditional brick ovens for 36-54 hours. Next one half of the roasted agave hearts are pressure cooked in a 20 ton autoclave for 15 hours. After cooling for 9 hours they are shredded in a mill. The agave juice is fermented for 36 hours in a stainless steel tank, and double distilled in pot stills. Read more
Review: Blue Nectar Silver Tequila
Blue Nectar Silver Tequila was introduced October 2011 in Colorado and Michigan. Since then distribution has expanded. Blue Nectar is the result of a father and son with a shared love for tequila. It started with a birthday ritual of gifting exceptional tequilas, and resulted in the creation of their own brand. Blue Nectar is made from 100% blue agave, estate grown for 8-10 years in the volcanic soils of a 1700 hectares field, adjacent to the distillery, at an elevation of 4139 feet. The pinas are slow cooked and cooled for 24 hours in an autoclave. Once the juice is extracted it is fermented for 3-5 days in stainless steel tanks and then triple distilled. Read more
Review: Nosotros Blanco Tequila
Nosotros Blanco Tequila was introduced in 2016. Distribution is currently limited, but after being awarded as The Best Tequila at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirit Competition that may change. It is made from 100% blue agave grown in the Lowland and Highland Region. The agave is slow roasted in brick ovens for 60 hours. A German proprietary yeast is used to ferment the agave. The distillation is described as artisan, followed by a chill filtration. Read more
Review: Azunia Blanco Tequila
Azunia Blanco Tequila was first released as Azunia Platinum Tequila in 2010. Jim Riley a former VP of PR and Events for Kettle One Vodka partnered with the family owned and operated Rancho Miravalle Estate to create Azunia Tequila. Hall of Fame Basketball legend Bill Walton is also an equity partner. In 2013 the brand redesigned their bottle. Gone is the twist off cap in favor of a new more modern looking design that featured textured paper labels, wood caps and hand crafted glass bottles. Some time between then and now the name was changed, the packaging was redesigned again, and Azunia Blanco Tequila is now made from 100% Organic blue agave grown for 8-10 years in the valleys of Jalisco on land owned and maintained by Sergio Zuniga and Family. The agave is hand harvested and split in the field, then taken to the estate owned distillery. The pinas are slow roasted for 36 hours in traditional clay hornos. Once cooled the pinas are crushed in the pressing mills to extract the agave juice. Yeast is produced naturally through a 5-7 day open air fermentation. It is double distilled in small batches in a pot still. Pristine water from a deep artesian well is blended to reduce to 80 proof. A unique filtration follows before it is bottled and hand labeled. Read more
Review: Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila
Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila was introduced in 2010. It has since been replaced by Azunia Blanco Tequila, a tequila now created with organic agave. While Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila is no longer produced, it may still be available in limited quantities. My review of Azunia Blanco will be posted tomorrow. I will highlight the differences between the two in tomorrows review. Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila is crafted by Master Distiller Salvador Rivera Cordona at the family owned and operated Rancho Miravalle Estate. The agave is grown for 8-10 years in the small town of Amatitan. The agave is slow roasted for 36 hours and allowed to cool before the cooked pinas are crushed in pressing mills to extract the agave juice. After fermenting in the open air for 5-7 days it is double distilled in a pot still. Read more
Review: San Matias Tahona Blanco Tequila
San Matias Tahona Blanco Tequila was launched December 2016. It was created to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the San Matias de Jalisco Distillery. This distillery also produces Corazon Tequila. When Don Delfino Gonzalez started producing Casa San Matias Tequila in 1886 he used a large stone wheel, called a tahona to crush the cooked agave. That same stone wheel is used to craft San Matias Tahona Blanco Tequila. It is made from 100% agave grown for 7-10 years in the red volcanic soil fields of the Highlands. The agave is slow baked in brick ovens for 48 hours and crushed by the same tahona stone used more than 100 years ago. The agave juice is fermented for 72 hours in pine wooded tanks and then double distilled at low temperatures in a 300 liter copper pot still by Master Distiller Rocio Rodriquez. Read more
Review: Roca Patron Silver Tequila
Roca Patron Silver Tequila was released July 2014. The English translation for roca, is rock. Roca Patron it is named for the two ton volcanic stone Tahona wheel used to crush the single estate grown agave that is first chopped in half and steam baked in small brick ovens for 79 hours. This is the old school method that most distilleries have replaced with a more modern roller mill process. The juice and some of the agave fiber are fermented together in wooden vats for 72 hours. The tequila is double distilled in small batch copper pot stills. Read more