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Posts from the ‘Tequila’ Category

27
Apr

Review: El Mayor Reposado Tequila

El Mayor Reposado is made from 100% blue weber agave estate grown for 8-10 years at 7500 feet above sea level.  El Mayor was relaunched in the US in 2007.  It is crafted by third generation Master Distiller Rodolfo Gonzalez.  The hand picked trimmed agave is chopped and slow cooked for 24 hours in an autoclave oven.  Once cooled the pinas are gently crushed by a millstone to release the juice.  The agave nectar is fermented with a proprietary yeast in stainless steel vats and double distilled in a copper lined pot still.  The tequila then rests for 9 months in American oak barrels for 9 months prior to bottling. Read more »

25
Apr

Review: Astral Blanco Tequila

Astral Blanco Tequila was recently released by Diageo.  If the name sounds familiar it was previously owned by Davos Brands who sold their portfolio which included Aviation American Gin, Astral Tequila, Sombra Mezcal, and Tyku Sake to Diageo for up to $610 million August 2020.  Diageo not only changed bottle designs they have also changed distilleries moving production from La Cofradia to Mieles Campos Azules.  Mieles Campos Azules only produces one other brand of tequila.  Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila.  The new Astral Tequila Blanco weighs in at 80 proof.  The original version was bottled at 92 proof.  Astral is made from 100% blue Weber agave.  Few production details have been revealed but the cooked pinas are crushed with a traditional stone wheel tahona.  The agave fibers normally discarded are used in the fermentation.  It is double distilled in copper pot stills.  The spent agave fibers, “bagazo”, are used to make adobe bricks that will be used to create new places for people to gather in local communities in Mexico. Read more »

22
Apr

Review: Gran Coramino Tequila Reposado Cristalino

Gran Coramino Tequila Reposado Cristalino was founded by entertainer Kevin Hart, and 11th generation tequila maker Juan Domingo Beckman.  Kevin Hart has spent 3 years working on this tequila.  It is crafted at Casa Cuervo, the number one tequila producing distillery in the world.  This distillery is best know as the house of Jose Cuervo, and 1800 tequila, but they produce several other tequila brands including Maestro Dobel, JaJa, and Gran Centenario.  The 100% blue weber agave is estate grown and hand planted in the valley.  The trimmed pinas are slow cooked in traditional brick ovens and double distilled in copper pot stills.  The tequila is aged in Eastern European oak barrels and then finished in California Cabernet wine casks.  It is then double filtered to remove the color not the taste.  $1 from every bottle sold will be donated to programs focused on empowering aspiring entrepreneurs from communities in Mexico and the US. Read more »

23
Mar

Review: The Butterfly Cannon Silver Cristalino Tequila

The Butterfly Cannon Silver Cristalino Tequila was created by the team at Biggar & Leith, owned by Mark Teasdale and the Founder of Malfy Gin, Elwyn Gladstone.  It was launched in the UK September 2021 and was recently released in the US.  This is one of three tequila’s in The Butterfly Cannon family of tequilas.  The others include Blue, a silver tequila infused with prickly pear, and clementine with a natural blue color, and Rosa, a silver tequila infused with Mexican Pink Grapefruit Peel.  Butterfly Cannon is named for the migration Monarch Butterflies take traveling through the US via Texas and into Northern Mexico where they winter in trees for around 5 months.  It is one of over 150 brands of tequila produced at Destilador del Valle de Tequila.  Some of the other tequilas crafted here include Cincoro, Sparkle Donkey, Siempre, Hussong’s, and Casa Maestri.  The hand harvested 100% agave is grown for 7-8 years and baked in traditional steam ovens.  Once distilled the tequila rests for 30 days in American oak barrels before being charcoal filtered.  A portion of their profits help support butterfly conservation across the US and Mexico. Read more »

23
Feb

Review: El Jimador Blanco Tequila

El Jimador Blanco Tequila was launched 1994.  It is produced at Brown Forman Tequila Mexico.  Prior to being acquired by Brown Forman this distillery was known as Casa Herradura.  The distillery is surrounded by fruit trees and agave.  This distillery also produces Herradura, and Don Eduardo.  El Jimador is made from hand harvested estate grown agave.  The agave is cooked in clay ovens.  Once extracted the agave juice is fermented with wild yeast double distilled and estate bottled.  El Jimador Blanco Tequila is a value priced tequila, and it is the best selling tequila in Mexico. Read more »

16
Feb

Review: Casa Del Sol Blanco Tequila

Casa Del Sol Blanco Tequila was launched September 2021 in California, Colorado, and Florida.  It is now rolling out for National distribution.  The brand is co-owned by Eva Longoria.  Casa Del Sol Reposado, and Casa Del Sol Anejo complete the lineup.  Both are aged in Cognac French Limousin Oak Barrels sourced from Laurent Martell.  Casa Del Sol translates to House of the Sun.  The brand was inspired by the magic of golden hour, and the legend of the Aztec Goddess of Agave, Mayahuel.  The 100% Blue Weber agave is hand selected after growing a minimum 7 years in the Altos de Jalisco.  Once trimmed the pinas are slow cooked for 8-10 hours in an autoclave that is heated using steam produced sustainably by burning the trimmings from the processed agave.  The tequila is double distilled and then “kissed by our cognac barrels” hinting at a short resting period in the Martell Cognac barrels prior to bottling.  Casa Del Sol is one of 43 tequila brands currently crafted at Compania Tequilera de Arondas a third generation distillery with a female CEO.  Alejandra Pelayo the protege and god daughter of Francisco Alcaraz, the creator and Master Distiller of Patron is Head of Production.   Some of the other tequila brands produced here include El Charro, Riazul, Solana, and Tequila Lobos. Read more »

9
Feb

Review: Flecha Azul Tequila Blanco

Flecha Azul Tequila Blanco was co-founded by Mexican PGA golfer Abraham Ancer and Entrepreneur Aron Marquez March 2020.  Mark Wahlberg became the principal investor in 2021.  Flecha is the Spanish word for arrow, a projectile that only flies forward.  It is crafted at Tequila Orendain de Jalisco, a distillery family owned and operated since 1840.  This distillery makes several other tequilas including Batanga, Excellia, Gran Orendain, and Rayador Cutwater.  Flecha Azul is made from hand selected and harvested 8 year old agave.  It is slow cooked in traditional masonry ovens.  Once extracted the juice is fermented in open air steel tanks for 72 hours and double distilled.  The tequila rests in stainless steel for 60 days prior to bottling. Read more »

14
Jan

Review: Arette Blanco Tequila

Arette Blanco Tequila is made at Tequila Arette de Jalisco from estate grown agave and water sourced from the Tequila volcano springs.  Arette is named for Arete, a horse who won a gold medal for Mexico in the 1948 Olympics in England.  Eduardo and Jaime Orendain, the great grand sons of the legendary Don Eduardo, returned to El Llano Distillery, the original building where Don Eduardo first starting crafting tequila in 1900.  They rebuilt the distillery in 1978 and Tequila Arette was introduced in 1986.  Once harvested and trimmed the agave is slow cooked for 15 hours in autoclave ovens then rested for 15 hours in a stainless steel autoclave.  The pinas are shredded and the extracted juice is fermented for 4 days is stainless steel vats with natural house yeast.  It is small batch double distilled in stainless steel pot stills with copper coils and carbon filtered. Read more »

28
Dec

Review: Villa One Reposado Tequila

Villa One Reposado is one of three tequila expressions of tequila developed by Nick Jonas and John Varvatos.  They were inspired during a trip to Mexico in 2018 with family and friends.  Nick and John partnered with Stoli and Master Distiller Arturo Fuentes, “The Godfather of Tequila” to create Villa One.  It is crafted at Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, a distillery Stoli acquired in 2016.  The spirit is made from 100% Weber Blue agave grown for 5-7 years in both the Highland and Lowland Region.  Once harvested and trimmed the agave is slow cooked and double distilled in traditional copper pot stills.  Fresh water drawn from their own artesian well located on their property is blended to reduce to proof. Read more »

16
Dec

Review: Lalo Tequila Blanco

Lalo Tequila Blanco is named after Founder Eduardo “Lalo” Gonzalez.  Lalo is the nickname given to him by his Grandfather, Don Julio Gonzalez.  Don Julio Gonzalez purchased his first tequila distillery when he was 17 in 1942.  When he retired in 1987 after 45 years of making tequila his son, also named Eduardo created a special edition tequila to commemorate the occasion.  That tequila is now known as Don Julio.  Most experts agree it was the industries first luxury tequila brand.  Don Julio 1942 is perhaps the industries most iconic tequila.  After working for several years in the tequila industry, friends Lalo Gonzalez and David Carballido sought to create a truly pure blanco tequila.  They began by producing small batches for their family and friends in Guadalajara.  They soon joined with Co-Founder Jim McDermott and launched Lalo in Austin Texas September 2019.  Initially the focus of Lalo was on premise sales, but with Covid squeezing the entertainment sector, they expanded their focus to include retail sales.  Lalo is crafted from 7 year old blue agave grown in the mineral rich soil of the Jalisco Highlands. Once trimmed the agave is cooked in stone steam ovens for 20-32 hours.  The agave rests for 18 hours before the juice is extracted with a roller press and fermented for 3-4 days with a proprietary yeast found in Champaign.  The spirit is double distilled and oxygenated to achieve the final stabilization prior to bottling. Read more »