Review: Penta Tequila Blanco
Penta Tequila was founded by Steve Reynolds a winemaker at Reynolds Family Winery in Napa California and four of his tequila loving friends, all work in the Napa wine business. Those friends included Mark Davidowski, owner of Vangone Estate and Founder of Meritage Wine Market, Shawn Guttersen, Founder of Freedom Estate Wine, Ron Davidson, Founder of Vangone Vineyards and Sean Thomas, Founder of Thomas Knoll Winery. Steve Reynolds once crafted a wine from all 16 different growing regions in Napa California. It was that experience that lead them to craft a tequila from all five of the legal growing regions of agave for tequila. Penta is the Greek word for five. While most tequila is made from agave grown in Jalisco, tequila can also be made from agave grown in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. The five worked with Casa Aceves and Master Distiller Ana Maria Romero in creating Penta. Once the hand selected agave from all five regions is slow roasted the pinas are crushed and shredded instead of being pressed. The juice is fermented in two closed tanks. One with champagne yeast. The other with tequila yeast. The spirit is double distilled in stainless steel tanks with copper coils. The aroma leads with cooked agave, caramel, sugar cookie, and tropical fruit. Additional time brings out lemon and orange notes. The sweet agave entry is joined by lemon and caramel building to a creamy agave and caramel apple peak. It fades with tropical fruit, citrus, and mineral and finishes with lemon, almond cookie, and fresh cooked agave. This is a very clean and tasty tequila that tastes like no tequila I’ve tasted before, and I’ve tasted and reviewed hundreds.
NOM: 1499
Region: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michocan, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas
40% Alcohol
Score: 94
Award: Gold Medal