Tropical Tequila: A twist on piña colada flavors with a hint of pineapple. This recipe makes 4 shots, so you'll have extras for a friend! As with proceeding processes, the small-batch distillation at Patrón differs slightly between the Tahona and roller-mill sides of the distillery.

While they didn’t invent tequila, there’s undoubtedly an argument that they perfected it. Without Patrón’s influence, tequila would’ve stayed a mediocre party spirit. For this reason, Patron is often considered a premium spirit because of how difficult it is to produce large quantities. Once the plant has grown to produce fruit with optimal sugar levels, the fruit (known as the piña) is then harvested. Clase Azul has achieved cult status, and along with Patrón and a handful of others, it has cemented tequila’s place in the luxury-spirit world. When the tequila and mezcal brand was founded 25 years ago, its aim was not only to show the world how complex tequila can be but to rescue Mexico’s evaporating artisan culture. Over the past two decades, in the small Mexican town of Santa María Canchesdá, Clase Azul has helped to revive the dwindling artisanal heritage by commissioning highly skilled local artists to create beautiful decanters to hold its prized spirit. Patrón specify that the jimadors closely trim the leaves off the piña to ensure that the waxy leaves don't adversely affect the flavour of the tequila.

Does our Gran Patron Platinum Blanco offer value?

Patrón produces its Tequila in small batches using old and traditional processes. What sounds normal at first is a highly unusual thing to do these days. Patron Lalique is an Extra Añejo Tequila aged eight years in American, French, and Spanish sherry oak. The piña is the heart of the agave plant and in the case of Patrón, and other 100% agave tequilas, this is the source of all the sugars used in the fermentation. Patrón ensures a continuous supply of high-quality piña by having long-term contracts with its suppliers, mostly family-owned farms. Moscow Mule Margarita: This recipe is a twist on two classic drinks. Patrón silver mixes perfectly with ginger beer, Cointreauorange liqueur, and a salted rim!

Patrón produces one of the finest Ultra-Premium Tequilas on the market. Currently, their product portfolio counts more than 35 different expressions of the popular agave spirit. Many of them are rare, long-aged, limited-edition Tequilas.

Fermentation

This Extra-Anejo offering from Don Julio is aged in white oak barrels for three to five years, instead of the typical two years that is common in this category. They pride themselves with this crown jewel of their portfolio, and you will enjoy sipping it slowly on special occasions. Gentle nose of citrus and honey with notes of caramel and toffee for a long finish. Hints of wood can be detected. 13. Casa Herradura Seleccion Suprema Tequila Like most other tequilas, Patrón tequilas are double-distilled, except for and Gran Patrón Platinum which are triple-distilled. Blending The limited Tequila edition is aged four years in French Limousin and American white oak barrels before being bottled in a handmade container.

Tequila may have a wild and crazy reputation, but this unique spirit is created according to strict guidelines, guaranteeing authenticity and consistency. It’s distilled from the fermented juice of the Weber blue agave plant, and comes only from a specified region of Mexico, centered around the western state of Jalisco. A tequila labeled simply “gold” or “joven” is unaged, possibly with caramel coloring or other sweeteners added. Despite the loss in weight resulting from such close trimming of the piña, Patrón require that the minimum weight of each piña received at the distillery is at least 10kgs, this requirement is for safety reasons as more accidents occur when trying to spit very small piña on the patio prior to loading the ovens. (6kg of piña is required to produce one litre of tequila.) From pop culture references to serious tequila aficionados, Patron is one of the most popular tequila brands in existence. While many have sampled Patron’s classic silver tequila, Gran Patron Platinum Blanco is on a whole other level. With complex flavours and virtually no burn whatsoever, this tequila is one for the ages. How to enjoy Gran Patron Platinum Blanco Its multi-award-winning anejo tequila is aged for two years in French white oak barrels and has notes of dried fruits and spice as well as toasted oak, butterscotch and sweet agave. Like all of Casa Noble’s expressions, it is created in small batches.The collector’s bottles that are hand-made in a small village in Mexico is reason enough to give this reposado from Clase Azul a try. Aged for eight months in oak barrels, this premium spirit is made from organic agave. Offering a smooth palate with notes of caramel, pineapple, and hot peppers, the long finish is pleasantly surprising with a salty note. A great sipper for an alternative to scotch or whisky. 17. Tears of Llorona No.3 Extra Anejo Tequila When the piña are cut into four segments on the patio in front of the ovens at the distillery, the Cogollo of Novillo agave is removed. Like the core of a pineapple, this is tough and would add a bitter flavour if left in place.

The intense taste your palate will experience after sipping this liquor is due in part from its creamy texture. Aromas of citrus, sherry and smoke, along the butterscotch, chocolate and vanilla notes create that unique flavor they are famous for. The dark amber color is presented in a beautiful yet simple glass decanter. This one will charm you with its modesty and warm feeling on your palate. 5. Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio Agent of chaos club shot no more; in recent years, tequila has enjoyed a remarkable ascent to premium sipping spirit, and we’re all the better for it. Whilst Patrón is often credited as the godfather of high-end tequilas, its meteoric rise means that those with a taste for that sweet agave nectar have plenty of brands to browse through. And yet admittedly, it can be difficult to distinguish the best sipping tequila brands from each other. Notes of raisin and vanilla make this delectable liquor a delicacy to enjoy on its own, or even in an Old Fashioned if you prefer. 9. AsomBroso Gran Reserva 5 Year Extra Anejo

Category

Like wine and other unique spirits, tequila is produced according to regulations that govern its appellation of origin. Tequila may only be made in the state of Jalisco, which includes the town of Tequila, and parts of the surrounding states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. It must be made from blue agave and in accordance with additional rules for ingredients and aging. Spirits made using other agave species or elsewhere in Mexico are classified as mezcal. The Tahona crushed agave and roller-mill crushed agave both go through long different 72-hour fermentation processes and these long fermentations are key to producing flavoursome congeners during distillation. Although the fermentation time is the same and both Tahona and roller-mill fermentations are in open-topped pinewood fermentation vessels, there are several key differences: