Table of contents for First Edition in Tequila

It seems to be an occupational hazard, considering that my days are spent writing and editing magazines, that I’m always drawn to a good story. You really don’t need to search that hard to find one – all you have to do is listen. When I first began to research the topics and brands that I wanted to highlight in this first issue of the Tequila annual, I was absolutely dumbfounded by the sheer number of incredible and unique tales that I was beginning to discover, and it was only just scratching the surface. There are many slightly pessimistic – or, perhaps, cynical – people out there that will hear a brand story being told and assume that it is simply a clever marketing ploy, used purely to ensure that…

It may have taken French wine producers some 500 years to distinguish Château Haut-Brion from generic Claret, and it has certainly taken even longer for English consumers to be able to converse confidently about the differences between left and right bank Bordeaux. For Eduardo “Lalo” Angeles, the question is whether there is a shortcut for mezcal. Angeles is the maestro mezcalero at Lalocura in Santa Catarina Minas. A ‘living legend’ of mezcal production, he spent years working as the fourth-generation master distiller at his family’s brand whilst earning a degree in agricultural engineering, before setting out on his own in 2014. No visit to his Lalocura palenque – less than an hour’s drive south of the city of Oaxaca – is complete without a full immersion in Lalo’s philosophy of…

In the following pages Bethany and Phoebe taste a selection of the latest expressions in the world of Tequila and mezcal, providing their expert opinion on the taste profiles and exploring the multiple ways to enjoy the spirits in all their glory. Bethany Whymark Bethany spent five years working as a journalist for regional newspaper groups in the east of England before moving into the spirits industry. She now edits Whisky Magazine, Gin, and Scotch Whisky, and serves as a taster for all these titles. Phoebe Calver As editor of the Tequila annual, American Whiskey Magazine, Bourbon annual, and Rum, and deputy editor of Whisky Magazine, Phoebe splits her focus between the US and ‘global’ whisky scenes. She is also co-host of Whisky Live TV and formerly served as a…

Best Añejo GOLD Tequila Ocho Añejo 40% ABV TEQUILA OCHO Nice complex aroma of agave, spice, and fruit. Good green leafy notes and savoury salty notes with some smoke. Dry finish with a little anise. Lingering menthol notes, clean and fresh. The team at Tequila Ocho has taken time to carefully build a reputation for curating, selecting, and harvesting ripe agaves from its own fields in the highlands surrounding the town of Arandas, Jalisco, in order to curate the world’s first single estate Tequila. For the brand itself, having complete control over the raw materials that are utilised throughout the process of harvest to distillation is of paramount importance. The resulting liquid is the culmination of a dream shared by maestro tequilero Carlos Camarena and the late, legendary Tequila ambassador…

Best Flavoured GOLD Neurita Sicilian Orange and Tangerine 35% NEURITA Really great lemon flavor. Lots of sweetness, with an orange, triple sec-type flavor. Pretty clean and natural. The founder of Neurita, Lucy Smith, has always loved a Margarita and from that grew her love of the spirit at its centre. However, she never quite felt that she could find a brand that represented the category as she saw it, so she decided to take action. The resultant Tequila is based on the ideal that she had searched for: a fun and confident, yet credible and unapologetically made spirit, made with Margaritas in mind. The brand’s range of Tequila spirits are infused with real fruit extracts and botanicals, each designed to breath fresh life and vibrancy into the sector and the…

WORLD’S BEST MEZCAL Best Blanco GOLD Mezcal Vago Elote 50.7% MEZCAL VAGO Cereal notes on the nose, quite cosy, with a little bit of orange sherbet and lime sorbet. Some oiliness on the palate, with a little smoke and toasted sugar, some deep dark notes, and a tingle of alcohol before menthol pepperberries. Mezcal Vago was born out of love, starting when co-founder Judah Kuper visited an Oaxaca hospital and fell in love. He joined forces with his new love’s father, Aquilino Garcia, a farmer who produced mezcal, and friend Dylan Sloan to launch Mezcal Vago. The brand’s first explored bottles arrived to Texas in 2013, with each of the mezcals being naturally made in a traditional palenque without additives. The front label on each bottle contains information for the…

MARGARITA The origins of the Margarita cocktail remain murky in drinks folklore but what we do know is that at its most classic, it is made up of Tequila, triple sec/curacao, and lime juice. When it comes to the history behind what is now one of the world’s most recognized and loved cocktails, David Wondrich’s The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails starts in 1939 with New York bartender Charlie Connolly’s Tequila Sour, combing Tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice and being served in a salt-rimmed cocktail glass with a wedge of lime. It wasn’t until the mid-1950s, though, that the Margarita was really catapulted to fame thanks to an advertising campaign by Cuervo and an influx of Mexican restaurants quickly following around the United States, including one from Victor Bergeron…

Best Cristalino GOLD Cenote Cristalino 40% CENOTE TEQUILA Stong vanilla caramel character on the nose. On the palate, nice notes of caramel and milk chocolate. The alcohol is warm but works with the flavors. Cenote Tequila is inspired by the beautiful sights of the Yucatán Peninsula and the incredible underground water systems that are unique to the geographical region. The ultra-premium Tequila, made with 100 per cent blue Weber agave, brings complexities in flavor that balance with the fragrant cooked agave and delicate wood notes. The Tequila takes its name from from the cenotes, natural swimming holes found across Mexico, which are formed by the collapse of a porous limestone bedrock which then uncovers a secret subterranean world of fresh water. The water that is used in Tequila production is…

Warning: this article will use the correct spelling of the word “mezcal” as opposed to the incorrect British spelling “mescal”. It’s like spelling “Britich” or “jin”, “bodka” and “güiskey”. It should also be noted that there is a (not so) subtle difference between “mezcal” and “Mezcal”; the former is the collective name for agave spirits in Mexico before the law and capitalism tried to differentiate them in order to make “unique” products, and the latter is an agave spirit protected internationally by intellectual property laws and denomination of origin (DO) or geographical indication (GI) agreements with the WIPO. Neither is spelled with S. Ever. You have most likely heard it by now: “all Tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal are Tequilas”. It’s a statement that, like many other trite…

When it comes to Tequila cocktails, depending on where you live in the world, you may have a select few go-to recipes that immediately spring to mind. We are aiming to help you delve further into the versatility that can be found in your ‘old faithful’ cocktails, with the help of Patrón Tequila. Patrón is crafted with precision, from hand-harvesting its 100 per cent blue Weber agave, to the traditional distillation process and individual labelling, numbering, and inspection of each bottle. Although Patrón has grown over time to become recognized all over the world, it is still exclusively produced in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Patrón’s Tequila selection Patrón Silver is a flawless white spirit made from the finest blue Weber agave with citrus and fruity notes. With a taste…

WORLD’S BEST TEQUILA Best Blanco GOLD Lunazul El Humoso 40% HEAVEN HILL BRANDS Iodine and smoke notes, welcoming a bit of shoe leather and boot polish. Fresh char from a barbeque with a lovely saline note, making the smoke punchy, but the underlying agave is good. Lunazul Tequila’s story started out with Francisco Beckmann Senior, a seventh-generation descendent of the Beckmann family, which is the oldest dynasty of Tequila producers. Tierra de Agaves (maker of Lunazul Tequila) was founded in 2002 and running off more than 200 years of Tequila-making experience, Francisco set out with a mission to create the world’s finest 100 per cent agave Tequila. Lunazul Tequila is created using 100 per cent blue Weber agave, and its spirits are distilled and bottled at the Tierra de Agaves…

Best Extra Añejo GOLD Cierto Reserve Collection Extra Añejo 40% CIERTO SPIRITS INTERNATIONAL Strong nose. Aroma has notes of dusty wood, vanilla, and caramel. The palate is sweet and dry. Cierto boasts a portfolio of 100 per cent additive-free authentic Tequilas, each of which has been handcrafted by respected master distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza, fourth and fifth generation agaveros. The name Cierto is Spanish for ‘true’, which the brand believes is the perfect word to describe the elegant Tequila which is crafted using a combination of time-honored and globally inspired distilling techniques. Cierto is housed in a gemstone-inspired bottle designed to showcase the rich, natural colors of the Tequila within. Cierto starts with fully mature, grown agave from the majestic Jalisco Highlands, selected by hand and harvested…

Best Reposado GOLD Tequila Ocho Reposado 40% TEQUILA OCHO Lovely aromas of cooked and green agave with hints of lemons and ice tea. Soft and elegant on the palate with strong flavors of lemon iced tea and agave carrying through. It’s time to explore Tequila Ocho’s agave-forward expressions, each of which has its own unique profile, uncovering the effect terroir has on agave. Tequila Plato 40% Full and complex cooked agave notes, with developing hints of fresh-cut grass and earthiness. Tequila Reposado 40% Notes of sweet cooked agave, balanced by spice, cinnamon, and delicate vanilla. Tequila Añejo 40% Complex notes of cooked agave, with dark cacao, coffee, nutmeg, dried fruits, and salted caramel. Reposado Shortlisted Winners SILVER Lunazul Reposado 40% HEAVEN HILL BRANDS Strong aroma of mineral water and a…