Road Trip Through Mexico: Day 2 (Thursday, August 11, 2022)

All aboard for stop number 2 of our agave road trip! This week we’ve got a small town in Jalisco plugged into our GPS, perhaps you’ve heard of it? Tequila! What better destination to follow up our week one tasting than with Mexico’s most famous spirit. Did you know Tequila was the first product outside of Europe to have it’s own Denomination of Origin?

Now that the groundwork for Mezcal, Tequila, Raicilla, Bacanora and Sotol has been laid, we’re doing a deep dive in to tequila. We’ll cover its history, production methods, regulations, the different kinds of tequila and the state of the spirit today. Here’s a sneak peak into the producers we’ll be visiting this week.

Please bring your passport and your veladora glass if you participated in the first event.

Tasting Lineup:

Fortaleza Blanco Still Strength (Agaves de la Villa, Lote #20-S) (Reg. $64.99)
Arette Artesanal Suave Reposado (Reg. $61.99)
Volans Tequila Blanco (Reg. $53.99)
Volans Tequila Single Barrel Reposado Barrel #7 (Reg. $79.99)
Purasangre Tequila Blanco Fuerte (Reg. $45.99)
Purasangre Tequila Reposado (Reg. $49.99)
Purasangre Tequila Anejo (Reg. $69.99)
Purasangre Tequila Extra Añejo 5 Years Old French Oak (Reg. $159.99)

Guillermo Erickson Sauza “Tequila Los Abuelos” NOM 1493

Five generations of tequila that can be traced to the heart of the town of tequila. Guillermo’s grandfather was responsible for the forming of the Denomination of Origin (DO) for Tequila. Tequila Fortaleza uses fully mature blue weber agave, is brick oven roasted, 100% tahona crushed, open air fermented in wood vats and twice distilled in copper pot stills and as always- Additive Free, this week we’ll be lucky enough to sample a very limited production run of their “Still Strength” that is made exclusively of agaves grown around Guillermo’s hacienda.

Felipe Camarena “El Pandillo Distillery” NOM 1579

Felipe Camarena is a third generation tequila producer in the small town of Jesus Maria, in the Los Altos region of Jalisco. Felipe has coupled his family’s rich history of traditional method tequila production with his two engineering degrees. The end result of this marriage are some of the highest rated tequilas available today. Felipe has found a way to modify some of the historic production methods his family has been using since the late 1800’s and lessen their strain on the valuable resources required to make tequila. This week we’ll taste one of his newest ventures “Volans Tequila”, both their blanco and a single barrel reposado. We’ll explore his modified methods and discuss exactly what he is doing to shrink their environmental footprint.

Orendain “El Llano” NOM 1109

The Orendains are another legendary family in the world of tequila. The Orendain brothers are still producing tequila at “El Llano”, one of the oldest distilleries in Jalisco still producing tequila. The Distillery is in the center of Tequila, just around the corner from Tequila Fortaleza’s original distillery. Our selection for this week will be their Reposado, aged in American oak, we’ll have the pleasure of tasting it side by side with two other high quality reposados, comparing the differences barrel type, agave source and water can have on a tequila.

Enrique Fonseca “El Tequilena” NOM 1146

Last but certainly not least, this week’s final producer is Enrique Fonseca. Enrique’s distillery is home to the oldest tequila available today, with some barrels reaching over 21 years in age. His newest venture to reach the Massachusetts market, Purasangre Tequila, will be highlighted through the entire tasting. Their Blanco Fuerte, Reposado, Anejo and a 5 year Extra Anejo are thankfully all on the tasting sheet and will show a great contrast due to their 100% French Oak cask aging.

Water, non-alcoholic refreshments, and light snacks will also be served. Must be 21+ years old to attend.