Tasting Tour

The depths of the mind and its ability to transport us back through time to a different place with the single, sudden scent of something long since forgotten has always been one of my secret pleasures. Food and wine were an integral part of my childhood – my father was an accomplished cook and our house was always full of incredible smells, and as I got older he shared his love of wine with me as well, swirling glasses of rich ruby liquid around and encouraging me to dive in with my nose and see where each unique scent took me.

Tequila is equally evocative for me, and from the beginning of my journey of falling in love with it the opening of every new bottle is always such a delicious experience. The weight of it coming out of the box, the way the nectar inside catches the light and casts a welcome glow wherever I may be – each bottle is a story in and of itself and a collection of memories just waiting to be made.

These gifts are the kind that keep giving…every bottle will always present an opportunity to find a new flavor, to notice something that hasn’t appeared before. Even now it is the same for me – the way the subtle complexity of our Blanco rolls around the mouth and opens itself up in a gentle invitation to explore, the shift that it takes as the variety of barrels we use add their essences to it as it becomes a Reposado, and our Añejo, a thousand stories in every sip.

We live in a fast paced world, and taking the time to step back from it all is imperative. For us, a gathering of friends and family with some amazing food and a few bottles of our tequila has always been a way to take a respite from the race. It’s always fun and full of laughter and fond memories with those who matter most.

Our friends and family (who are thrilled that we started a tequila company) asked us to make a tasting guide that they could share when they had tastings, and we decided we’d share it here as well. We hope you enjoy it, and as always we are only an email away if you have any questions or comments about our tequila.

Cheers, and happy tasting!

Setting up for your tasting

What you’ll need:

• Glassware – crystal champagne flutes are best as the long fluted shape helps the tequila open up. In a pinch though whatever you have on hand will work.
• Spittoon
• Ice
• Tasting Sheet/Card for taking notes plus any educational materials – printouts of information etc. that you and your group will be referencing during your tasting
• Palate cleanser – optional but water is always a great go to in our opinion
• Coffee beans to reset smell in between tastings
• Herbs, fruit, botanicals to pair or deconstruct – you can reference our tasting notes to see what you can find in our tequila and having the item in hand to sniff side by side as you taste can help you distinguish the most subtle hints in our expressions.

The Tasting

Now it’s time to dive right in. When tasting tequila we use our eyes, our nose, and our throat. Pour about 1 ounce of tequila in each glass, and when you’re ready, pick up your first glass and swirl the tequila around the glass. This opens it up by letting oxygen mix with the spirit and you’ll see and taste the subtle characteristics of our expressions as they come forth.

As you swirl you’ll see individual thin lines of liquid form and fall inside your glass. These are called the tears, and we use these to see what kind of body the tequila has. Thin and slow means you have a well made full bodied tequila – if they’re wide and quick there’s a lot of sugar in what you’re drinking. Sugar = additives = corner cutting in production and a low quality product.

Next comes the nose.swirl and sniff using several short simple sniffs rather than deep long pulls. Keep your mouth slightly open while sniffing. Discuss the aromas you’re getting – and as you pick them up try holding your glass first by your left shoulder and then by your right and see what different aromas you can pick up. Each side of our brain senses and recognizes different things and this is a fun first hand way to see how your left and right brain works with your senses. 

And now the first sip. It should be small, and breathe in slightly when you take it to allow the tequila to rinse your mouth. Notice which taste buds are active and when. What do you get at the beginning? The middle? On the finish? Next, take a slightly larger sip. Pay attention to the flavors, the body, the strength, the warmth.

Food Pairings 

Food with friends and family has been a cornerstone of our culture since the beginning of time, and food and tequila go hand in hand. Maybe you’re having a tasting before a dinner party, or you might just want to have some smaller plates on hand to pass around while you taste.

Either way, food that draws from the culture of Mexico will always be a great fit. Depending on which of the expressions you are sampling you can pick flavors that you think will pair well with that particular expression based on the tasting notes here. Desert, especially chocolate, always pairs best with our Añejo. Play around, try different combinations – it’s all part of the learning experience and the fun and it’s hard to go wrong.

Our Tasting Notes

Blanco

A pure expression of alchemy, crafted from 100% Blue Weber agave. Mature agaves are carefully selected and combined with natural volcanic spring water. Unrested, it’s both  elegant and uniquely smooth allowing natural flavors of agave to rinse the mouth. Bright agave, lively citrus notes, minerality with hints of fruit. Perfect as a sipping tequila either neat or on the rocks to allow you to enjoy the purest expression of our agaves – but also always wonderful in your favorite cocktail.

BODY/COLOR: uncolored, lucent, clear, light and clean body that washes the mouth with flavor

AROMA: green apple, raw agave, floral, citrus notes

PALATE: lemon, pepper notes, minerality, stone fruit, guava, honey

FINISH: smooth but complex, long lasting finish that is delightfully sweet, dances on the tip of your tongue

Fun Facts:

• The minerality from the volcano actually creates sand/dirt that sparkles
• A Blanco tequila can be aged up to 2 months and still be considered blanco – ours is not rested at all as we don’t want any barrel influence on its flavor.
• Agaves ripen at about 6 years of age. We let our agaves mature for 7 years before harvesting.

Reposado

Aged for three months in white oak, bourbon and California Chardonnay barrels whose elements begin to subtly enhance its remarkable flavor. Ripe, toasted agave characteristics begin to emerge around a gentle undertone of minerality and caramelized oak, with slight hints of honeysuckle and torched creme brulee making an appearance towards the finish.

BODY/COLOR: honeycomb, golden sand, light body

AROMA: lemongrass, toasted coconut, green pepper

PALATE: honeysuckle, fruit, lightly toasted agave, caramelized creme brulee 

FINISH: smooth and round with light and bright flavors, delicately sweet with notes of agave shining through

Fun Facts:

• Reposado means “rested.” Reposado Tequila can be rested anywhere from 2-12 months. Sueños is rested for 3 months in order to add complexity but still keep the integrity of the Blanco. We use a variety of barrels with a focus on Chardonnay barrels to grant enough oak and give body to a lightly rested reposado.
• By CRT standards – The Consejo Regulador de Tequila – (México’s governing body for all things tequila) up to 1% of additives are allowed to be added to tequila and that tequila can still be called additive free. It’s a popular misconception, and that’s why Sueños is 100% additive free. Even 0.1 % of anything can enormously influence the flavor of a tequila as well as resulting in the consumption of artificial flavors and sweeteners. This is why we use artisanal methods and fully mature agaves – when you taste Sueños you are tasting tequila as it should be tasted. All natural. Just agave,  passion and integrity.

Añejo

Complex and balanced, delicate flavors develop and minerality persists. Aged 13 months in a blend of french oak, bourbon, and red wine barrels. Gentle oak lends to brown sugar, coffee, and chocolate notes while roasted agave and citrus continue to pull through. A smooth texture with sweetness that gratifies but does not overwhelm.

BODY/COLOR: warm golden, amber, toasted croissant, toffee, light body that wraps your tongue in flavor 

AROMA: minerality, oak, coffee, clove, toasted agave

PALATE: roasted agave, chocolate, orange citrus, caramelized oak and brown sugar

FINISH: delicate finish of sweet and citrus with minerality that persists 

Fun Facts:

• Añejo – means old in spanish, which is why this expression is called Añejo.
• Añejo spends 1-3 years aging, anything over 3 years is Extra Añejo
• Añejo is best served with other bold flavors that can compete with it’s flavor and complexity