After recently reviewing Espolon’s Tequila Blanco, I was interested in exploring more of their tequila products. Fortunately, I ended up with this bottle of Espolon Tequila Añejo from a recent work gift exchange party. This was one of my first experiences with Añejo tequila, and I was excited to see how it would differ from blanco and reposado. If you want general information about Espolon, you can read my recent review of Espolon Tequila Blanco. Espolon Tequila Anejo is produced in the same facility and using the same base ingredients. The main difference is the Añejo is aged for a minimum of 11 months in American Oak barrels, followed […]
Mijenta Blanco Tequila is produced by Mijenta Tequila, an Arandas-based tequila brand co-founded in 2020 by Mike Dolan, Juan Coronado, Elise Som, and Ana María Romero (the master distiller). Created at Casa Tequilera de Arandas in Arandas, Jalisco, Mijenta boasts a fully carbon neutral production process. They are also the first B-corp certified tequila brand as of late 2022. The agave is grown in a red clay soil that is rich in minerals such as iron and lime – which adds to the sense of “terrior” in the flavor. Their sustainable practices begin in the field, where they carefully maintain biodiversity, and avoid pesticides/herbicides. […]
Now that the weather is staring to get warmer, I’ve been in the mood for some refreshing tequila cocktails. And one bottle that I keep seeing everywhere, possibly ’cause of the striking artwork inspired by Jose Guadalupe Posada, is Espolon Tequila Blanco. After decades in the Mexican distilling industry, Cirilo Oropeza, who sadly passed away in 2020 at age 80, was approached by a entrepreneur to build a new tequila brand that would soon be known as Espolon Tequila. Oropeza continued to be the master distiller even after the brand was purchased by the Italian spirit firm Campari Group in 2009. Espolon Tequila is distilled using a […]
Madre Mezcal Artesanal Ensamble Flask is the smaller bottle version of Madre Ensamble – an artisanal mezcal produced by the brand Madre Mezcal. Founded by U.S.-based duo Tony Farfalla and Stefan Wigand, Madre partners with local families in Oaxaca with generations of Mezcal experience. According to the founders, Madre was first brought to the U.S. as a bootleg version in plastic bottles. Now a fully fledged company, Madre works with three main families based in Matlatan, Miahuatlan, and San Dionisio to produce the different expressions of handmade mezcal. This particular expression of Mezcal Ensamble is a blend using Espadin and Cuishe […]
Desert Door Texas Sotol is produced at Desert Door Distillery in Driftwood, Texas. Desert Door aims to celebrate the history and legacy of Sotol – a unique spirit made by the natives of what is now west Texas. As a brand, they also engage in conservation efforts through their nonprofit, Wild Spirit Wild Places – including projects such as pollinator conservation, controlled burns, and more. Similar to agave, the sotol plant is a grass-like shrub native to the Chihuahua Desert. Desert Door harvests their sotol wild, selecting plants that are between 10-15 years old. The heart is then cooked in steam, pressed individually, and fermented […]