The Tasting Panel magazine

T he Phoenician in Scottsdale—Arizona's premier resort destination— has the privilege of an exclusive: El Tesoro Paradiso Phoenician Private Label tequila, produced by El Tesoro's third-generation owner and master distiller, Carlos Camarena. The AAA Five Diamond resort acquired an entire barrel of the exclusive eight-year-old tequila, resulting in 330 bottles for the resort's private label. It is the first and only private label cre- ated by El Tesoro. "Dedicated to producing spirits only from estate-grown 100 percent Weber blue agave, El Tesoro is an industry leader in quality and reputation, which made it a fitting partner for The Phoenician," says Mac Gregory, the property's Food & Beverage Director. "Due to the resort's high volume of tequila sales and its unprecedented collection of this popular product, a strong relationship between the two parties was already established. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to take it to the next level." A champion of mature sipping tequilas, The Phoenician was specifically interested in creating an Extra Añejo private label that would display maxi- mum aging and mellowing—and El Tesoro was excited to help. Camarena knew exactly what the resort was looking for, and offered The Phoenician a one-time purchase of a barrel featuring the eight-year expression of Parad- iso, which is normally aged only five years. El Tesoro Paradiso Phoenician Private Label is found resort-wide, at every managed bar and restaurant on the property. To preserve the bottles' authenticity, each is hand-numbered and proudly displayed. "Our guests are able to enjoy this rare spirit in a variety of formats, including their favorite cocktails," Gregory comments. "It serves as a prime example of The Phoeni- cian's philosophy of creating exceptional and indigenous experiences that cannot be duplicated anywhere in the world." september 2009 / the tasting panel / 49 The Phoenician's Private Label Tequila The Phoenician's Mac Gregory Named Judge for San Francisco World Spirits Competition T he San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the largest spirit competition in America. Founded in 2000 and now under the aegis of THE TASTING PANEL magazine, it is the first-ever comprehensive, international spirits judging event held in the U.S. on an annual basis. Serving as the benchmark in beverage ratings, the 2009 competition featured 876 products from 63 countries, with more than 75 categories recognized. "The San Francisco World Spirits Competition receives entries from the top spirits companies worldwide every year, and we have to match that caliber with high-qual- ity, expert judges," said Executive Director Anthony Dias Blue. "Mac Gregory em- bodies the skills, knowledge and passion that define our panel, and we are thrilled to welcome him to this select group of industry professionals." A 20-year veteran of the field, Gregory was hand-selected by a committee of existing judges, beverage writers and industry executives. He will begin his appoint- ment with the 2010 competition, which will take place March 13–14. Mac Gregory. Tequila On-Premise

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