Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/856981
62 / the tasting panel / august 2017 "I started Sombra because I see mezcal as the heri- tage agave spirit of Mexico," says Betts. "In Oaxaca it has a real connection to people, place, cuisine and history; it's inextricably woven into the fabric of the place and this makes it special. Once Sombra began to take hold, I wanted to return to tequila, to a place where I was so sorely disappointed in the way the spirit had evolved to something so devoid of char- acter, and then to explore how to make something reflective of the way it was produced in a time gone by. It's really a throw-back, or heritage tequila, the likes of which have not been made in decades." To be sure, the mature agaves harvested for Astral are slow roasted in traditional hornos, or stone ovens, and use native yeast fermentation, which takes eight times longer than conventional fermentation. Moreover, the bagazos (the solid pulp from the crushed roasted agaves) is retained dur- ing the fermentation process to capture maximum agave character. Copper pot-distilled and bottled at a higher-than-normal 92 proof, it fills the mouth with COVER STORY "I have a diverse palate and I do know that many scotch drinkers are now drinking super-premium tequilas like Astral; they have that same sense of character and complexity of flavor," says brand partner Jonathan Goldsmith, the actor and bon vivant formerly known as "e Most Interesting Man in the World." PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVOS BRANDS