Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1013885
6 / the tasting panel / august 2018 like Uncle Val's Botanical Gin are crafted from original recipes, and although these brands may be new to the spirits world, each successfully reflects the highly personal experience of their distillers. The Authentic Art of Tequila One of 3 Badge's more recent endeavors includes Pasote, a new line of tequilas crafted by third-generation Master Distiller Felipe Camarena. The word "pasote" translates to an exaggera- tion or a leap of faith, but Sebastiani was sold on the name when he stumbled upon a definition on the website Urban Dictionary: "one badass [expletive]." The packaging depicts the tribal markings of an Aztec warrior screenprinted on a handblown glass bottle; the bottleneck labels, meanwhile, are also applied by hand and proudly boast the master distiller's name, as well as the town of inception, the ingredients, and details of the aging process. "I want to do what I can to fan the flames and stir creative juices, but it's ultimately up to [the designers]," Sebastiani says of lending his own inspiration to the process. Having grown up in this industry, he understands firsthand the importance of first impres- sions: "We like to think that our product will stand up against anyone's, and the packaging is what tips the scale for that first buy," Sebastiani explains. Of the Master Distiller's approach to producing Pasote in the Jalisco highlands, Sebastiani says "he's very much an artist" who cultivates blue agave on his family's estate property in the mountain town of Jesús María, located at an elevation of 6,079 feet above sea level. Come harvest, he prefers the sugars of the piña to concentrate closer to 30 Brix to allow for more fermentable sugars. After the hearts are closely shaved, they're roasted in a custom horno oven with a dual heat source that allows the agaves to cook evenly. The baked piñas are then crushed using a giant stainless-steel studded tahona, dubbed "Frankenstein." And while shredded agave typically undergoes fermentation with a common commercial yeast strain, the distiller employs a wild yeast his grandfather isolated from the property decades ago. Water sourcing is another important element of the fermentation process. Pasote utilizes what Sebastiani calls "a unique blend of spring water and rainwater," as mineral content and pH can influence the mouthfeel of a spirit. The fermented agave juice, or mosto, is then distilled in custom copper stills before the Pasote Reposado and Añejo age in American oak barrels. No glycerin, chemicals, or flavors are added. Because all spirits in the 3 Badge portfolio are "batch-made," Sebastiani says the company "celebrates that there might be some variation" while still focusing on its mission of maintaining a lineup of authentic products. Pasote Añejo, for example, is paler in color than other añejo tequilas on the market with the same aging. "We're not adding any color and we're not adding any flavors," Sebastiani says. "The way it's barreled is temperature controlled so that the angel's share is kept to a minimum. That way, we don't have to add anything or blend it down. We really do shoot for purity and that authenticity of the process." Tasting Through the Pasote Lineup Pasote Blanco An aromatic adventure of celery root, salt, and lime, the latter of which perks up the nose immediately. Slick on the palate, the salinity morphs into more of a savory white-pep- per note with clean, ripe tones of agave, jicama, and citrus. The prickly finish on the tongue is sensational. 93 —Meridith May Pasote Reposado The delicate, fragrant nature of honey-kissed white flowers is a seductive intro- duction to the pinch of white-peppered pineapple and pink grapefruit at first sip. The finish is silky and the perfume lingers. 92 —M.M. Pasote Añejo The common thread of salty- peppery aromas combines with sandalwood and cigar leaf for a heady experience before you even taste the spirit. The deep and unctuous flavor profile billows texturally with a lightness on the palate. Pungent and unmasked, the agave shines with a slightly austere edge on the finish. 94 —M.M.