The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2012

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UP Up Front with Luna Malvada Tequila When talking tequila terroir, there's been a long embroiled debate about the merits of Jalisco's Highland versus Lowland blue Weber agave, with producers in each region touting their plants as making the sweetest, smoothest tequila. But now, the tequila test switches from true/false to multiple choice with a third option for sourcing agave: the tropical dry forest of Southern Jalisco. Meet Luna Malvada, a tequila unlike any other. From its unique source deep in the forests of Mexico, to its distinctive crop of blue Weber agave, this is a brand that boldly forges ahead into new territory. While most tequilas are produced from agave farmed in giant plots of Jalisco dirt, Luna Malvada sources its plants where agave is indigenous and naturally occurring—in the arid forests of southern Jalisco. There, diverse volcanic soils are organically fed, with no fertilizer necessary to produce vibrant, fl avorful plants. "It's like sustainable wild salmon versus farm-raised salmon," explains Andy Rose, co-founder and President of Luna Malvada, referring to the different strains of agave. "We are the fi rst to embrace the superior qualities of this native agave-growing region," Rose continues, explaining that his brother, who has earned a doctorate in geobiology from Yale, has conducted extensive research on native agave strains to back up the brand's claims. So when Rose and his business partner stumbled across a tiny distillery in the Mexican tropics producing the best tequila they'd ever had, they knew they were on to something. "We decided to invest in the distillery and buy the land and the plants, and spent three years getting everything ready. We then had to cross our fi ngers and wait eight more years for our plants to mature." Fast forward to 2011, when Luna Malvada was fi nally ready to unleash its tropical dry forest–grown tequila in Plata, Reposado and Añejo expressions. Since its launch, the brand has carefully expanded state-by-state ("Slow and steady wins the race," quips Rose) and is now on the rise year-round—and especially in October. Meaning evil or wicked moon, Luna Malvada hopes its name is a perfect fi t for the Halloween season, but there's more to the name than spook-appeal. "All of the other brands can keep Cinco de Mayo," says Rose; "we've got every full moon." Following ancient traditions, the brand only harvests its agave during the cycle of the full moon, explains Rose. "People in the jungles of Mexico have been moon gardening for hundreds of years and they say it brings up all of the nutrients from the soil and is said to improve the vitality of the plant—and we like what that does to our tequila." Proving that a little tequila in the moonlight can combine to create wick- edly good things, Luna Malvada hosts monthly rooftop parties in venues like the W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ, and as the brand's expansion continues, we expect more dark magic from Luna Malvada. 6 / the tasting panel / september 2012 by Rachel Burkons

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