Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807384
april 2017 / the tasting panel / 85 A Category Champ with Campeón Tequila When you find a career you love, it can be difficult to leave it. Lou Palatella—a former NFL player who began selling spirits in the off season and stuck with it for more than 55 years—found this out when thinking about retirement. So instead of leaving it all behind, he, along with his wife, Marci, who specializes in international brand develop- ment for the alcohol industry, and his son, John, who had a successful tenure at a major tequila brand, developed Campeón Tequila. The name, fittingly, means "champion." Started with the mission to showcase the natural flavor of East Highlands agave—regarded as one of the best places to source agave due to the plant's robust sugar content—the Palatellas partnered with an almost 80-year-old distillery (NOM 1107—the third oldest in the system) that has contracts with the agave farmers that go back generations. The piñas cook for 18 hours in brick ovens and then for an additional 12 hours after resting. In order to highlight the flavor, the brand chose to utilize a proprietary yeast strain; it also avoids the use of any artificial ingredients, coloring or extracts, even the ones allowed by the Tequila Regulatory Council. The tequila undergoes double-distillation in a copper pot still, discarding the heads and hearts for the purest spirit. The portfolio includes Campeón Silver; Campeón Reposado, aged six to eight months in small bourbon American white oak barrels; and Campeón Añejo, aged 16 to 18 months in the same barrels. The company is also in the process of developing an Extra Añejo, which will be out later this year. Commenting on the offerings, John Palatella, President of The Legacy Group, producer of Campeón Tequila, notes, "We wanted a seamless transition from marque to marque—each expression maintains a common taste profile to the Silver with the introduction of barrel-aging being the only point of differentiation between the Reposado and Añejo [and the forthcoming Extra Añejo]." Seeking to expand its family of products, the Palatellas have launched Cowboy Little Barrel Whiskey and are building a bourbon production facility called Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, KY; the historic town will also be home to a second Palatella-owned distillery called Olde St. Nick. Wherever the future takes Lou, Marci and John, we can count on them developing high-quality spirits that overdeliver, just like Campeón Tequila. —Emily Coleman Tasting Notes Campeón Silver Tequila Imagine standing at the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, the sea air wafting its natural brine. That is the aroma from this silver tequila. Add to that a squeeze of lime and a handful of sand and clay. On the palate, salt air becomes peppered vanilla bean, with fresh notes of sandalwood and toffee-flavor agave. 98 —Meridith May Campeón Reposado Tequila Floral baby's breath tones on the nose combine with peach and lime chiffon. Perfumed butterscotch, jasmine and pineapple soften the earthy agave notes. 96 —M. M. Campeón Añejo Tequila A whisper of buttered oak mingles with magnolia flowers—scents that are quite delicate for an aged tequila. A twinge of white pepper surfaces on first sip, highlighted by an array of stone fruits, from cherries to peaches. The finish washes in a wave of sea-breezy agave. 96 —M. M. LEGACY GROUP