Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/832383
june 2017 / the tasting panel / 7 Although the minerality was discernable in all four of the El Tesoro ® tequilas (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Paradiso), it was less obvious in cock- tails. Nonetheless, the Blanco and Reposado both mixed superbly in cocktails (see sidebar). Glass-blowing apprenticeship finished and our artistic endeavors safely ensconced in the annealer to cool slowly, we sat down to an El Tesoro ® com- parative tasting. Carlos explained the "inefficient" methods the Camarena family still employs to make El Tesoro: slow cooking the agave; using a large stone wheel, the tahona, to crush the cooked piña; and double distillation in copper stills. "There are steps that most producers take to speed up the production process," he said, "but you will lose quality. And you cannot hurry the blue agave." It takes seven to eight years for the blue agave to mature. In the tasting, the unoaked El Tesoro ® Blanco showed the purest expression of the Jalisco Highlands terroir. It exhibited a slight but detect- able sweetness, as predicted. The Reposado and Añejo, both aged in used American oak, displayed complex flavors and aromas of berries and herbs. Vanilla was more pronounced in the Añejo, which ages up to three years. Butterscotch and herbs dominated the lovely Paradiso, which is aged up to five years and is the first tequila to be aged in Cognac barrels. Listening as we debated whether El Tesoro ® was better served neat, over ice or in cocktails, Carlos added a final thought as he raised his glass to us: "There's no wrong way to drink El Tesoro . . . except alone. Always drink good tequila in good company like we are here. ¡Saludos!" Industry legend Julio Bermejo and El Tesoro ™ Master Distiller Carlos Camarena. The Shade by Yanni Kehgiaris ◗ 1½ oz. El Tesoro ® Blanco ◗ ¼ oz. Green Chartreuse ® Liqueur ◗ ¼ oz. lime juice ◗ ¼ oz. agave syrup (agave nectar cut 1: 1 with water) Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into an iced glass. The Sun by Yanni Kehgiaris ◗ 1½ oz. El Tesoro ® Reposado ◗ 1 oz. Aperol ® Apertif ◗ 1 oz. grapefruit juice ◗ ¼ oz. agave syrup (agave nectar cut 1: 1 with water) Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Strain into an iced glass. "Our soil is rich with iron, so Highlands agave is sweeter than the Valley's because iron is a precursor to sugar formation in the plants." EL TESORO DE DON FELIPE® 100% AGAVE TEQUILAS, 40% ALC./VOL. ©2017 FIELDING & JONES, LTD., DEERFIELD, IL. ALL TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS