Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/912565
16 / the tasting panel / december 2017 INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT Mexico's Acclaimed La Alteña Distillery Celebrates Eighty Years with Commemorative Tequila Release V ince Martin, President of Great Western Brokerage, and Lou Stierlin, President of Pacific Northwest Beverage Brokers, are happy to announce the merger of the two companies effective January 1, 2018. This new company, which represents many fine brands, will now serve the following States: California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. Great Western Brokerage and Pacific Northwest Beverage Brokers Announce Merger T o celebrate the 80th anni- versary of the legendary La Alteña distillery in the highlands of Jalisco, known for having some of the finest agave fields in Mexico, El Tesoro has released one of its most aged tequilas yet—the El Tesoro 80th Anniversary Limited Edition. Just eight casks of this celebratory liquid, aged for eight years, was produced, and the U.S. became the only market to receive it as of October. Since the founding of El Tesoro tequila in 1937 by iconic tequilero Don Felipe Camarena, the spirit has been a celebration of Don Felipe's most precious asset: his estate-grown agave. As with all of El Tesoro's tequilas, the 80th Anniversary Edition begins with these same time-honored techniques before spending eight years aging in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, making this one of the most aged expressions that El Tesoro has ever released. Meant to be enjoyed as a sipping tequila, this commemorative spirit offers a rare chance to experience the balance between the edition's agave-forward flavor and the oaky, woody notes imparted by the extensive aging process. "In truth, my grandfather created a very inefficient process for making tequila," says Carlos Camarena, Don Felipe's grandson and Master Distiller for El Tesoro. "Yet it is these unique and stubborn production methods that make our tequila so special, and perhaps the most authentic. Eighty years later, we don't care that there are faster ways to make tequila now. We care about the flavor, and the fact of the matter is that our method tastes better and is the best way to honor the agave." The process begins with the estate-grown blue agave, which grow for up to eight years in La Alteña's mineral-rich soils and highlands climate. Once the agave reaches peak maturity, it is harvested by hand, removing the waxy stem for a smoother flavor. After harvest, the hearts of the blue agave—called the piñas—are cooked in an old-fashioned hornos oven for three days before they're slowly crushed under a massive, two-ton volcanic tahona wheel. For this 80th Anniversary Edition, the liquid extracted is then distilled to 85 proof (traditionally, El Tesoro is distilled to 80 proof) at a low temperature in copper stills made to Don Felipe's specifications. As of October 2017, El Tesoro 80th Anniversary Edition will be available only in the U.S. with a suggested retail price of $200 (750ml). For a limited time only, it will join El Tesoro's portfolio of fine tequilas, including Blanco ($45 SRP), Reposado ($50 SRP), Añejo ($65 SRP), and Paradiso Extra Añejo ($100 SRP).