Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/960891
april 2018 / the tasting panel / 99 e Highest Honor: Tequila Honor Reflexión By partnering with fourth-generation agave growers and tequila producers Familia Vivanco, Tequila Honor aims to honor the very traditions that make the spirit remarkable. The producer's blanco expression, Tequila Honor Reflexión (SRP $45), starts with 100 percent blue agave cooked in clay ovens. It ferments slowly using a proprietary yeast strain before being distilled in small copper pot stills. The final spirit does not overwhelm the palate, instead creating a balanced and inviting tequila tailormade for guests of honor seeking new and authentic experiences. Tasting Notes Tequila Honor Del Castillo Reflexión Blanco ($45) This spirit has an assertive bouquet of salty lime: tart and piquant. Exotic, spicy fruit and blue flowers take over on the palate before the black- pepper twist and fresh agave aftertaste. Cayenne- spiced raspberries finish dramatically. 93 —M.M. GLOBAL QUALITY IMPORTS INC. Giving Back to Mexico: Mezcal Verde Momento Mezcal Verde Momento has decided to take the challenge of the looming agave shortage head-on: The company is reinvesting 10 percent of its net profits into the planting of more organic espadín agave, citing agave sustainability as one of its main priorities. Maestro Mezcalero Doroteo Garcia takes these eight- year-old espadín agave and crafts Mezcal Verde Momento using a mix of ocote, holm oak, and pepper tree wood to cook the plants. Natural fermentation, meanwhile, builds the distinctly-smoky flavor profile. The brand packages the mezcal in bottles with six different modern label designs by contemporary Mexican artists, reinforcing that Mezcal Verde Momento's efforts to engage with the community make it a company growing roots in Mexico in more ways than one. Tasting Notes Mezcal Verde Momento ($32) This mezcal is supercharged on the nose with a sensual smoke that carries notes of vanilla musk and earth. The satin effect on the mouth is interrupted by a peppered nectar of stone fruit, beet root, and sassafras. The finish smooths out calmly, becoming silkier by the second. 94 —M.M. HOTALING & CO. A Passion for Community: Sombra Mezcal On a trip south of the border to learn about the world of tequila, Master Sommelier and winemaker Richard Betts instead discovered a passion for mezcal and its terroir. Growing up in Tucson, Arizona, Betts spent his weekends in Sonora drinking agave-derived bacanora. From there, he was hooked: Betts traveled all over Mexico before fall- ing in love with Oaxacan mezcal and its strong ties to the people, geography, history, and cuisine of the region. "Sombra is pro- duced in the same way that mezcal has been made in Mexico for several hundred years," he says. "It's about organically farmed, mountain-grown agave that is hand-harvested, stone tahona–ground, roasted in the ground, wild-yeast fermented, and distilled in copper pot stills." Sombra is also 90 proof—a rarity in the world of mezcal—but it's a deviation Betts believes is very important as the alcohol carries greater flavor and texture. For Betts, Sombra is just as much about the impact it has on the area than what's inside the bottle. The Sombra distillery is committed to environmentally-friendly practices, including sustainable forestry, water conservation, composting, solar energy, and upcycling (the company creates adobe bricks from agave byproducts for local housing). In addition to finding ways to give back to the land, Sombra has partnered with 1% For the Planet and donates 1 percent of sales to charities and educational initiatives in the community. Betts has built Sombra on the Oaxacan ideals of "te divierte," (have fun), "sigue aprendiendo" (keep learning), and "ama la terra" (love the earth), at once honoring local traditions while applying them to a more contemporary approach to local and environmental responsibility. Tasting Notes Sombra Joven Mezcal ($39) Smooth and smoky with roasted piñon, lots of spice, and some rich sweetness; earthy and showing wildflower and earthy, peppery notes. This is the real thing! 93 —M.M. DAVOS BRANDS