There’s no shortage of quality blanco tequila on the market in the U.S.; that is for certain. In comparison with say, bourbon, this could theoretically be seen as one of the more limiting factors in how many successful tequila brands could be expected to be supported by the market at any given time. Where each bourbon is likely to differ in terms of factors like mash bill, barrel type, proof point, maturation length and secondary finishes, most tequilas in the three most common designations—blanco, reposado, anejo—are made to roughly similar specifications as put forth by Mexican law. They’re made from a single species of agave, with most of the premium brands being made in a similar, traditional manner. Most reposados or anejos are aged for similar lengths of time, while all blancos are unaged. The bottom line is that you end up with a whole lot of similar products on the shelves, making the lines of distinction between them more fine and granular.
Tepozán Tequila is a well-established brand in Mexico with 25 years of history behind it, but it’s just hitting the U.S. market for the first time this June. It positions itself with a focus on quality and farm-to-glass production, being an estate tequila made from agave, naturally occuring yeast, and volcanic-filtered well-water from the estate of Master Distiller Don Carlos. As the company puts it, “The estate’s biodynamically-grown blue agave is harvested by hand by local jimadors and meticulously processed and bottled on property using no additives of any kind.”
Today, we have Tepozán Blanco to taste, weighing in at the typical 40% ABV (80 proof). It’s a product of Jalisco, Mexico’s traditional center of tequila production, and carries an MSRP of $45, which puts it pretty firmly into the premium, small producer, “artisanal” territory for a blanco tequila.
With that said, let’s get to tasting.