Patrn Tequila (NOM 1492) Tequila Fortaleza (NOM 1493) [2 brands] El Pandillo (G4, Terralta, etc.) Do they have additives? Discover the Best of New York Wines with Hermann J Wiemer at Aroma Thyme Bistro. Tequila Patrn, for example, has a NOM of 1492. Answers: David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 Don Julio 1942, specifically, is one of the most premium options from the brand (hence why it comes with a hefty price tag). Aged from one to three years, this tequila pulls notes from whatever barrels it sits in, says Roy. The bottle, resembling an agave spear, is also eye-catching to display. These days, some of the best tequilas in the world are more comparable to a fine bourbon or robust glass of wine than jello shots and beer pong, RS Recommends: The 19 Tequila Brands Were Drinking Right Now, Looking to Start Boxing After Watching 'Creed III'? So who knows what a distillery may do to 'enhance' a contract brands juice, for their own convenience. The result is a collection of blanco, reposado and aejo spirits that are made from 100% blue agave and perfectly capture summer in a bottle. Because of how time-consuming it is to create (and how hands-on the distilling and aging processes are), its released in very small batches and comes with a large price tagbut the excellent taste makes it worth the splurge! Mijenta Tequila, $43+, Eterno Verano, which means "endless summer" in Spanish, was inspired by the 1966 movie The Endless Summer. I couldnt even drink it in Margaritas. Now the additive list is also fantastic tool to recognize the brands that have a commitment to offering a true quality product. Danos also won the Gold Medal in the 2019 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Tasting Competition, and the Double Gold and Gold in the 2018 SIP Awards. El Pandillo (G4, Terralta, etc.) Best Value: Pueblo Viejo Blanco. 40% alcohol by volume in tequila is typical. Theyre one of the most affordable tequila brands and offer silver, gold and aejo varieties to suit any taste. Bell Flavors & Fragrances (above) and Symrise Flavorings are just two companies supplying these additives. Tequila Gran Diamante is an award-winning, ultra-premium tequila that's stirring up excitement on the spirits scene. Fortaleza Blanco, Reposado and Aejo are all fantastic sipping tequilas from the Los Valles region, says Lavenue. It truly is a paragon of the subregion and doesn't get much better given its price point. Tequila Fortaleza, $47+, One of the top five selling tequilas in the world, Hornitos is a premium tequila brand crafted with 100% blue agave. German Gonzalez of t1 explained he is "free of additives" for t1 products as well as his 'Tears of Llorona' as well as David Suro, who as an early believer of tequila transparency, said at 'Siembra Spirits' "we don't use any additives or artificial flavors in any of our expressions". Thank you for all the info. Comparing production samples at La Altea (NOM 1139). Espolns collection also includes a reposado, aejo, reposado chardonnay and aejo cristalino. The . Murillo also made a great point, saying he would lose his USDA Organic Certification, if he added any other ingredients, including color. Inspections are done on-site and can last from a few hours to a few days, depending on how many brands and products we are reviewing at the distillery. The distillery is steeped in a rich history, tracing its . You rock, Grover and Scarlet! This INCLUDES the legal 1% allowance, and I made that an important point to each brand. Each year, the agave is harvested from a different farm/estate, then expertly distilled by Carlos Camarenaso each single estate bottling showcases its own distinct characteristics which truly highlights the terroir (or terruo in Spanish) of the Los Altos region of Jalisco. Tequila Ocho, $49+, LALO only makes one tequilaan additive-free blanco. The Best New-School Tequila Brands. HONORING CRAFT AND TRADITION MIJENTA IS AN AWARD-WINNING, ADDITIVE-FREE, SUSTAINABLE TEQUILA FROM THE HIGHLANDS OF JALISCO THAT CELEBRATES THE TRADITIONS OF MEXICAN CULTURE AND EMBODIES THE BEST OF THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE. This is called the rectification stage, before bottling. Or is there a separate list for non-diffuser made tequilas? Pick Up Some of These Gloves First Will you add a quick link to this list on your app so it is readily viewed there? Many thanks. I wish all things ingested would list ingredients. I just got your email today about your additive-free list and had to come check it out. . Trying to get my wife to become a tequila drinker but she leans towards sweeter spirits. Aging Process: Just like a fine wine, tequila also goes through an aging process. They were. WATER SOURCE: Natural spring water, Rain water. Azunia, which is also made at Ranco Miravalle, NOM 1426, is additive free. Don Julio 1942, $160, Back in 2019, basketball legend Michael Jordan launched Cincoro Tequila alongside a few other NBA ownersand in just three short years, the brand has sold a million and a half bottles and won more than 20 awards. While they may be fun for a party or to use in mixed drinks, we recommend skipping these bottles the rest of the time and just drinking tequila straight up. (NOM 1579) [6 brands] Vivanco . Sugar-based Syrup. Don't believe us? Lightweight and well balanced, it's a great option for both new and experienced tequila drinkers alike. Roy adds that shes a fan of Patrns Roca collection because the brand uses juice from the tahona rolling process, which pulls only the most flavorful liquid from the pias they roast for almost three days. At over $100, this is a true premium spirit, with a bottle and flavor profile worthy of its price. Whether youre at an A-list after party or just chilling at home, nothing beats a Casamigos and soda for a refreshing, celeb-approved drink. Lalo is a great tequila blanco with no additives. Bribon Reposado Tequila. Because it is such an IMPORTANT part of Tequila today, here is just the 'Additive Section' and my Personal list of 'Additive-free brands' from my recent, longer and more detailed article titled- "AGING OF TEQUILA - BARREL TECHNIQUES, ADDITIVES, ADDITIVE-FREE BRANDS, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS TO KNOW.". Below, we're sharing everything you need to know to find your perfect tequila, plus our picks for the best tequila brands, chosen by master distillers, bartenders and industry experts. Region: Jalisco, Mexico | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: White pepper, Agave, Mint. These brands are going 'on record' here, as being an ADDITIVE FREE TEQUILA BRAND, and I have contacted a wide variety of brands to ask if they are 100% additive free. "We choose to . Hornitos, $29+, Founded by Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Teremana Tequila crafts their tequilas in a small Mexican town up in the highest peaks of the Jalisco Highlands. This makes the Avila a great choice for solo sipping or mixing in cocktails. Is Patron no longer additive free as of 10/2022? Patrn is the world's number one super-premium tequila brand to receive the verification. Arandas, in the Jalisco mountains of Mexico, is home to Cazcabel. STILL: Copper Pot. 21Seeds Tequila, $31+. Keep up the great work, I know I greatly enjoy the content. Several factors come into play at each stage of this process, but at the very least, for a tequila to be great, it must be all agave, with no additives. "And nobody is hitting the . 2) We will eventually create this list within the app itself. Fortaleza Blanco. It makes sensewith its sweet, smooth taste, tequila is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in margaritas and other yummy cocktails as well as sipped straight or over ice. Hiatus has three award-winning expressions: Blanco, Reposado, and Aejo. Simply pour a small amount of tequila into your palm, then rub it between your hands as you would hand sanitizer. This is tequila thats only aged for a few weeks, so it doesnt have time to develop the color and characteristics that come from a longer aging process. W/ additives. Now confused. Some brands have obviously taken advantage of these powerful concentrated additives, colorings and flavorings to make their brands 'profile' which they have become known for, and don't appear to be stopping. Then next sip I thought, wow, I cant believe how sweet this is 3rd sip and I was getting that aftertaste and I was like this stuff is too damn sweet, it tastes like artificial sweeteners, but thats impossible. The legal requirement is at least 51% blue agave. 1. Youll get a lot of flavors that also are found in whiskeys, like creme brle, toast and rich vanilla. Aejo tequilas are sometimes finished for several months in sherry or port wine casks to add nutty or fruity notes, adds Roy. The . Handcrafted using the richest Agave from the Highlands of Jalisco, JAJA Reposado's tasting notes consist of sweet maple, cooked agave, and toasted wood. And while there are a number of tequila brands that have launched in recent months, this list runs the gamut from tried-and-true brands, to limited-edition releases that youll be smart to pick up if you see them available online. A nice, simple tequila is useful to pour liberally than a more expensive Blanco tequila with a similar clean agave taste. Keep in mind that technically, if you exceed the 1% total volume rule, it must be labeled as a 'licor' or a 'crema', like these (ABOVE), and that's the way it should be. Silver (or Blanco) tequila is probably the most well-known, and it typically appears perfectly clear in the bottle. Elegant and complex, on the nose you'll find sweet spice, elegant oak and . 4. Hi Josh. Reposado tequila is also aged but the aging process can be anywhere from two months to 11 months. There are five different types of tequila: blanco, reposado, aejo, joven and extra aejo which are distinguished by the length of the aging process, known as aged expressions.. Tequila Blanco: Also known as silver tequila, this expression is only aged for up to two months and is bottled within 60 days of distillation.The best blanco tequilas will typically taste sweeter . Still, its $500+ price-point doesnt exactly make it an accessible bottle to buy. As I asked for their word on 100% additive free (including the legal 1%), let it be understood that misleading consumers is as far as I'm concerned, a reflection on these brands, and THEY are the ones that should look bad. There wont be any need to link to this version of the list. Clase Azuls tequila comes in this instantly recognizable (and supremely collectible) bottle, which you see on the top shelf of high-end bars and restaurants. Is it possible to get some of the additive free cards to display on the shelves of the certain tequilas in a store? I'm a Tequila/Agave Connoisseur, Taster & Reviewer. 2) Both Pasote and El Tesoro de Don Felipe are additive free in their entire lineup. The story you mention is from 2017: (They even make their own compost!) Another thing to look for aside: a four-digit number that represents each distillerys unique code. Brand founder Cirilo Oropeza named the brand Espoln, which means spur in Spanish, to honor his commitment to the tequila craft. Our organic processes does not include any additives, which some tequila brands use to manipulate color, flavor, aroma, etc. To celebrate the release, Dobel collaborated with the Mexico City-based design firm Onora on a custom hand-painted bottle stopper inspired by the traditional Mexican folk art craft known as Amate. Only 200 bottles were produced of the Maestro Dobel 50 Onora, which retails for $250. Why? Fortaleza Blanco Tequila. One way is to get familiar with the products that are on the list, and then the additive-filled stuff becomes much easier to detect. All of Cincoros tequilas are made with 100% Weber blue agave from private farms in Jalisco, Mexico and are produced in small batches. Top 5 Tequilas For No Hangover. Thank you! On Facebook, many know me by the name Lou Agave. Thanks, The Mezquila is more flavorful than your typical tequila, but not in-your-face smokey like most mezcals. Jose Cuervo, $26+, Related:35+ Best Canned Cocktails and Drinks, Looking for the best sipping tequila? I wish something like this was posted in stores. I respect people that want quality and are not cutting corners, and promise they will never use any additives. The brand founders wanted to recreate the sense of wanderlust experienced by the surfers in the movie. At the time, that was enough for us. You dont get the same distinct flavor profile as some of the other bottles on our list, but for a refreshing, straightforward Blanco, this one is a no-brainer to pick up. Although this is perfectly legal, it is WRONG, and hopefully this will get cleared up soon on a future CRT ruling. In 2020 we launched our Tequila Matchmaker Additive-Free program for brands and distilleries that want to be super transparent about their production processes and their non-use of additives. The Reposado features notes of sweet vanilla, oak, mushrooms, ginger, caramel and citrus, which gives it that perfect balance of earthiness, sweetness and spiciness with an easy finish and no lingering aftertaste. Usually in this purest form of tequila, you can taste the care given to the elaboration process of any brand. This is the standard tequila youll see in cocktails due to its versatility, he adds. View more. What does YOUR nose and taste tell YOU? The brands Aejo expression begins with 100% blue weber agave, which is double distilled and then aged 18 months in ex-California wine barrels. The citrusy, floral, mineral flavor profile of a blanco tequila complements the rich citrus flavor of a margarita, he explains. These days, some of the best tequilas in the world are actually more comparable to a fine bourbon or robust glass of wine than jello shots and beer pong. They can also use glycerin to make the mouthfeel 'rounder', slicker, thicker, oilier, sweeter and different altogether. An undertone of sweet cooked agave recalls this tequilas fresh Blanco roots. I texted, emailed, filled out forms in some cases, and attempted to call to get a statement. 1. Our suggestion: pick up a few different bottles with different aging processes to see which one you like best. You can use the form (below) to subscribe to email alerts any time this list changes. Im verifying that any blanco I get, say a Calle 23 Criollo, can be assumed to be Additive-free, despite not being marked as such on the Matchmaker site? The brand offers a blanco, reposado, aejo, aejo cristalino and extra aejo in its lineupand they recently released a limited edition reposado to celebrate their 100th birthday. I find that the extended barrel aging pulls out any astringent qualities that may have been in the originally distilled juice, making this the easiest to sip on its own., The best type of tequila for sipping is the one in which you can taste the complexity given by the best agave source, along with a good elaboration process, providing the smoothness and sweetness you can obtain from the agave, says Martinez. 1. According to recent market research, tequila has seen significant growth in bars and restaurants across the country over the last couple of years. It is an opt-in program, which needs to be renewed each year. If you want to feel like a celebrity while sipping tequila, then this is definitely the brand for you. It has notes of vanilla, ripe fruit and butter and can be enjoyed neat, with salt and lime, chilled, or however else you like to drink your tequila. Long Island Lou Tequila's Personal Additive - Free Favorites List. While we may be used to drinking clear tequila, many expensive tequilas are more caramel in color, due to being aged in wooden barrels. The result is a clean, smooth tequila. It's up to you all to decide what to believe, and although brands can tell me things, it doesn't mean I believe them or that it makes my personal list of additive free brands. So, what exactly should you consider when shopping for tequila? It doesn't mean I don't like their product or that it doesn't taste fine, but coloring is an additive. what's not to understand? Meeting the organic certification requirements of two separate regulating bodies isn't easy, and we take tremendous pride in it. Now, fans of Dwayne Johnson and tequila alike can purchase Teremana online and get it delivered to their door. When we wrote the story we based that information on what CRT representatives were saying about the issue. Want to know more? "We think it's 70% by sales volume last year, so there will always be fewer additive free-tequilas," Scarlet tells me. Its aged in oak barrels for three weeks, and delicate notes of bright citrus, greens and pepper lead to a crisp and smooth finish. Santaleza Tequila will be sold in the United States, with the . And fun fact: It was created in tribute to the year Don Julio Gonzlez started his tequila-making journey. One of the smoothest, most natural tasting tequilas on our list, Casamigos is made in the Jalisco highlands from 100% agave. There is a variety of flavors to tequila, depending on the amount of sugar in it as well as how long it has been aged. 3/1/2023 0 Comments At Aroma Thyme Bistro, we are passionate about supporting local and sustainable businesses. Dulce Vida, $28+, This rare, handcrafted extra aejo is a complex sipping spirit with layers of flavor to unravel. This micro-distillery produces premium tequila, inspired by the legend of a medicine man known as Don Cazcabel. So keep in mind the above mentioned brands that 'claim' to be 100% additive free may be just that, and most are high quality and fine tasting brands that I enjoy myself. It is a number that appears on every bottle of tequila that indicates which company or distillery is responsible for its production. Jose Cuervo, Patrn, Don Julio, Casamigos and Hornitos are the top five tequilas, per The Spirits Business. But if youre looking to take a celebratory shot, then blanco is a good option, says Gonzlez. The caramel, vanilla and wood notes are strong, but thankfully the agave isn't lost in the aging. There are some outstanding tequilas that have flavor added, and I would like to see reviews, ratings and discussion on them as well. Now thats a game changer APP that would get you many more subscribers. These wine barrels let the spirit age in a different direction (dont worry; it doesnt taste like wine), and impart the unique rosy glow that gives Calirosa its name. Within the aejo category, there are also two variations: aejo cristalino and extra aejo. Not with the usual agave spirit you know and lovethe NA spirits brand has launched an alcohol-free tequila, the first of its kind. ABV: 46.3%. The brand has been around since 1950. Ritual Beverage Company is entering the tequila market. We cant release that type of information without the risk of a lawsuit. First sip I was like wow this stuff is sweet. For a similar experience at a more casual price point, we like the Roca Patrn Reposado, which is a lighter, more buttery take on the bold and robust Burdeos. We have to stop thinking a dark and rich color is always the real thing, and start thinking about realistic, clean, additive free tequila, regardless of the color or lack of color. If your bottle doesnt have a NOM, that means its not certified by the TRC (Tequila Regulatory Council), and not an authentic Tequila producer. A new entry into the tequila market, El Bandido Yankee launched in 2021 by former NFL player Jim Bob Morris and restaurateur and NHL Hall of Fame Hockey Player Chris Chelios. Shots are not the proper way to taste tequila. Each bottle is hand-crafted and hand-painted, so no two are alike, making Clase Azul a great gift idea as well. . The reason caramel coloring is used, is to add a rich and darker color to make it appear that the aging was longer than it actually was. And just like wine, tequila can be aged in a number of different containers, from oak barrels to steel drums. But they were removed when they were not able to complete the annual re-confirmation process.