Thanks in part to the Margarita (and, of course, the Spicy Marg), tequila is having a well-deserved moment in the sun. But tequila isn't just for mixing cocktails, and Aussies are starting to realise high-quality expressions make a perfect tipple on the rocks.
“Tequila is one of the fastest growing categories in Australia,” says Kayla Grigoriou, Australian brand ambassador for Patrón. “We can see Margaritas in everybody’s hands all the time, right? But I think Covid prompted people to think more about what they’re drinking and enjoy higher quality products, like reposado and anejo tequilas.”
She’s referring to two kinds of aged tequila, meant to be sipped rather than poured into cocktail shakers and shot glasses. Just as whisky develops different characteristics depending on factors like how long it’s aged, each type of tequila has a different flavour, ranging from herbaceous and citrusy to sweet and woody.
If you can’t tell your blanco from your anejo, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about the most common types of tequila – and what happens when they’re blended, as in the new Patrón El Alto.
Blanco tequila
Blanco, or silver, tequila is the kind of tequila you’ll most commonly see in bars. It’s clear, unaged and generally works well in cocktails. Some blanco tequilas are rested in oak barrels for less than two months, but they don’t pick up any strong flavours from the wood. Instead, blancos usually taste fresh, zesty and slightly herbal.
Reposado tequila
Reposado (meaning rested) tequila is aged in oak barrels for two to 12 months. “The longer you leave something in a barrel, especially in the heat of Mexico, you’re going to get a lot of flavour,” says Grigoriou. This is tequila that’s best for sipping slowly. Reposado still has some of the brighter flavours found in blanco tequila, but it also has “a lot of character from the oak: there’s vanilla and woody characters, and I’d call them baking spices – like nutmeg, cinnamon and clove – coming through”.
Anejo tequila
Anejo means “old” in Spanish, and that’s what these tequilas are. They’re barrel-aged for between one and three years in oak, giving them stronger wood and spice characteristics, along with sweeter honey notes. Tequila connoisseurs will often drink a glass of anejo neat at room temperature, to bring out more of the flavours.
Extra anejo tequila
An increasingly popular, premium category of tequila, extra anejo is any tequila aged in oak for more than three years. Think of these as tequila’s answer to a bottle of 18-year-old Scotch whisky; decadent, mellow and complex, extra anejo tequila usually commands top dollar.
Blended tequila
Those are the four most common kinds you’ll encounter behind the bar. But with so much interest in tequila, brands like Patrón are experimenting with new bottlings to showcase the best this booze style has to offer.
“Every time we release a tequila, we really want to push the category as much as possible,” says Grigoriou. Enter Patrón El Alto. It’s a blend of Patrón’s reposado, anejo and extra anejo expressions, creating a rich, smooth tequila that’s “definitely made for sipping”. She suggests sampling it neat or on the rocks.
Although the majority is extra anejo, the youngest component of the blend is reposado tequila, so it’s officially classified as one under Mexican law, but Grigoriou says Patrón El Alto is very different from your typical reposado. Each component adds a different layer to the drink.
“You’re getting some of the more subtle notes from the reposado, maybe a little bit more tannin as well. Coming through with the anejo, you’re getting a bit more sweetness, a bit more caramel and vanilla flavour, then that rich, velvety texture from the extra anejo.”
Each spirit in the El Alto is made from 100 per cent Weber blue agave, sourced from the highest parts of Mexico’s Jalisco state, which is known for its fine, sweet agaves. Once baked, the plant is crushed in the traditional way – in a “tahona”, or pre-industrial mill consisting of a two-tonne volcanic stone. It all contributes to the smooth, earthy sweetness of the final blend.
Although it’s normal for whisky, careful blending of differently aged spirits isn’t common practice at the major tequila houses. “For us to release Patrón El Alto on a bigger scale is pretty special – it’s new and different.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Patrón. Keen to sip a glass of Patrón El Alto? It’s currently available at Dan Murphy’s and select bars across Australia, including Cirq, Bar Patron, Gitano and The Island in Sydney; Ms Collins and Electric Bar in Melbourne; and Maya in Brisbane.