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In the 100% Agave Mezcal – Joven, a Master medal was awarded to Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote – Coyote de Amatlán. Athavia found this to be “quite salty on the nose, with sea aromas”, leading to “lots of character and funky notes” on the palate.
Made from 100% Weber blue agave, VIVIR Tequila Blanco is double distilled and blended with local water from a volcanic spring close to the distillery in Jalisco. NoseThere’s a reason bar industry experts gravitate towards reposado tequila. Meaning “rested,” reposado sits for at least two months, but generally less than a year, in the barrel. Most oftentimes, they’re American oak casks that once held whiskey. “It’s like the VSOP of tequila, aged but not too aged, with some wood but not overly decadent,” says Ivy Mix, owner of New York's Leyenda and author of "Spirits of Latin America." She quotes Carlos Camarena, master distiller of Jalisco La Alteña distillery, where Tequila Ocho is made: “He says aging is supposed to be like a picture frame, and in this case, the picture is of agave. You don’t want the frame to overtake the picture but to bring out [the] best attributes and highlight them.” From there, the competition moved onto Flavoured Tequila, where a Gold medal was handed to 1800 Coconut, with its “inviting, fresh coconut” aroma and “agave notes on the finish”.
When I went to Mexico to get the agave syrup from the distilleries, even the guys there found it a bit weird as we were buying it in vats to bring over to the UK. You can’t work with those guys and not drink your own bodyweight in tequila. I was a bit wary but started to drink what they produced and loved it! I then found out that what we mainly had in the UK was Mixto, which uses 51% Weber blue agave and 49% something else like non-matured agave or corn syrup that I was clearly allergic to. The 100% agave tequila was brilliant and I didn’t understand why we didn’t have it in the UK. Nav Grewal and Paul Hayes, Co-Founders of VIVIR TequilaHighly complex but with a reserved delivery that takes its time opening up, this is the one that makes us wonder if Paul and Nav named their brand “To Live” (translation of Spanish word “Vivir”) as either an ode to or a challenge at whisky (commonly called “the water of life”). The similarities between a good sipping whisky or rum are palpable and both the impossibly smooth mouthfeel and longevity on the palate truly challenge what we think of as “tequila”. Suggested Serve This double gold star awarded Tequila Añejo from VIVIR is their Tequila Blanco aged for 18 months in American Oak bourbon casks. The Tequila maintains its Agave routes whilst bringing an amazing palate of smoky oak, burned bananas and chocolate. Fantastic for sipping neat or over ice. Yes, indeed! We knew what we wanted to make and how we wanted to do it. We were already credited over there with the CRT and we had the logistics in place to get products over here because we already did it with the agave syrup, so it was the perfect storm really. We spent three years developing it: one year developing the Blanco, then we waited two years for the Reposado and Añejo to age – we thought if we were going to do it, best do it properly. We launched around the start of the year and since then, it’s gone nuts! We’re house pours at great places like this [ TRADE Soho] all around the country. Four Gold‐standard mezcals were also tasted. A Gold medal went to 400 Conejos Mezcal with its “new‐make aromas” and “fruity palate, with mild, dry smoke”. A single flavoured mezcal entry, Ojo de Dios ODD Café Mezcal, delivered a strong finish to the tasting. The Gold winner delighted the panel with its “rich, chocolatey” palate, full of “comforting coffee notes and balanced sweetness”.
Chambers said: “This feels like a category where producers are trying to experiment and push the limits a little bit within the rules. It was a pretty great flight.” The Master standard continued into the higher end of the añejo category, with one top award winner unearthed in the ultra-premium heat. Corralejo 99,000 Horas Añejo was a deserving Master medallist. The Tequila impressed the judges with its “very rich nose”, followed by a “smooth mouthfeel, wonderful complex mature flavours, and a long and elegant finish”. Eight Gold medals were also enjoyed in this round. Among the Gold winners were: “vibrant, delicious” El Tequileño Cristalino; “nicely balanced” Teremana Reposado, with “green peppers on the finish”; and “unusual, distinct” Vivir Tequila Reposado, which boasted “vanilla notes and Bourbon barrel influence”. Chambers said: “Quality‐wise, this was a solid tasting. And you’re starting to see one or two producers pushing the boundaries of what can be done.” Each has different characteristics, ranging from the fresh and citrusy (there’s a reason you shot with lime and salt), to the more complex styles that display caramel and oak. Broadly speaking, blanco is for shots, anejo is strictly for sipping (like you would with whisky), and reposado is a good option for either. How we test tequila
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The third team consisted of Matt Chambers, co‐founder of the Whisky for Everyone blog and the North London Whisky Club, Evan Prousaefs, bar manager and assistant general manager of Los Mochis restaurant in London’s Notting Hill, and Chris Tanner, bar manager at Milroy’s. Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business, chaired the panel. A Gold medal was awarded to Tequila Exotico Reposado, which had “good length” to its finish, while a Silver medal was given to Corralejo Reposado.
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