The Story of Aged Tequila

At PATRÓN, we’ve worked hard to create a simply perfect ageing process, ensuring full-bodied flavour with every sip. There are no two aged tequilas that are exactly the same. Each aged tequila reflects the style and technique of the tequila maker. In our case, master distiller Francisco Alcaraz developed unique blends for all of our aged tequilas using a combination of five different barrel types.

Francisco created a blanco tequila that has both fresh and baked agave characteristics, very smooth with low alcohol notes, and a unique flavour profile of citrus and white pepper. We highlight this because all aged tequilas start as blancos, and the blanco characteristics follow the tequila through the ageing process.

At PATRÓN, Francisco wanted to never mask the house style of PATRÓN Silver, by over ageing it. PATRÓN Reposado is aged for at least two months (the Reposado minimum ageing time) for smooth taste with a hint of oak flavour. PATRÓN Reposado aged tequila has a bright taste with notes of fruit, citrus and honey, but finishes with a light floral and vanilla flavour.

The same house style is applied to PATRÓN Añejo, where we remove the tequila from the oak barrels near the Añejo minimum at 12 months.  After the ageing process you end up with a light amber to medium gold coloured tequila with flavour notes of honey, vanilla, and citrus – three flavours you never thought you’d taste in a tequila. Until now.

A great way to enjoy PATRÓN Añejo in a cocktail is to put a spin on a classic recipe. The Añejo Old Fashioned and spicy Habanero Mole Old Fashioned are perfect for fall. Or try the Sweet Corn Old Fashioned—a unique twist to a classic with a sweet corn add for a much-loved cocktail.

Pro Tip—the Old Fashioned is, quite literally, the oldest cocktail in the proverbial book. But just because it has been around for a long time doesn’t mean it isn’t open to innovation. The drink is simple to make, and almost as easy to experiment with. Try substituting a rich sugar like demerara or turbinado, or a different sweetener altogether—honey syrup, agave nectar, vanilla bean syrup all work splendidly. Or, experiment with any of the variety of bitters that are on the market—or try a combination of bitters. Lastly, nothing glorifies the Old Fashioned like a big solid piece of ice. Numerous “large format” ice moulds, in various sizes and shapes, can be found on the Internet and in specialty bars or cooking shops.