What Makes a Superior Premium Tequila
A spirit with attractive floral aromas, a complex taste profile with different layers of aroma, and a soft, smooth finish that is enjoyable to taste….I bet you didn’t think we were talking about tequila! Known for its typical throat burning-sensation and harsh, biting finish, many think the only way to tolerate drinking this spirit is to down it in a shot with salt, and quickly follow with lime, or downplay the bitter flavor with sugary cocktail ingredients.
Fortunately, with recent trends in small-batch, artisan-quality spirits, there is increasing consumer demand for a smoother, better tasting tequila. Smooth, aromatic, and pleasurable enough to be sipped and savored, superior premium tequila should prioritize quality in taste and deliver an enjoyable drinking experience.
At PaQuí, our mission has been to create a smooth, flavorful tequila that allows drinkers to taste the wide range of pleasant aromas of the blue agave fruit -- without all the pain. Here are some of the unique methods we use to develop the smoothest, most delicious premium tequila you’d want to taste.
Made With 100% Blue Weber Agave
Out of the 136 different types of agave, less than 10 are used to make tequila. And among that ten, Blue Agave is the only agave allowed for the formulation of tequila for its superior quality.
When a tequila label does not say 100% Blue Agave or says “mixto”, that means that the producer can add up to 49% of anything else that can be fermented, like potatoes or sugar cane, diluting the flavors of the agave.
At PaQuí, our Master Distiller hand selects the finest Blue Weber Agave from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The distinctive blue agave flavor makes our tequila perfect to sip neat or mix in drinks.
Matured Agave
Even if your tequila is 100% Blue Agave, there can be a vast difference in the flavor profile. The key lies in the BRIX level, or sugar level. In order to achieve the characteristic complex flavors of blue agave fruit, we allow our agave to mature beyond that of other brands.
Typically, agave is picked after only 4 years. At PaQuí, our agave is picked at 7+ years to allow the plant to reach 26 BRIX. When harvested earlier, it speeds up production, but has a lesser quality taste.
By waiting for our agave to mature to 26 BRIX, it is more expensive for us, but it creates a delicious tequila that is abundant in flavor and aromas.
Selective Distillation Process
There are many brands that take shortcuts in the production process to save time and money. But what that ends up producing is an inferior quality tequila.
We purify our tequila by taking the distillation process one crucial step further. By separating the heart of the agave fruit, where harsh tasting impurities are held, we are able to allow the pleasant aromas, fruit, complexity, minerals, and soft finish to be apparent.
Most other major mass-market brands do not remove these impurities as it decreases yield by up to 20%, but by removing the harsh tasting impurities that lend to the typical burn and bite of the drink, we have crafted a premium tequila with a soft, smooth finish.
We use fresh wine yeast, instead of the typical airborne ones, in every fermentation for consistency and control. PaQui also steams the agave in a stainless steel autoclave, and uses stainless steel pot stills for the fermentation and distillation process.
PaQuí’s Premium Tequila
At PaQuí, we relish in the complex flavors and aromas that premium tequila encapsulates. Perfect for sipping and savoring, try out our products at a location near you.