Patron: Silver

Type: Tequila

Brand: Patron

Year/Specialty: Silver (Blanco)

Cost:$40.00 - $50.00 U.S.

A little History:

Patron, like a lot of non-Mexico owned tequila companies, started out buying their tequila from distillers and importing it to America to be bottled under their name. This is not an uncommon thing for the spirits business, just look at your blended scotch or bourbons made from one distillery but bottled under another name for example. Patron was originally made by Siete Leguas (Seven Leagues) who were known for their premium 100 percent agave Tequila. From Patron’s very beginning (1989), they have always gone a bit further with the product, requesting higher-end tequila with hand-blown glasses made to market to a premium crowd in the USA. Around 2002, the Patron company decided to create their own distillery, removing Siete Leguas from the equation, but still kept much of the same processes in place to keep in the premium sector. In the past 10 or so years there has been a resurgence of tequila, and in particular, the differentiation of low-end and high-end, mixto and 100 percent agave tequila. Patron has been at the forefront of marketing the understanding of 100 percent agave tequila, and for its part, has truly helped develop the American understanding of this spirit.

A little Geography:

Tequila is a product of Mexico and, in specific, only five states in Mexico can make it. Jalisco (where the town of Tequila is), Nayarit, Guanajuato, and Machoacan. From these states, all the blue agave and distilling will be made. This is one way the government can keep a close eye on the processes of its national spirit. About 80 percent of all the blue agave is harvested and distilled in Jalisco, with the amount of mixto and 100 percent agave varying, widely dependent on the expression of the company.

A little Science:

I believe the most important portion of the science in the tequila market is the different between what is considered mixto and what is 100 percent agave. All tequila must be made with at least 51% blue agave, harvested and distilled in one of the five states in Mexico. Yet at 51% blue agave, that leaves mixto with a lot of wiggle room to put other not so tequila-like items in the recipe. Typically, mixto is made with a percentage of blue agave, and then the rest is filled with sugar water. Patron does not do this, they use 100 percent blue agave that is harvested from their lands and distilled only in their distillery. This is much rarer that you would think, in fact only around two percent of all tequilas can say they are made within their own distillery. Less important in the consumer eye, yet important nonetheless, is how a company goes through the distillery processes. Patron says they cook (not steam) their agave in quarters for 72 hours before they extract the juice, then allow it to ferment with yeast before distilling. After the correct amount of fermentation has been acquired, the liquid will be distilled twice. Then it will either be bottled as “blanco” or “silver” (non-aged) tequila, or it will be aged in barrels to be made into reposado (rested) or anejo (aged). Reposado must be aged for at least 2 months to 11 months, and cannot be in barrels more than 30 thousand liters. Anejo must be aged for at least 12 months, and cannot be in barrels larger than 600 liters. For this review, we are tasting the Patron Silver, this is straight off the still with no aging, which would be indicative of the purest tequila form, like whiskey with no aging.

Let’s take a drink:

The first thing you smell is a slight sweetness that leads into a somewhat smoky agave tone. The taste is sweet as it hits the tip of the tongue and leaves as it rolls to the back, bringing the agave to the front. There is very little burn when you swallow and the aftertaste is just as it smelled and tasted, well rounded.

Who may like this drink:

You are looking to try tequila on a higher level than your local mixto shots that burn going in and out.

Who may not like this drink:

The only agave you want is in your lotion.

For more reviews, check out: www.thespiritednovice.com

References:

Geo-Mexico (2012). The geography of Tequila: where is Tequila made? Retrieved from http://geo-mexico.com/?p=6953

Patron (2016). Patron Tequila: Our Story. Retrieved from https://www.patrontequila.com/our-story.html

Patron (2016).Patron Silver. Retrieved from https://www.patrontequila.com/products/patron silver.html

Taste Tequila (2016). Where Tequila is made. Retrieved from http://tastetequila.com/2015/the-truth-about-where...

Wikipedia.com (2016). Patron. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patr%C3%B3n