Altos Tequila Plata, Jalisco, Mexico

Internationally renowned British bartenders Henry Besant and Dre Masso were on a quest to create a tequila diverse enough for bartenders to use in cocktails, and excellent enough to compete with (and surpass!) high-end bottles when drinking neat. They teamed up with Jalisco native Jesús Hernandez, who has spent seventeen years perfecting the art of tequila as Maestro at the Destilería Colonial de Jalisco in Los Altos. Hernandez manages every level of production, starting with 100% blue agave planted in ideal growing conditions at 2,100 meters above sea level in mineral-rich volcanic soil. After seven to eight years, the plants are finally ready to be hand-harvested by jimadors. Unlike grapes or wheat, agave plants take nearly a decade to mature, so the soil and growing conditions have a strong impact on the final product. Destilería Colonial de Jalisco employs an entirely full-time, multi-generational, team of jimadors who have passed down the art of agave harvesting for decades. After selecting only the best plants for processing, the agave is roasted in the distillery’s own brick ovens for up to three days, before resting in order to retain as much juice as possible for the tequila. After relaxing for a bit, half of the agave is shredded and pressed via a roller mill, while the rest is crushed using a two-ton Tahona Stone. Tahona rolling is a 500-year old method used almost exclusively for the finest tequila. The agave juice ferments for 36 hours and is then distilled in small batches using copper stills. Olmeca Altos Tequila Plata is bottled immediately after distillation. It has an herbal nose, with sweet and citric cooked agave notes, and a well-balanced finish that combines peppery heat with lingering fruitiness. In 2015, Olmeca Altos Plata was awarded a gold medal at the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Pick up a bottle today!