Some numbers don't add up. For example, when counting the percentage of blue Weber agave in your favorite tequila.
If the liquid in question is clearly labeled “100 percent blue Weber agave,” it may actually be only 99 percent. The remainder can consist of any number of additives used to change the color, taste, and even mouthfeel of the final product. The distillery doesn't even need to disclose what those particular additives might be, as long as they're below the one percent threshold under the laws governing the category.
Luckily for fans of pure, unadulterated stuff, the category's top luxury manufacturer is also among the fiercest advocates of additive-free transparency. I'm talking about Patrón. And specifically about El Alto and El Cielo, the brand's two new releases that can deliver both a rounded sweetness and a supple mouthfeel without having to rely on anything else. real 100 percent blue Weber agave.
“We realized there was a gap in the market for naturally sweet, elegantly packaged prestige tequilas,” says David Alan, Patrón's manager of commercial education and mixology. “We entered the prestige category with El Alto in 2022, and just a year later we launched El Cielo, the world's first quadruple-distilled prestige silver tequila. “Both of these launches represent a truly exciting new chapter for us as a brand.”
Related: We Tasted Hundreds of Tequilas. These Are the Best for Proper Sipping
El Cielo has a menu of fruit delicacies. There is a more tropical feel to the nose, where pineapple also plays a role. However, on the palate it shifts towards strawberry and watermelon. Alan attributes this vigor to his unique distillation technique, which involves 500-litre copper stills, much smaller than the 2,000-litre industry standard.
“It opened up and opened up the natural sweetness and smoothness of the agave to deliver an incredibly sweet and light tequila,” says Alan.
The innovative technique comes with a boost. El Cielo is now available across the US and retails for around $90 a bottle. That's about three times the price of standard Patrón Silver.
El Alto is pushing business into the triple-digit range. Although classified as a reposado, the highly sippable 80-proof spirit contains a large dose of añejo and even extra añejo in its mix; They are liquids that take several years to mature in oak.
The result is a creamy sweetness. There is a taste of vanilla, cinnamon and toasted coconut on the tongue. Undoubtedly, most of these are collected from the barrel. But Alan points out that there is a natural sweetness to the distillate due to the extra-ripe agave used in its production, which grows in some of the highest parts of Jalisco, where the iron-rich volcanic soil produces sweet and flowering plants.
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Originally introduced as a limited release, El Alto is now heading into national distribution. It is recognized on shelves by its slim teal bottle and retails for $115.
For anyone willing to discover an honest expression of well-ripened agave, any of these releases are worth your hands. If you want to learn more about unadvertised additives used by other brands, here is a comprehensive list you can check. It's maintained by the Additive Free Alliance, a watchdog group founded in 2020 to help shine a light on the practice and celebrate the labels that are truly keeping things 100. Despite significant industry pushback, he hopes to one day see more honesty about how to do this. The best tequila producers harvest these agave percentages.
In the meantime, here are the four most common additives you'll find in your liquids, according to Alan:
- -Jarabe: Jarabe is a sweetening syrup obtained from various sources such as cane, corn syrup or Sucralose. “They are often used not only to add sweetness, but also to enhance flavor profiles, such as vanilla,” says Alan.
- Caramel color: As you might expect, caramel color is used to change color, especially in barrel-aged or “gold” tequilas. But it can also be used as a way to enhance the actual flavors of the relevant barrel notes.
- oak sap: “Oak extract is used to add aromas and flavors associated with barrel aging,” says Alan. “And to increase the perception of the age of tequila.”
- Glycerine: It's a sugar alcohol often found in soaps, but according to Alan it's “one of the most common additives used in tequila.” “To give a more comprehensive mouthfeel and add 'smoothness'.”
Related: 11 Best Añejo Tequilas for Sipping and Mixing