Tequila Espolon: history and views
Tequila Espolon is a 100% blue agave distillate. The brand's values represent a kind of tribute to Mexican culture, with its peculiar attitude to death and departed ancestors. Each bottle has its own unique engraving, which in turn tells a story starring skeletons.
Espolon brand history in short
Despite the fact that Espolon tequila (or rather, El Espolon) appeared on the market for strong agave distillates only in 1998, this brand has its own very solid background. At the origins of the drink was a small artisanal distillery, built in 1889 in Los Altos de Jalisco, famous for the most sugar-rich agave area, by a local wealthy landowner and a fan of good tequila, Don Selso Plasencia.
For two generations, the Plasencia family has produced white and rested tequila, largely driven by their own needs and those of the surrounding population.
By the way, according to local tradition, it was Don Selso who came up with the idea of creating a "rested" tequila Reposado by means of its short-term placement in oak barrels.
The situation changed with the grandson of the founder of the family business, Raula Plasencia, who in 1996-1998 built an ultra-modern enterprise on the basis of his grandfather's factory, which received the name: Destiladora (distillery) San Nicolas. It is here, on the basis of old family recipes, combined with the latest technologies, that the current Espolon tequila appeared, which in Spanish means "Cock's spur" (in the Mexican folk tradition, the rooster is considered a symbol of vitality and well-being).
After the opening of a new plant and the launch of a new brand, the family business did not go as brilliantly as Raul Placencia had hoped, since in 2008 the company had to be sold to the American branch of the Italian alcohol concern Gruppo Campari. At the same time, probably, the problems consisted in anything, but not in the quality of the drink itself, because the process of its production to this day remains in the jurisdiction of the descendants of Selso Plasencia.
Overview of tequila espolon species
All drinks produced under the Espolon brand are composed exclusively of Blue Agave distillate. At the same time, the tequila produced by the San Nicolas distillery has a certain family flavor.
As has been the custom since the days of Don Salso, the agave pulp, during the preliminary heat treatment, is slightly overexposed in the ovens, and the distillation process itself lasts a little longer than usual. As a result, drinks are obtained that combine the softness of a good distillate and a pronounced smoky aftertaste of baked agave.
Espolon blanco
Intemperate drink, with light floral-citrus notes in the aroma and vanilla-peppery notes in the taste. Excellent aperitif. It is consumed either neat or slowly washed down with sangrita.
Espolon reposado
A golden straw six-month tequila that smells and tastes like peppery caramel transitions. It is also very good neat. If you want something strange, you can try to wash it down with a slightly salted mixture of agave and lime juices.