Miscelaney

Last night, 29 social media-istas plus myself had the very good fortune of participating in a Tequila Tasting Class & Party hosted by Del Rey & The Patron Spirits Company. The event was a thank you to Del Rey’s Twitter followers.

The evening started out with interesting background on the culture of tequila along with the history of The Patron Spirits Company. Interesting factoid: John Paul DeJoria (Paul Mitchell Systems) is the founder of Patron. His vision was to create the best of the best tequila available.  As a result, Patron was the first ultra-premium tequila on the market. Another interesting sidenote is Patron’s commitment to corporate responsibility. They are instituting some really innovative programs and we love that.

Now onto the good stuff. We tasted five tequilas. Before putting glass-to-lips we: a) nosed the front of the glass (ie. shnoz in glass and sniffed), then we nosed the back of the glass noting a definite difference in smell (the back of the glass offering more robust aromas) b) we took a small sip and slowly savored emerging flavors c) nosed the glass again–noting stronger and more specific flavors this time d) sipped again with a larger mouthful, pin-pointing exact  flavors. Here’s what we tasted and the order we tasted them in:

1). Patron Silver–crystal clear, ultra premium tequila. Divine in mixed drinks or on the rocks. Citrus and pear notes with white pepper finish. Retail: $50.

2). Gran Patron–the #1 ultra-premium tequila in the world. A true connoisseur’s tequila, the smoothest tequila ever produced. Each bottle is a hand-made, lead-free crystal decanter. Retail: $200.

3). Patron Reposado–aged in oak barrels, this relaxed tequila is perfect for sipping. Citrus and honey with light spices. Retail: $50

4). Patron Anejo–a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas. Aged in white oak barrels for 12 months. Vanilla, caramel with a smokey finish. Retail: $55

5). Patron XO Cafe–an interesting blend of ultra premium tequila blended with natural coffee essence. An excellent after-dinner drink, it is dry with an appropriate amount of sweetness. Retail: $25.

Five fantastic tequilas. I think the group left with a new respect for sipping and enjoying tequila (leaving wild memories of body shots, regrettable sour stomachs, and horrid morning-after headaches far behind). Another interesting factoid from the evening was to replace the old-school salt and lime tequila shot with orange and cinnamon. Yum. Also, tequila in cosmos is apparently divine. Ditto with lemon drops.

The evening was rounded out with the gracious hosting from Del Rey in their ever-accomodating back room. Belltown’s Tequila Destination with Happy Hour twice daily (4-7pm and 10-midnight) and 3pm-close Sunday. 

Find out more about Patron at http://www.patronspirits.com/. Check out tweets from the evening at @DelReySeattle search #DelRey.