Partida Cristalino Añejo Tequila

A wonderful Añejo Tequila ride well worth taking.

Jalisco, Mexico, is the birthplace of many fun things, including the Mariachi and Tequila. The latter was first concocted four centuries ago in the town of Tequila, where today, a special distillery is located: Partida Tequila. It was established in 2001 by the brand wiz Gary Shansby, and the Master Magician there is the legendary Jose Valdez. He used to frolic among the agave fields as a kid, and when he grew up, he became a “technical tequilero”. He hooked up with the local agave farmers to secure the best plants, and he’s overseeing the entire process of Tequila-making, from bringing in agave to quality control. The distillery is named after a beloved local agave farmer, Enrique Partida, who inspired the process of creating Partida Tequila, which is considered to be one of the best Tequilas around.

The process of making Partida Añejo Cristalino is a ride to behold. It starts with fully matured Blue Weber agave, that are cooked for 24 hours before aging for a minimum of 18 months in white American oak medium toast ex-Bourbon barrels. After the Spirit finishes aging, its filtered using activated carbon to remove most of the color while still maintaining the aromas and flavors gained through aging. Not skipping a beat, the transparent Añejo is then diluted with demineralized volcanic spring water until it reaches 40% ABV. What a ride!