That concluded the Tequila segment of the competition. The tasting then focused its efforts on the spirit’s up‐and‐coming cousin, mezcal.

In the more costly super‐premium price range, a Master was awarded to Olmeca Altos Reposado. Athavia noted the “fantastic integration of the oak on the palate”, which she said gave the Tequila “body, texture and a hint of sweetness”. From there, the competition moved onto Flavoured Tequila, where a Gold medal was handed to 1800 Coconut, with its “inviting, fresh coconut” aroma and “agave notes on the finish”. In the 100% Agave Mezcal – Joven, a Master medal was awarded to Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote – Coyote de Amatlán. Athavia found this to be “quite salty on the nose, with sea aromas”, leading to “lots of character and funky notes” on the palate.Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. People sometimes think we’re just chancers coming into the market but then they try our tequilas and every time realise that they’re really good. We’ve been in the market for a long time and we know what we’re doing and always wanted to create something to be proud of. Tell us about your distillery and why you chose it.

Yes, indeed! We knew what we wanted to make and how we wanted to do it. We were already credited over there with the CRT and we had the logistics in place to get products over here because we already did it with the agave syrup, so it was the perfect storm really. We spent three years developing it: one year developing the Blanco, then we waited two years for the Reposado and Añejo to age – we thought if we were going to do it, best do it properly. We launched around the start of the year and since then, it’s gone nuts! We’re house pours at great places like this [ TRADE Soho] all around the country. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. If you're looking for a versatile reposado tequila, our favorite is the Mijenta Reposado because it's high-quality and rich in flavor that's great for sipping and mixing. Each has different characteristics, ranging from the fresh and citrusy (there’s a reason you shot with lime and salt), to the more complex styles that display caramel and oak. Broadly speaking, blanco is for shots, anejo is strictly for sipping (like you would with whisky), and reposado is a good option for either. How we test tequilaThere are two types of tequila — those that are made with 100% agave, and the inferior 'mixto', which only contains the legally required minimum 51 percent (with the rest made up of any other sugar, often corn). Don’t worry, we’re not going to recommend any of those.

Our panel – made up of 10-accredited spirits experts and tequila-loving consumers – put 27 blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas to the test. A tequila from a man who always thought he was allergic to the stuff. VIVIR Tequila is one of the latest quality British brands taking the category by storm. Sixteen years in the making but less than a year old, the company prides itself on transparency, sustainable practice and damn tasty products. If you haven’t come across them yet, you will soon…Strong agave presence. Very vegetal with green bell peppers, thyme honey, chargrilled courgettes, raw asparagus. There is a fuller caramel hinting at honeycomb and beeswax. Vanilla pods, ginger biscuits, Turkish Delights, Custard Creams add to the sweetness. Taste I designed the branding and purposefully made it quite contemporary. We want to change the perception of tequila and start with the way the bottles look even before people taste the liquid. A lot of brands tend to go quite traditional with Mexican artwork, which is great but people have this perception of what tequila is and, if we keep reinforcing that, it’s going to be harder to change. The opening flight of Mixto Tequila – Blanco delivered a set of Silver medals for El Sueño Tequila Silver and Sierra Tequila Silver. El Sueño Tequila Silver was “light and bright” on the nose, with “delicate citrus and a peppery palate”. Sierra Tequila Silver had a “slight nuttiness”, but was found to be “what you’d expect” from a mixto blanco – “solid”, noted one judge. Each was tried neat and blind, to avoid brand bias, allowing the full flavours — fresh citrus to warming oak — to shine through. They were on the lookout for smooth, easy-drinking styles, with well-balanced sweetness and added complexity.

Mangrove is the perfect partner for our Tequila brands here in the UK. We have a deep-rooted passion for the category, which is shared by the whole team over at Mangrove. We want to change general perceptions of Tequila over here, away from just the shot culture, at both the entry and premium levels. Mangrove 100% understand this and want to support our mission. We also have a key focus on sustainability in all we do, which is very much echoed by Mangrove’s philosophy. We look forward to a bright future together.”One great reason to barrel age a tequila is to mellow the rough edges that are sometimes left in the spirit after distilling. Reposado should have personality but be easily sippable. As opposed to blanco tequila, which is unaged, and añejo tequila, which is aged for a year or more, reposado tequila is aged at least two months and up to a year in barrel. That mild amount of aging results in a smooth, golden, and incredibly versatile spirit. Tequila has come a long way in the past decade. From its shot‐slamming party days, the spirit has enjoyed a major glow‐up, and is now revered as a serious spirit. And the medals speak for themselves. This year’s Tequila & Mezcal Masters welcomed a record number of entries, which showcased the high calibre of offerings coming from Mexico.