What we’re drinking: Escasa Blanco and Reposado Tequila
Where it’s from: Hailing from Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico, Escasa (“scarce”) is overseen by Graciela “Grace” Gonzalez, a fourth-generation master distiller (she’s the daughter of Rodolfo Gonzalez of El Mayor Tequila, and both brands operate through Luxco).
Why we’re drinking these: There are hundreds of tequila brands that launch each year, so finding one that stands out is difficult. I had Escasa at a small launch party in New York and immediately fell for its taste profile (which you’ll read about below) and handsome monochromatic bottles.
“My father kept saying, ‘You want to do something completely outside the box, so this is your opportunity,’” says Gonzalez, who at the time was helping to create limited-edition tequilas with another brand. “And I had this idea. People say you can only serve tequila with Mexican food, and it’s only served in a certain kind of way. But I’m always traveling, I like different things, I’m a foodie. So I wanted to create something that would have the diversity to be paired with anything.”
Escasa’s tequila-making process isn’t entirely unique, but the distillery does utilize a lot of rarely-used methods, including triple distillation, estate-grown agave, heirloom yeast, bagazo (essentially, leftover cooked and pulped agave fibers) in the fermentation tanks and, for the reposado, maturation in albariño barrels from Rias Baixas, Spain.
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How they taste: Both expressions come in at 40% ABV.
- Blanco: Full of pepper, salinity and a drier profile, this is an earthier tequila that puts minerality first and foremost.
- Respoado: Aged for six months in albariño wine barrels, you start getting some citrus and acidity here with hints of pineapple. Given that most repos veer toward caramel, this is a unique take on the category.
Fun fact: Albariño, a coastal white from the Iberian Peninsula, features flavors of stone fruit, hints of salinity and “zippy acidity.” “It’s such an underestimated wine,” Gonzalez says. “It’s so well balanced and easygoing. And I haven’t heard of anyone else in the tequila market working with it.”
How to buy: Escasa Tequila is currently available online for $100 to $120 at Shared Pour.
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