I Just Drank Patron And It Didn't Suck!
I know the headline is harsh, but let me give you a little history here before you jump down my throat. Like many of you out there my tequila drinking experience started in college with some Cuervo Gold and some major hangovers. After those college years I swore off tequila (along with Southern Comfort and Wild Turkey, but those are stories for a different time).
Flash forward years later when my wife's cousin came to town to visit. We were out at a Mexican restaurant and he insisted on me drinking tequila with him. Which tequila you ask? You guessed it - Patron Silver. And the verdict - I liked it. I liked it so much that I stopped drinking scotch and only drank tequila after that day.
It was clear that this Patron Silver was not my college tequila. Smooth going down (granted with the help of some sangrita) and no hangover the next day. Add on the fact that I have celiac disease, and while all distilled spirits should be gluten free, scotch left me hurting - tequila didn't.
So, Patron Silver is what set me off on my quest for great tequila which ultimately led me to starting Elevaso. And throughout those years (and countless tequila tastings) I've obviously come across tequilas that are significantly better than Patron Silver - shit, I created a blanco, Elevaso "El Principio" Blanco, that is in a whole different league than Patron Silver (or anything out there - you should take me up on the challenge!).
But the other day, shopping in my local Pavilions, a bottle of Gran Patron Smoky caught my eye. Price tag was steep ($250), but I had to satisfy my curiosity based on everything I had read. I poured a glass neat to start off my Grammy watching with the wife, and then tried it on the rocks. The results were shocking.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you run out and buy a bottle for $250, nor am I suggesting it's even on the same playing field as Elevaso Blanco. I'm just saying that this tequila seemed to be made right. But, here is the catch - it's "Tequila" by definition, but it is clearly made in the tradition of Mezcal. I'm not a mezcal drinker, but if I was, this would be the mezcal I'd want to drink. Based on everything I read, Patron seems to achieve this without the use of additives, using traditional underground smoking techniques to achieve this flavor profile.
So, I tip my hat to you Patron, that unless someone comments here and tells me otherwise, it seems you've created a winner in Smoky using completely traditional methods.
That said, I'm not coming home from a hard days work to sit on my couch with Patron Smoky. That privilege is reserved for Elevaso Blanco and Elevaso Extra Anejo. But, that doesn't mean I'm not going to search the web for some really cool mezcal cocktails to try to make using my Patron Smoky!
Flash forward years later when my wife's cousin came to town to visit. We were out at a Mexican restaurant and he insisted on me drinking tequila with him. Which tequila you ask? You guessed it - Patron Silver. And the verdict - I liked it. I liked it so much that I stopped drinking scotch and only drank tequila after that day.
It was clear that this Patron Silver was not my college tequila. Smooth going down (granted with the help of some sangrita) and no hangover the next day. Add on the fact that I have celiac disease, and while all distilled spirits should be gluten free, scotch left me hurting - tequila didn't.
So, Patron Silver is what set me off on my quest for great tequila which ultimately led me to starting Elevaso. And throughout those years (and countless tequila tastings) I've obviously come across tequilas that are significantly better than Patron Silver - shit, I created a blanco, Elevaso "El Principio" Blanco, that is in a whole different league than Patron Silver (or anything out there - you should take me up on the challenge!).
But the other day, shopping in my local Pavilions, a bottle of Gran Patron Smoky caught my eye. Price tag was steep ($250), but I had to satisfy my curiosity based on everything I had read. I poured a glass neat to start off my Grammy watching with the wife, and then tried it on the rocks. The results were shocking.
Now, I'm not suggesting that you run out and buy a bottle for $250, nor am I suggesting it's even on the same playing field as Elevaso Blanco. I'm just saying that this tequila seemed to be made right. But, here is the catch - it's "Tequila" by definition, but it is clearly made in the tradition of Mezcal. I'm not a mezcal drinker, but if I was, this would be the mezcal I'd want to drink. Based on everything I read, Patron seems to achieve this without the use of additives, using traditional underground smoking techniques to achieve this flavor profile.
So, I tip my hat to you Patron, that unless someone comments here and tells me otherwise, it seems you've created a winner in Smoky using completely traditional methods.
That said, I'm not coming home from a hard days work to sit on my couch with Patron Smoky. That privilege is reserved for Elevaso Blanco and Elevaso Extra Anejo. But, that doesn't mean I'm not going to search the web for some really cool mezcal cocktails to try to make using my Patron Smoky!
🥃🥃-Ross
Raise Your Glass / Live TEQurious!
Elevaso Tequila - Nacido en Mexico / Raised In SoCal
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