Female Master Distillers Dominate in Distinct
Agave Spirits Categories
For Immediate release!
Tequila Aficionado Media 2018 Brands of Promise© Awards
January, 15, 2019, San Antonio, TX—On Monday, January 14, 
2019, in a LIVE Facebook Premier broadcast, Tequila Aficionado Media capped off a busy 2018 with its esteemed Sixth Annual Brands of Promise© Awards, acknowledging worthwhile labels of Tequila, Mezcal, Bacanora and other assorted agave distillates.
What a Year!
In a year that saw the rousing success of the 2018 Great Festival Chase Tour, and an earlier than normal deadline for submissions to the Brands Of Promise©, it still took Tequila Aficionado’s eight separate tasters or “Tequila Jockeys” in the US and the UK to determine the winners in each category.
[Tweet “In a pay-to-play world, @TequilaAficion has changed the game with #BrandsofPromiseAwards”]
Among the most notable of Tequila Aficionado Media’s 2018 Brands of Promise© Award recipients were…
Maracame tequila which swept Platinum accolades in the Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo branches achieving Best-in-Show recognition.
Giggling Marlin snagged the Extra Anejo bracket with a Gold award, while the stalwart 3 Amigos brand scored the same in the Value tequila classification.
The burgeoning Crystalino tequila category was easily dominated by Louie Vuitton Moet Hennessy’s newest creation, Volcan de mi Tierra, a collaboration with renowned Master Distiller, Ana Maria Romero Mena.
Boss Ladies
The wide variety of agave spirits brought to market by female trailblazers in sub-categories was given thoughtful consideration from Tequila Aficionado Media’s 2018 Brands Of Promise©.
Leading the way was Bacanora Boss Lady, Adriana Torres with a Gold for her gateway, Pascola Bacanora.
Windy City entrepreneur and chef, Sheetal Baghat, garnered Gold with her cinnamon and cumin infused mixto, Spice Note tequila.
For only the second time in recent spirits competition history, tequila producer Melly Barajas managed three distinct tequilas on the shelves in 2018.
[Tweet “#MellyBarajas bagged #DistilleroftheYear with @TequilaVikera @TCCRAFTTEQUILA #BrandsofPromise”]
Ms. Barajas bagged the lioness’ share of hardware with Vikera and TC Craft tequilas, ensuring herself Distiller of the Year honors.
Innovators
Pioneering distiller, Martin Grassl, along with India’s famed native spirits impresario Desmond Nazareth, captured a Gold medal in Agave Spirits with their Porfidio Single 100% Agave Americana Edition.
Obscure brand Onilikan procured three Golds in Aguardiente, Aguardiente infused with fruit, and Mexican gin, all produced from Blue Weber Agave outside of the Denomination of Origin of tequila.
A battle royale resulted in a tie for Organic Blanco tequila. Texas-based Ryno, and a resubmission from 2017, Juan More Time, now with an Organic Certification, each scored a Gold. Both are produced at the Las Americas distillery (NOM 1480).
Lastly, the Mezcal sector was completely disrupted by upstart Cuentacuentos when it unanimously received 4 Gold citations in Ancestral and Artesanal mezcals distilled from different agave.
About the Brands of Promise©–Changing the Game
The Tequila Aficionado Media Brands of Promise© Awards were our response to a secondary industry that has sprouted up around awards programs for spirits.
Agave Spirits brands that Tequila Aficionado Media reviews for FREE each year could qualify to be a Brands of Promise© nominee–at NO COST.
In a very much pay-to-play world, Tequila Aficionado Media has changed the game.
###
For a complete list of nominees, winners, and video awards presentation, click here. To enter your tequila, mezcal, sotol, raicilla, bacanora or other agave spirit or related product in the coveted 2019 Brands of Promise© Awards, email mike@tequilaaficionado.com , NOW!
~~~~~~~~~~
Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES: On Sunday, January 21, 2018, in a LIVE Facebook broadcast, Tequila Aficionado Media unveiled its highly anticipated Fifth Annual Brands of Promise© Awards, celebrating the breakthrough brands in Tequila, Mezcal and other assorted agave distillates.
By far, the most impressive showing was demonstrated in the Legacy Tequila segment.
Tequila G4 won the Platinum for Legacy Blanco tequila; Tequila Terralta took home the Silver for Legacy High Proof Blanco; and Pasote scored Bronzes in both the Legacy Reposado and Legacy Anejo divisions.
A Heritage citation was also bestowed to Scorpion’s Master Distiller, Douglas French, for his Sierra Norte Whiskies made from Oaxacan heirloom corn.
