Tequila Uno

Learning From The Master – German Gonzalez

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The tequila industry may not recognize their masters, but here at Tequila Aficionado, we know that we could never consider Germán Gonzalez, distiller of T1 Tequila and Tears of Llorona, any less than a Master at his art.

Learning From The Master - German Gonzalez http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4DC

Enjoy this intimate talk we had the pleasure of having with German Gonzalez when he took off his iconic hat and joined us at our table with his stellar selection of tequilas.

Visit T1 Tequila Uno Online

The story of T1 Tequila Uno begins where the history of tequila begins. For centuries generations of tequila masters have perfected the art of making this unique spirit. A creation of Master Distiller Germán González, our tequilas have an acquired pedigree only achievable through heritage and continuity with the past. Handcrafted using these ancestral and traditional methods and from mature 100% Agave Azul grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, emerges a masterpiece collection of T1 Tequila Uno’s of extraordinary and exquisite caliber.

Visit Tears of Llorona Online

Tears of Llorona is an extra extra añejo tequila. It begins as 100% blue agaves from high volcanic slopes in Jalisco, where growth is slow. Master Tequilero Germán Gonzalez hand selects the agaves and has them harvested late, increasing their starch and sugars. The piñas are roasted slowly in the traditional way. His yeast is proprietary and fermentation is slow. Distillation is by copper pot still and barreling is at very high specific gravity.

Tears is aged in three different barrels — oak that has previously held scotch, sherry, and brandy — and brought together in very small batches to create a complex fusion that is more like a cognac than a tequila. Germán then bottles at 43% specific gravity to balance the flavors. This results in a very high rate of osmotic loss – the “angel’s tears” that are one reason for the name, Tears of Llorona.

Learning From The Master - German Gonzalez http://wp.me/p3u1xi-4DCAbout German Gonzalez

Master Distiller Germán González, is the great grandson of General Manuel González, former President of México between 1880 – 1884. In the late 1970s Germán’s father, Guillermo Gonzalez Diaz Lombardo, founder of La Gonzaleña launched what would become the first ultra-premium tequila imported into the United States, Chinaco. Germán worked closely with his father and learned how to handcraft tequila using traditional techniques. After years serving as Chinaco’s master distiller, Germán left the company to launch his own brand, like his father before him.

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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!

The Top 20 Craft Tequilas You’ve Overlooked

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USA_Today_comIn early August of 2016, I received an email from USA Today asking me to weigh in on their craft spirits-themed Readers’ Choice contests, and in our case (at press time), the soon-to-be-launched craft tequilas list.

I’ll be honest, I dread these lists.  What’s worse is, I dread being asked to participate in compiling them.

Let me tell you why.

It’s A List

In the Digital Age, everyone wants things in bite sized form and they want it now.  It is also proven that numbered lists draw attention.  And, there are so many of them out there on the Interwebs–

Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover…

The 10 Best Ways to Cheat On Your Mate…

Six Ways Your Cat Plots to Kill You…

A Word About Your Sins

Ever wonder why those numbered titles are so enticing?7-deadly-sins

It’s because they are aimed at the 7 Deadly Sins.

A steadfast rule of copywriters is to compose content that elicits an emotional response from readers to take action.

To drive your particular sin even further to cause you to read the content, the word YOU is hammered into every title.

[Editor’s note:  See what I did with my title?  You choose which sin fits best for YOU.]

Craft Is A Buzzword

As we thoroughly examined in our reports, Craft Tequila:  WTF Does That Mean? Parts 1 and 2, the term craft has been kidnapped by marketers writing fancy copy to confuse the consumer.

Only 10?

gato sorprendido

While the instructions in the email required at least 20 selections from me, the contest will butcher the selections down to only 10–

Selected by those who are unaware of what a craft tequila really is, and…

Curated by someone whose job it is to find ways to engage USA Today’s readers.

It’s A Contest

check-list-red-wfjgrkbmmkvlWhen our COO, Lisa Pietsch, examined the contest website and the myriad of other pre-existing lists, she found that this is a clever way for USA Today to increase reader engagement.

Reader engagement translates to readers’ time spent on USA Today’s mammoth website, which in turn translates to money they charge advertisers.

The term we use is “sticky” as in spider’s web sticky.

Which leads me to–

Paid Advertisers 

Having been paid to ghost write Editor’s Choice lists in the past, I am fully aware that many times, spirits sponsors of major magazines and websites tend to sneak onto them.

This, despite my vehement objections to the editors that such a move invalidates the list altogether.

So, before any of the Usual Suspects wind up on USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards Craft Tequilas list, here are my selections.  Bear in mind, I was limited to only twenty brands.

The Top 20 Craft Tequilas You’ve Overlooked

In no particular order…

  1. Fortaleza
  2. T1 Tequila Uno
  3. Tears of Llorana
  4. Suerte
  5. Siembra Azul
  6. Siembra Valles
  7. Tapatio
  8. Tequila G4
  9. ArteNOM 1414
  10. ArteNOM 1580
  11. ArteNOM 1146
  12. ArteNOM 1549
  13. Trianon
  14. Pasote
  15. Embajador
  16. Alquimia
  17. DesMaDre
  18. Dulce Vida
  19. Don Fulano
  20. IXA

The Fallout

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Whether any of my selections make the cut, remains to be seen.

Depending on who the other “tequila experts” were that contributed to the final list to be voted on, the results, if nothing else, should be interesting.

One thing is for certain–

Not everyone will be happy.

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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!

Germán González’s T1 Tequila Uno–Questions and Answers

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Response to the interview series with Master Distiller Germán González has been wonderful.

Rightly so, for a man who is a living part of tequila history and continues to make history today with T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorona.

Here are some of your questions answered:

Q:  Does Germán always blend agaves from Tamaulipas and Atotonilco because originally he didn’t have enough from Atotonilco?

A:  As we stated in Tequila From the Heart, Germán blended

T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorona.
T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorona.

agaves from Atotonilco with those from his family ranchos in Tamaulipas only during Chinaco’s resurgence and for his duration with that brand.

T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorona use only agave from the highlands in Atotonilco.

Q:  Did Germán say what blending percentages he uses?
A:   Mas o menos, but…off the record!
T1 Selecto.
T1 Selecto.

Q:  Do all his expressions start as Ultra Fino except Selecto?

A:  Correct.
Q:  What exactly does that mean?
A:  The entire process starts with Ultra Fino, but as you know, Selecto is at a higher alcohol by volume (43% ABV) to acquire a more robust, agave forward flavor profile.
Q:  Does Germán make Selecto from scratch [using] more mature agaves and it was never Ultra Fino? 
A.  As he stated in Tequila From The Heart, Germán always uses mature agave according to his definition, but…
Selecto is distilled to be different than Ultra Fino, which is

Ultra Fino
Ultra Fino

softer on the palate.

Q:  Besides the more mature agave and the different alcohol level, what else is different?
A:  Those answers can be found in the feature article, Germán González–Tequila From The Heart.
Have you seen our video series with Germán González, yet?  If you haven’t, pour yourself a glass of T1 Tequila Uno and watch the entire playlist here:

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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!

Tears Of Llorona–Tequila’s Higher Octave

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“Don’t only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine.”–Ludwig van Beethoven

Germán González lingers over Tears of Llorona tequila.
Germán González lingers over Tears of Llorona tequila.

In music, an octave is the difference in sound between the first and eighth note on a musical scale.

In astrology, the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are commonly considered the higher octaves of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, which are closer to the sun.

After savoring Tears of Llorona, the word octave comes to mind–something eight times greater than its tequila origin.

[Tweet “Savoring Tears of Llorona, “octave” comes to mind– 8x greater than its tequila origin. @TearsOfLlorona“]

Barrel Blends

In this snippet, Germán González, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, explains the secret barrel blends that result in this masterpiece.

[Tweet “Tears of Llorona Tequila: spectacular juice made better with barrel blending. @TearsOfLlorona“]

Tears of Llorona served in Riedel stemware.
Tears of Llorona served in Riedel stemware.

The Allure of Scotch

Here, Germán reveals the secret of a legendary Mexican rum and ultimately, the confirmation of why he favors using scotch whisky barrels for Tears of Llorona.

Why The Name?

In the following excerpt, Germán describes why he named his finest expression of tequila, Tears of Llorana.

[Tweet “Why the name Tears of Llorana? We cried tears of joy when we tasted it. @TearsOfLlorona“]

Swirling the magic of Tears of Llorona.
Swirling the magic of Tears of Llorona.

The Higher Things

 

In this final cut, Germán González discusses the real reason he creates such fine tequilas, reaffirms the lessons he has learned in life, and imparts his belief in higher ideals.  In the process, we learn what really makes him tick.

[Tweet “Learn what makes Master #Tequila Distiller, Germán González, tick. @TearsOfLlorona“]

Flavor Notes

Tears of Llorona serving suggestions.
Tears of Llorona serving suggestions.

How do you describe Tears of Llorona?  How do you depict what you have no benchmark for?  How do you relate something that is at once incomparable and incomprehensible, yet, strangely familiar, like déjà vu?

Perhaps the closest touchstone is given when deconstructing or reverse engineering Tears of Llorona.

For this first batch, Tears of Llorona is barreled in used sherry, scotch whisky and brandy barrels, achieving a spirit that does not betray its agave and tequila roots.

Instead, cradling the agave notes is a heady spiciness that continues to whisper to your senses the longer you swirl it in your glass.

Notes of bitter chocolate, sherry, leather, tobacco and coffee, along with hints of scotch and memories of the finest cognac or brandy culminate in a finish that resembles “a warm scarf on a cold day.”

[Tweet “Tears of Llorona Tequila: A warm scarf on a cold day. @TearsOfLlorona”]

While other extra añejos attempt to masquerade as something remotely similar to (or anything but) tequila, it is evident that Germán González has created Tears of Llorona to be Tequila’s higher octave.

Deliberately distilled to be lingered over, this gem is, as its website states, “an opus.”  A symphony composed and conducted by a true Master.

[Tweet “Tears of Llorona Tequila: A symphony composed & conducted by a true Master. @TearsOfLlorona”]

A symphony that can raise you–and your senses–to the divine.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

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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!

Germán González Got No Respect!

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Germán Gonzalez, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, discloses why, up until recently, the term master distiller was not given the proper recognition by the Tequila Industry, nor by the people of Mexico.

Like deceased comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, Germán struggled to gain respect and to become recognized for his distilling acumen until he risked creating T1 Tequila Uno.

We’re sure that after you sample each of his offerings, you, too, will understand what it truly means to be a master at your craft.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

 

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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!

A Bartender’s Tip from Germán González

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In this clip, Germán González, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, reveals the difficulty in getting consumers to sip 100% agave tequila and shares a technique that a particular bartender uses to educate drinkers who ask for T1 in a cocktail.

A thoughtful bartender or mixologist will always serve the customer in the best way possible.

If you’ve never sipped T1 Tequila Uno, before having it in your favorite cocktail, ask for a bit of a sample on the side.

You’ll be glad you did!

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

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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!

Germán González and The Riedel Tequila Glass

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In this segment, Germán González, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, explains why the Riedel Ouverture glass (now part of Riedel’s Vinum collection) is ideal for tequila tasting.

He demonstrates the right way and the wrong way to hold the glass, and details why it is so effective a tool when enjoying his exquisite tequilas.

Similar to the historic Jose Cuervo family and distillery, Riedel has been creating glassware for every type of wine and spirit for over 250 years.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

 

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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!

The Rules of Agave with Germán González

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In these next two clips, while enjoying sips of Germán González’s masterpiece, Tears of Llorona, we discuss the ins and outs of the tequila business.

The Only Rule That Counts

Germán Gonzalez, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, reveals the only real rule, according to the normas (the rules and regulations that govern the tequila making process), that counts when selecting agave.

The Brix Bottom Line

Here, Germán  explains how an agave’s brix (sugar content) may affect agave pricing.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

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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!

Tasting Tequila Uno with Germán González (4)

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Tequila Uno Estelar

Germán Gonzalez, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, explains what it takes to make T1 Estelar añejo.

Flavor Notes

Aged for almost 24 months, it is much darker and richer than T1 Tequila Uno Excepcional reposado.

The wood tones, courtesy of the used scotch whisky barrels Germán employs, shine through to compliment the fruity nose of the agave.

Chocolate and citrus dominate in a pleasant way on the tongue.

This nectar enters sweet and finishes dry at the back of the throat.  It’s like a warm scarf on a chilly day.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

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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!

Tasting Tequila Uno with Germán González (5)

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T1 Tequila Uno Selecto

Tequila Uno–Selecto

Germán González, distiller of T1 Tequila Uno and Tears of Llorana, shares his views on T1 Selecto, and how he balances alcohol and water to obtain the right amount of agave elements.

Selecto Flavor Notes

Hand selected maduro (mature) agave goes into this blanco at just the right ABV (alcohol by volume) to release an explosion of flavor at mid-palate and up through the nasal passages.

Again, the finish stays within the throat and back of the tongue, not in your stomach.

Read the full story of Germán González and T1 Tequila Uno here.

 

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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!