NHLC hand-selected nine barrels of premium aged tequila from three of Mexico’s top distilleries; Renowned tequila brand ambassadors to visit New Hampshire this month for bottle signings and tastings
Thousands of bottles of the world’s best barrel-aged tequila are headed to NH Liquor & Wine Outlet shelves this month thanks to a strategic purchase by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC). NHLC recently hand-selected and purchased nine barrels of barrel-aged tequila from Patrón, Herradura and Casa Noble distilleries in Mexico. Approximately 2,862 bottles will soon be available exclusively at all NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations.
Each of the barrels – four from Patrón, two from Herradura and three from Casa Noble – vary greatly in flavor profile, aging process and proof. Kevin Vanegas, Herradura Global Ambassador, Dave Yan, Casa Noble Global Brand Ambassador and Chris Spake, Patrón Director of Brand Education, will make special appearances in the Granite State March 27-29 to meet customers, autograph bottles and educate consumers about the unique characteristics between each of these featured tequilas.
“With the demand for premium tequila growing each year, we are excited to offer customers the opportunity to purchase these products, and to meet and learn from some of the most respected names in the tequila industry,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “Each bottle contains a rich history of the generations of families that have perfected their strategy over hundreds of years, and the communities that have maintained the agave fields and manned the ovens to ensure precision in every batch. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s commitment to delivering exclusive spirit and wine offerings to our 11 million annual customers is a driving force behind our record sales, which reached $678.4 million in Fiscal Year 2016, with spirits making up $384.3 million of those sales.”
On Monday, March 27th from 6:00 to 8:00pm, Chris Spake of Patrón hosted a spirit seminar and recorded a Facebook Live feed with information about the barrel buys that you can watch below.
Kevin Vanegas of Herradura on Wednesday, March 29th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Tickets are $10 per person for each event, and include a NH Liquor & Wine Outlet coupon for use toward the tequilas from each respective barrel buy, which will be available for purchase following each event. Additional details and tickets are available at https://nhliquorwine.ticketleap.com/.
The nine tequilas each offer unique tasting experiences. For example, the Casa Noble Extra Anejo offers a citrus aroma with a slight note of spice and a complex taste with hints of smoke balanced with caramel, while Patrón’s Anejo Barrel #140 has more of a vanilla aroma and a full, smooth mouth feel with a blend of sweetness and citrus. Both Herradura Double Reposado selections have similar cinnamon aromas, but Barrel #1224 leads into a medium finish with a black pepper touch, and Barrel #1225 leads into a slightly longer finish with sweeter touches.
Each tequila was selected with New Hampshire customers in mind—from expert to new-comer. Mark Roy, NHLC Spirits Marketing and Sales Specialist, worked with tequila makers at each estate to ensure each selection had quality and characteristics that would resonate with New Hampshire customers.
“It is very exciting to have our Casa Noble Single Barrel showcased in a state like New Hampshire,” said Jose “Pepe” Hermosillo, founder of Casa Noble Tequila. “For the commission to reach out to Casa Noble and choose from our select barrels, shows a strong commitment to finely crafted spirits.”
Tequilas included in this barrel buy include one barrel of Reposado and three different Anejo barrels from Patrón, two separate Double Reposado barrels from Herradura and one barrel of Joven, one barrel of Reposado and one barrel of Anejo from Casa Noble. Joven tequilas are typically bottled immediately following distillation, but can be aged up to 60 days. Reposado, meaning rested, tequilas are typically aged anywhere from two months to a year, and Anejo tequilas are aged between one to three years. Extra or Double implies that the aging process continues.
“We were honored that the New Hampshire Liquor Commission is bringing our handcrafted, premium tequila produced in at our Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico to New Hampshire consumers,” said Antonio Rodriguez, Patrón’s Senior Production Manager. “It’s quite incredible the range of complexity that’s achieved from barrel aging, as each individual barrel imparts such distinct flavors. Though still maintaining the unmistakable taste of Patrón tequila, no two barrels are exactly alike, which means the very unique tequila that we bottled from these can only be found in New Hampshire stores.”
Over the past few years NHLC has enhanced its barrel buy program and completed a number of successful, strategic purchases, including a hand-selection of eight barrels of Knob Creek® Single Barrel Reserve. Prior to that, NHLC broke a Jack Daniel Distillery record when it purchased 16 barrels of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. All barrel buy bottles are not only exclusively available in New Hampshire, they are also a one-time opportunity to covet those particular selections of unadulterated, unblended spirits.
