Despite having been fortunate enough to work on an abundance of editorial projects in my life involving the world’s great distillers and winemakers, it’s still very much a thrill (after all these years) when loyal supporters of Boss Hunting – in this case, a tequila powerhouse like Patrón – manage to deliver genuine and unreserved enjoyment.
Rocks glass garnished with an orange wheel in hand, that is precisely how I feel drinking Patrón El Cielo.
Earlier this week HQ took delivery of one of the first bottles to arrive in Australia; and between the electrifying flavours of this latest prestige silver tequila, and all the different ways in which drinkers are encouraged to try it, there is not a doubt in my mind this will be the most imbibed and ‘Grammed agave spirit of the summer.
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As Spanish speakers are sure to have already clocked, the literal English translation for the name of this premium 40% ABV bottling is “the sky”. More abstractly, references in Mexico to “El Cielo” point to a unique subtext of freedom, Mayan legend, and “the heavens” – oddly enough, themes that you get an acute feel for when sipping this intensely flavoursome, yet seemingly weightless tequila.
Patrón’s El Cielo has a diamond-like purity; the result of a unique process of repeat distillation. A traditional technique in the production of other clear spirits (most notably vodka) it is nevertheless a nascent trend in the world of premium tequila.
There are a handful of tequilero who have made double, or even triple-distilled tequila in the recent past. But the practice remains necessarily niche because of the risk it carries when performed improperly: liable to strip away layers of natural flavour and result in a ‘neutral’ spirit.
Not so with Patrón El Cielo.
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David Rodriguez, the Hacienda’s Master Distiller, oversees a quadruple distillation that takes place exclusively in the smallest copper pot still at Patrón. As in the production of premium dark spirits, a smaller still yields a superior degree of control. With that, Rodriguez says that his team have been able to unlock “the natural sweetness and smoothness from agave” harvested from some of the highest plantations in Jalisco. The result is an “incredibly sweet and light” profile.
It’s not necessarily better than an extremely mature añejo Patrón, although the almost luminous smoothness you’ll experience whilst sipping Patrón El Cielo makes a lot of sense in a country where drinking popularly happens in the sun and amid an air of celebration. Something that also hits home when enjoying a waterfront sundowner anywhere in Australia.
Not to mention: like so many category-leading spirits, Patrón El Cielo does more than one thing well. Whether you’re sipping it (per Rodriguez’s recommendation) with the simplest garnish of ice and orange peel, or getting stuck in French-75-style with a few Tequila Royales, there’s so much more to Patron’s latest release than you can see simply with the naked eye.
Patrón El Cielo is available across select venues in Australia now and will be available from Vintage Cellars and Dan Murphy’s from mid-October.
