How To Open Azul Tequila Bottle
Collectible Clase Azul tequila is only available in numbered batches of 100 bottles, and only a limited supply is produced. Several months of tequila have been aged in sherry wood casks imported from Spain for each of these bottles. In addition, every decanter is unique, with characteristics that make it stand out from the crowd.
Why Is Clase Azul Tequila So Expensive
Exclusive tequilas from Clase Azul are only produced in numbered batches of 100 bottles, and these are sought-after by collectors. Each of these bottles contains tequila that has been aged for five years in special sherry wood casks imported from Spain. And each decanter is a masterpiece, with its own unique character.
Arturo Lomeli Of Clase Azul On Tequilas Magic
| January 9 2018
Gazing at the tequila shelf of a backlit bar, theres one bottle that is nearly impossible to miss. It presents itself as a work of art, with an eye-catching edge over even the most intricate crystal decanters. The aesthetic appeal of Clase Azul tequila comes from its elongated, curved shape with a hand-painted motif and silver bell topper, but this ornate design developed from a simple observation.
I had the idea to make something different, Arturo Lomeli, CEO and founder of Clase Azul, tells me. I was sitting one day looking at the leg of a gothic table, and if you look at the bottle, its an upside-down gothic table leg. is a fortune of different steps aligning. I heard a long time ago a great analogy that says you can go from Los Angeles to Philadelphia at night and you just need to have 100 yards of light from your car. You dont need to have lit up, you just need to know where youre going to be in the next 100 yards. And thats whats happened with our company.
Born in Guadalajara , Lomeli says growing up with the regions popular ponche de granada drink was part of what influenced him to train as a master distiller. He began by making pomegranate-infused tequila in southern Jalisco before going back to school for a masters degree, where he faced the realities of a career in Mexicos growing tequila market.
At the helm of a premium tequila brand, Lomeli sheds some light on what makes the inherently Mexican spirit special.
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Is Clase Azul Cheaper In Mexico
Clase Azul is not widely recognized in Mexico. Wealthy Mexicans would rather spend big money in Scotch whisky than in a tequila as it provides a sign of status. This is a tequila aiming for wealthier markets such as the US, Canada or the UK. If you are lucky to find it in Mexico youll get it almost at the same price. If you were thinking about going south of the border and loading a truck with cheap tequila you will be disappointed.
Things You Didnt Know About Clase Azul Reposado Tequila
When Arturo Lomeli was a young boy, his family would gather in the kitchen and extract pomegranate seeds to make a punch with tequila. His love for tequila saw him start producing the drink, but his first attempt failed. Lomeli had to go back to school and do a masters degree in marketing, and when he went back to business, the product he created flourished. The Mexican-born entrepreneur now focuses on making high-quality tequila, which he exports to America and Europe. One of the products is Clase Azul Reposado tequila, and here are a few facts about it.
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What Makes Tequila Light Or Dark
The differences between light and dark tequila are related to age and flavor, just like there are light and dark types of rum. the lightest, having been bottled immediately following distillation. The wood of tequilas aged in gold or dark hues or the caramel added to them contribute to their flavor.
Alternatives To Azul Tequila
If youre looking for some other great tequila options, try these:
- Jose Cuervo Especial Gold : With its creamy texture and strong, slightly-spicy taste, this tequila is especially good for drinks.
- 1800 Silver : This option is smooth to the palate as well, and its best served on its own or with lime. Its fully made of agave.
- Espolon Blanco : Espolon Blanco is one of the sweetest on our list. If youre looking for something not-as-strong, this tequila may be the perfect choice.
- Patron Silver : This one is another tequila that is perfect for cocktails. The taste is milder than others, which makes it a great drink to mix with many ingredients.
- Don Julio Blanco : With a stronger, spicy taste, Don Julio Blanco is ideal for taking shots. It also works well with soda or if you like strong cocktails.
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Clase Azul Tequila Reposado
Blue Weber Agave
Clase Azul Tequila Reposado is a symbol of Mexican tradition and culture. Made with slow-cooked 100% Blue Weber Agave, our ultra-premium reposado tequila is unique and incomparable.
This Reposado is masterfully aged for eight months in American whiskey casks creating its unique hazelnut and vanilla flavors as well as exceptionally smoothness.
Its decanter is our most recognized icon with its distinctive “feathered” design, painted by hand in cobalt blue.
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Clase Azul Tequila In A Hand
In most cases, when you hear premium tequila described as coming in a beautiful bottle, that bottle is usually glass. There are a few that are packaged in real Mexican pottery though and the Clase Azul packages are real works of art. Made by hand on a pottery wheel, fired, and hand-painted with fine glazes, these are gifts that will create a lasting impression on the lucky recipient. This is not a tequila bottle you want to hide in a closed bar cabinet. Its something to put out on display like a beautiful vase.
Probably for that reason, this is the kind of tequila Ive received the most as some kind of welcome gift at a high-end luxury hotel or villa rental. The first time was at Rosewood Las Ventanas in Los Cabos, recently when checking into a grand vacation rental from Agave Villas. It makes a great impression at first sight, but it also impresses when you go to sip it after a pour.
You wont normally buy an expensive bottle of liquor just for nice packaging, which is why Clase Azul is so satisfying. This is not one of those tequilas where the bottle and marketing hype justify the price more than whats inside. This is a premium spirit that would really stand out in a blind taste test and its approachable enough that you dont have to be a connoisseur to enjoy sipping it straight.
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Who Owns Clase Azul Tequila
Arturo Lomeli was a fan of bringing artisanship back to the Mexican tequila scene with his company, Clase Azul. The handmade jewelry in Santa Maria Canchesda is created by artisan teams of Mexicans over a period of 11 days.
A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Arturo Lomel* co-founded Clase Azul Spirits with his father.
This Luxury Tequila Brand Is Honoring A Lesser
Celebrate a lesser-known region of Mexico with a premium mezcal that’s perfect for sipping.
Clase Azul Spirits, the world’s first luxury tequila brand from Mexico, is honoring one of the country’s lesser well-known states with the release of Clase Azul Mezcal Guerrero.
Clase Azul is renowned for its premium tequilas and mezcals that exemplify the unique and bold flavor of artisanally made spirits. The new Mezcal Guerrero is made from 100 percent Agave Papalote, also known as Agave cupreata, which is specific to the Guerrero region of Mexico.
In the mountainous region of Guerrero, the agave plant grows wild and completely natural by seed propagation. Papalote Agave can take up to 15 years to fully mature and only the best agaves are cooked over the course of several days in a pit oven using volcanic rock and firewood from the Guamuchil tree, according to a statement from Clase Azul Spirits.
“We celebrate the important, yet underappreciated, state of Guerrero as the inspiration for our newest family member” said President of Clase Azul Spirits Juan Sanchez. “Rich in natural beauty, from the bay views to the mountains of Sierra Madre del Sur, the region has a deep connection to Mexican culture and tradition, making it the perfect backdrop for our Mezcal Guerrero.”
The new mezcal is described by the brand as “grapefruit skin and fresh wood to rosemary and peanut oil with hints of butter and daisy flowers.”
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Why Is Clase Azul So Expensive How Is It Made
Clase Azul is 100% organic agave grown in the Jalisco Highlands. Agaves are harvested after 8 years to ensure the right degree of sweetness. Agaves are cooked for 72 hours in brick ovens, as opposed to autoclaves that have become the norm in the industry. I prefer tequilas cooked in brick ovens as they add a flavorful earthy note to the spirit. But none of these tricks of the trade are unique to Clase Azul, many other distillers share the same methods.
What differentiates Clase Azul from the rest is the beautiful decanter. They are handmade and hand painted by Mexican artisans. 350 people work crafting those bottles using antique Mazahua people techniques. The Mazahuas are an indigenous people of Mexico, primarily inhabiting the northwestern portion of the State of Mexico and small parts of Michoacán and Querétaro.
These decanters are beautiful and make a great token. Now lets talk about tequila. Does it justify the hype?
Is Altos Tequila Mexican Owned
Olmeca is owned by the Pernod Ricard Group. There are three tequilas in the Olmeca family: Olmeca, Olmeca Altos and Olmeca Tezón all of which contain Tahona Liquid. Olmeca was launched in 1967 and now has a presence in 80 countries worldwide.Olmeca Tequila. Type Premium Tequila Variants Olmeca, Olmeca Altos and Olmeca Tezón.
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The Truth About Where Your Favorite Tequila Is Made
GroverBlogTequila SchoolCasamigosAviónClase Azul
In the above example, all 3 tequilas mentioned share the same NOM number: 1416. This number was assigned to the producer by the Mexican government and can be used to identify the distillery where it was made*.
So, what does it mean when tequilas have the same NOM? Are tequilas made at a shared distillery better or worse than tequilas made at a distillery dedicated to a single brand? Not necessarily, but Patrón Tequila, which is the only brand made at NOM 1492, thinks it is an important enough distinction to warrant a new Know Your NOM area of their website.
Patrón now invites website visitors to type in the name or NOM numbers of their favorite tequilas to see all of the other tequilas made in the same distillery. This new NOM search functionality is powered by the Tequila Matchmaker app database We get our raw information on NOMs from the official tequila regulatory body, called the Consejo Regulador del Tequila . They maintain a list of tequilas that are in active production.
One thing is for sure, producing only 1 brand of tequila puts Patrón on a small and exclusive list. Only 6% of the active distilleries in Mexico are dedicated to a single brand.
To the best of our knowledge, there are only 8 distilleries that are dedicated to producing a single brand.
Where Is It Made
For some time it was produced in Jesús María, Jalisco in the same distillery as Avion. These tequilas shared the same code number NOM 1416 every distillery has a unique ID code as a means to identify the source of tequila.
Clase Azul moved its production to the Casa Tradicion Distillery in the same Mexican state of Jalisco.
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A Legacy To Mexicos Creative And Cultural Heritage
Mexican founder Arturo Lomeli had two big interests in life: art and ceramics, and creating a tequila brand. Two initial attempts to create something smooth and delicious didnt take off before he went back to the figurative drawing board and started from scratch.
A tacky sombrero was quickly disregarded for branding and, after Lomeri went back to school to study luxury marketing, was replaced with a unique, hand-crafted ceramic bottle designed to be celebrated and upcycled revered the same way the spirit inside would be.
Lomeri released his first bottle of Clase Azul in 2000, after 12 months of aging. Bottles sold for around $100 before things stepped up a notch. In 2007, he sold a $1,200 bottle of dark amber Clase Azul Ultra and things began to scale from there.
While Lomeri never set out to create premium tequila sold at top-level prices, he quickly began to understand the desire and the exclusivity that came from owning one of these one-of-a-kind bottles.
That dedication to art and luxury certainly paid off: the most expensive bottle of Clase Azul sold for $30,000 as part of a miniature collection to celebrate Clase Azuls 15th anniversary.
Who Imports Clase Azul
A little background information about Tequilas Premium: Tequilas Premium is the exclusive US importer of Clase Azul Tequila and La Pinta. Tequilas Premium is based in San Francisco, CA, and was founded by John Hanson, who has been in the food and beverage industry for 25 years. Please visit www. if you would like to learn more. The TequilasPremium brand. com.
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Where Can You Buy Azul Tequila
You can find Clase Azul tequila at almost all the retailers that carry alcohol: most liquor stores, Costco, and Sams club. If youre looking for it online, you can buy it from liquor store websites like TotalWine, ReserveBar etc. Some higher-end varieties of Clase Azul may be more difficult to find in retail stores and could mean a hunt for collectors to track down.
Clase Azul In The Painted Porcelain Decanter
Back to the reposado decanters, because theyre almost as important as whats inside. In the town of Santa MarÃa Canchesda, the workshop of pottery makers and painters has grown to more than 350 artisans. They craft each bottle by hand, so none of them are exactly alike. The company says that each bottle takes two weeks to complete. Two weeks!
Now that Clase Azul price of around $150 in the USA, $90 in Mexico seems like a bargain. You could easily pay that much for a piece of quality talavera pottery in Puebla, but in this deal youre getting reposado tequila inside thats way above some higher-priced brands as well.
The hand-painted pottery is topped by a silver-plated dome and cork, crowning the decanter with a gleam. If youre looking for a special holiday gift for an important business client or tequila lover, you cant go wrong with this one. If you cant tell, Clase Azul tequila is one of my clear favorites.
You can find this brand in good duty-free stores at airports, so its an easy one to pick up on the way home, but youll probably pay less if you pick it up in a Mexican liquor store or supermarket. Itll probably be in a locked section and not out on the regular shelf though, so ask if you dont see it. You can also order it from many online spirits sellers in the USA and elsewhere.
See more at the official website in English.
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Why Is Azul Tequila So Expensive
100% blue agave makes every bottle of Clase Azul tequila. The agave core is ground down to extract every last drop and collected to begin the fermentation process using their proprietary yeast. Every variety of tequila made by Clase Azul uses a particular type of agave to make distinctive flavors across the entire Clase Azul family.
While the tequila is aging, artists set to work individually hand-making the ceramic decanters that will eventually house the tequila. Every decanter is hand-painted and designed to reflect the culture that inspired every variety of their tequila.
This attention to detail and artisanal handling does come at a cost, however. The starting price for a bottle of Clase Azul tequila is just over $100, and the price can rise as high as $2,000 depending on rarity. Some bottles are limited editions made in small batches. For this reason, Clase Azul tequila is considered a higher-end tequila, and the price quickly increases with the rarer varieties.
Clase Azul Tequila Tasting Notes
The result is simply divine, a pleasant sipping experience from start to finish. Even in a shot glass, theres a pleasant agave nose that effectively buries the alcohol. The first impression is of sweet, ripe agave and as it rolls past your tongue, a whole array of complex tastes come out, from the dark and earthy to the bright and flowery. This is some of the most interesting and balanced tequila Ive every tried .
This is a true highland tequila, with more going on in the mouth and a much smoother finish than the more famous, high-volume brands you see on every bar shelf from the town of Tequila and its surroundings. As you would probably guess, its for sipping, not mixing. Save the more clumsy mass-market ones for your cocktails.
The taste lingers on far after youve swallowed and its a pleasant, sweet finish that almost feels like the aftermath of indulging in dessert. Clase Azul Reposado is sweet enough on the finish, in my opinion, that it could take the place of a liqueur as an after-dinner drink. But itll be an after-dinner drink with a lot more complexity that some of the syrupy things that often show up on that section of the menu. Its also darker than a lot of reposado tequilas, thanks to more time in a barrel.
This tequila is also differentiated in where its blue agave is from and how the big fruits are roasted .
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