Espolon
 | |
| Type | Tequila |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Distiladora San Nicolas |
| Country of origin | Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Introduced | 1998 |
| Alcohol by volume | 40% |
| Proof (US) | 80 |
| Website | TequilaESPOLON.com |
Tequila El Espolòn is a brand of tequila from Campari America, the sixth largest spirits company in the United States.[1] The tequila is produced by the San Nicolas Distillery in the Los Altos (Highlands) region of Jalisco, Mexico, famous for its cultivation of agave plants.[2]
Made entirely from blue agave, El Espolòn (or simply, Espolòn) was created by Cirilo Oropeza, and was first produced in 1998. It is currently distributed in Mexico, the United States and select markets elsewhere. It is the first tequila to release variants of reposado.
Distillery
The San Nicolas Distillery is located among the agave plantations of the Jalisco Highlands. San Nicolas is designed to be an artisanal facility, built to Oropeza’s specifications. The distillation process Utilizes American oak barrels, with each agave piña (heart) cooked for 20 – 22 hours and distilled for 5½ hours .
Variants
Currently, the distillery offers four marques of Espolòn:
Reposado (gold), Blanco (silver), Añejo (aged) and a specialized Reposado finished in bourbon barrels, dubbed El Colorado, the first of its kind.
Available Globally
Blanco: Blue agave. Clear with a platinum cast, it’s a delicate, sweet agave with floral, tropical fruit and lemon zest aromas and a hint of pepper. It has a soft mouthfeel and a light- to medium-bodied palate with bright agave flavor, notes of pepper, vanilla bean, grilled pineapple and spice.
Reposado: Blue agave, aged six months in American oak barrels. Rich and golden-hued, it has a spicy aroma with a hint of caramel fudge. Its bold, round palate is medium- to full-bodied and has a rich roasted agave taste with sweet tropical fruit, vanilla and brown spices and a long spicy finish.
El Colorado Reposado: Blue agave, aged six months in American oak barrels and finished by hand in bourbon barrels. Bright with a reddish-gold hue, it contains notes of caramel, vanilla, coffee and a balance of cooked agave and wood.
Available Exclusively In Mexico
Añejo: Blue agave, aged over a year in American oak barrels. Beautifully golden in color, it offers a delicate woody aroma with hints of chocolate and butter candy. Alejo is available in the U.S. market.
Branding
Paying tribute to the "pelea de gallos" or fighting cocks of Spanish American tradition, Espolòn takes its name from the "spur" found on the back of the rooster’s leg. Espolòn's visual style evokes woodcut illustration created by Steven Noble. There is variation between the iconography used in the brand's domestically and internationally distributed bottles, with its international branding incorporating both the Mexican version's rooster, as well as imagery meant to be evocative of Mexican tradition and history, emulating the illustration style of José Guadalupe Posada and his imitators.
Awards
Blanco
- 2012 International Wine and Spirit Competition: Silver [3]
- 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold - "Best Silver Tequila" [3]
- 2011 Ultimate Spirits Competition – FINALIST for Chairman’s Trophy – 93 Points [3]
- 2010 International Review of Spirits: Gold – 94 Points [3]
Reposado
- 2012 International Wine and Spirit Competition: Silver [3]
- 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Gold [3]
- 2010 International Review of Spirits: Gold – 93 Points [3]
Distribution
Espolón can presently be found in the following international markets:
North America
Mexico, United States, Canada
South America
Brazil
Europe
Ukraine, Italy, Switzerland, France, Russia, Luxembourg
Oceania
Australia, New Zealand