Aged for at least two months, up to one year, here the colour changes to more gold and amber tones. You should find a more well-rounded flavour and smoother finish with sweeter vanilla and oak notes. Anejo The best tequilas are made with 100% agave, but the legal minimum is just 51%, with the rest allowed to be made up by a neutral spirit. Yes, indeed! We knew what we wanted to make and how we wanted to do it. We were already credited over there with the CRT and we had the logistics in place to get products over here because we already did it with the agave syrup, so it was the perfect storm really. We spent three years developing it: one year developing the Blanco, then we waited two years for the Reposado and Añejo to age – we thought if we were going to do it, best do it properly. We launched around the start of the year and since then, it’s gone nuts! We’re house pours at great places like this [ TRADE Soho] all around the country. Named after the spirit’s birthplace, El Tequileño has been producing tequila for over 60 years. Since its launch in 1959, sustainability has also been at the heart of El Tequileño, constantly adapting to optimise their process and positively impact local conservation efforts. Having rested in American Oak barrels for three months, the brand’s Reposado tequila is made using agave cooked in steam pressure autoclaves. The full agave flavour is complemented by further hints of vanilla, oak and a dry finish. Best sipped neat or enjoyed in a margarita. VIVIR as a brand launched in March of this year. Since then, its rise has been astronomical bringing with it excitement, opportunity and what Paul calls “good challenges”. How did VIVIR Tequila come into being?

I had already been working with agave for over 16 years and knew the industry well from launching bircher muesli in the UK. In 2016 we finally made the decision to change perceptions of Tequila in the UK and create our own line of premium 100% agave tequilas. It took us 3 years to develop and hundreds of iterations as we wanted to get it right and in 2019 finally introduced VIVIR Tequila to the UK. Tequila can be a stiff drink, but it’s no stronger than any other spirit. When produced for consumption in Mexico it’s usually 38% ABV, but in the United States it must be at least 40% alcohol to count as the real deal. For consumption in the rest of the world, it can be anywhere between 31% and 55% ABV. How we test tequila

The qualities of the sweet Weber blue agave are ever-present and the smoothness of the Blanco is very impressive. Suggested Serve

When Patrón announced plans to discontinue its coffee tequila, the news was followed by an outcry from fans: testament to the style’s popularity. Blending its Blanco tequila with luxury arabica coffee from the coastal region of Soconusco in Mexico, Cazcabel Coffee has a rich sweet taste, with roasted coffee joined by chocolate, vanilla and pronounced agave notes, while the finish is smooth and dry with plenty of rich coffee. It also works as an excellent espresso martini base, with no need for added sugar syrup. People sometimes think we’re just chancers coming into the market but then they try our tequilas and every time realise that they’re really good. We’ve been in the market for a long time and we know what we’re doing and always wanted to create something to be proud of. Tell us about your distillery and why you chose it. All of our tequila is produced in partnership with Casa Maestri, a fifth-generation distillery built on the rich red soils of Jalisco, Mexico, the birthplace of tequila, which allows us to produce the smoothest and most character-filled tequila you will ever drink.A tequila from a man who always thought he was allergic to the stuff. VIVIR Tequila is one of the latest quality British brands taking the category by storm. Sixteen years in the making but less than a year old, the company prides itself on transparency, sustainable practice and damn tasty products. If you haven’t come across them yet, you will soon… When I went to Mexico to get the agave syrup from the distilleries, even the guys there found it a bit weird as we were buying it in vats to bring over to the UK. You can’t work with those guys and not drink your own bodyweight in tequila. I was a bit wary but started to drink what they produced and loved it! I then found out that what we mainly had in the UK was Mixto, which uses 51% Weber blue agave and 49% something else like non-matured agave or corn syrup that I was clearly allergic to. The 100% agave tequila was brilliant and I didn’t understand why we didn’t have it in the UK. Nav Grewal and Paul Hayes, Co-Founders of VIVIR Tequila Not needing a second invitation, we dive into a portfolio tasting of VIVIR . Tasting Notes – VIVIR Tequila Range Reposado – literally, a “rested” tequila, which has been aged in oak barrels for between two and 12 months.

Añejo – is aged tequila. This stays in the barrels for longer – generally between one and three years – and the barrels themselves are smaller, which adds to the flavour.

Our panel – made up of 10-accredited spirits experts and tequila-loving consumers – put 27 blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas to the test.