Tequila ArteNOM Selección de 1579 – Blanco

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Selección de 1579 comes from the cool highlands, 6,788 feet above sea level. This climate stresses the agave plants, resulting in slower growth and better flavor concentration. Selección de 1579 blanco tequila is pure and clear, with rich agave viscosity. It has a bold roasted agave scent with a touch of mint and spring rain. On the palate, it is velvety, wine-like with a fresh chile tingle, and possesses notes of white pepper and spearmint.

PREPARATION OR PAIRINGS

Because blanco tequilas are usually only aged a few weeks to two months, they are the freshest tequilas and therefore pair best with citrus—especially lime—flavors, seafood, and a bit of spice. Try drinking this tequila neat with ceviche or a platter of sushi, spicy dragon rolls front and center.

For the cocktail enthusiasts in the room, make yourself a classic Paloma: two parts blanco tequila, one part lime, then top off your ice-filled highball glass with grapefruit soda and a pinch of salt. Or, for a bit of local flavor, mix up a T&T—tamarind and tequila—by stirring together one part tamarind nectar and one part blanco tequila. Top the glass off with ice, ginger ale, and simple syrup to taste. You’re good for the afternoon!

THE G4 STORY

“I’m not in the business of making fancy bottles. I’m in the business of making great tequila,” says Felipe Camarena. he distills Selección de 1579 for ArteNOM, but he is also known for his own family tequila, the G4 line of Destilería El Pandillo. Named after the favorite bull of Felipe’s grandfather and the tahona stone that was part of the family’s first attempt at a distillery during the Mexican Revolution, the distillery has been in business since 1937. They use traditional stone ovens to cook their agave for almost 24 hours, then distill the tequila in generations-old copper stills. Nothing goes to waste in this environmentally conscious distillery. Steam from the stills is piped for use in other parts of the production process, the used agave plants are repurposed into fertilizer, and Felipe even created a recycled steamroller to go over the agave. Such is the work of a dutiful, responsible master distiller.

Storage Instructions

Store your bottle upright in a cool, dark place, ideally between 12 and 15°C. Unopened bottles can last for an indefinite amount of time, but once opened, this liquor should be consumed within the year.