Front Burner
A new Patrón tequila uses older, traditional methods to imbue the spirit with a distinctive smokiness.
CreditCreditSonny Figueroa/The New York Times
Mezcal appears to be teaching tequila a thing or two. For years, especially at the higher end, tequilas were becoming so refined that the spirit’s typical vegetal characteristics were sanded off. Then came the increasing interest in mezcal, with its more rustic, aggressive profile. Now distillers are starting to produce tequila with enhanced aroma and flavor using older production methods. Patrón Tequila’s new limited edition Gran Smoky is a good example, made by roasting Weber blue agave hearts or “piñas” over mesquite in stone pits and crushing them with stone tools. The spirit is clear, with a pleasing viscosity, a bell pepper aroma, and notes of citrus and spice on the palate.
Patrón Gran Smoky Tequila, $235 for 750 milliliters, winfieldflynn.com.
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Florence Fabricant is a food and wine writer. She writes the weekly Front Burner and Off the Menu columns, as well as the Pairings column, which appears alongside the monthly wine reviews. She has also written 12 cookbooks.
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