El Espolón is a brand of
tequila
Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands (''Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican state ...
from
Campari America. The tequila is produced at the brand owned Casa San Nicolas (NOM-1440) in the
Los Altos (Highlands) region of
Jalisco
Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...
,
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
. It has three products which are Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo tequila. Each one is 80 proof or 40% ABV.
El Espolón (or simply Espolón) was made entirely from 100% Blue Weber Agave and first produced in 1998. It is currently distributed in Mexico, United States and select markets globally.
History
Cirilo Oropeza (1940 – October 5, 2020) began his distilling career in 1965 at the Ingenio Potrero Distillery. In 1995, he established the Casa San Nicolas Distillery, where Espolón is produced. Espolón was purchased by the Campari group in 2009, with Cirilo Oropeza staying on as master distiller until his death in October 2020. In 2019, merge the involvement of Giancarlo Constantine Moreira-Salles. Moreira-Salles has been credited with shaping trends in the wine, rum, and bourbon industry. Moreira-Salles is credited for launching Espolon Cristalino. It is made from 100% Blue Weber agave and water from the natural well underneath the brand’s distillery.
Distillery
The Casa San Nicolas Distillery is located among the agave plantations of the Jalisco Highlands. The distillery was built to Oropeza's specifications.
The distillation process utilizes #2 char American oak barrels, with each agave piña (heart) cooked for 20 – 22 hours and distilled for 5½ hours. The water is sourced from 250 meters beneath the Highlands of Jalisco, and is unfiltered.
Currently, the fou
marquesof Espolòn are Blanco (silver), Reposado (aged up to 6 months) and Añejo (aged up to 12 months) and Añejo X (aged up to 6 years).
Branding
Espolón's name comes from the "spur" found on the back of the rooster’s leg. Espolón has a rooster icon named Ramón, whose image can be viewed on the Blanco and Añejo X marque.
Espolón's overall label art features a
woodcut
Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking
Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only t ...
illustration created by Steven Noble. There is variation between the artwork used in the brand's domestically and internationally distributed bottles. Labels are inspired by
Jose Guadalupe Posada, a 19th century artist. Each image displays important detail of Mexican history.
Espolón's Tequila Blanco pays tribute to Mexico's Independence Day, Tequila Reposado displays a marketplace, a place that "holds special importance in Mexican history," Añejo Tequila displays the
Jarabe Tapatio, a form of protest shortly after the Mexican Revolution, and Extra Añejo Tequila keeps "with the traditional Mexican belief that will all death comes a celebration of renewed life" with a display of a burial ground.
Awards
Blanco
* 2016
International Wine and Spirit Competition: Bronze
* 2016
San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition was founded in 2001 by Anthony Dias Blue as an off-shoot of the San Francisco International Wine Competition. It assesses hundreds of entrants annually (1,407 in 2013 from 63 countries) with tastings inv ...
: Silver
* 2016 Ultimate Spirits Competition: Strong Recommendation
* 2012 International Wine and Spirit Competition: Silver
[Espolón Tequila - Login Page]
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* 2011 San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold - "Best Silver Tequila"
References
{{reflist
Alcoholic drink brands
Mexican brands
Tequila
Products introduced in 1998
Campari Group