When Clase Azul México, the Mexican luxury house highly regarded for its exquisite spirits and hospitality, releases a new tequila, the industry tends to take note. Currently, the brand’s spirits offering comprises five tequilas, Clase Azul’s icons, in addition to three mezcals. Clase Azul México has just announced a sixth tequila icon, Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado.
For Clase Azul México, a brand that places quality and authenticity above all else, the addition of the new icon is a significant step. Each release is designed to represent the richness of Mexico, further unlocking the country’s heritage, craftsmanship and ancestral traditions. In doing so, Clase Azul has played an important role in rescuing traditional tequila-making methods, in addition to the artistic techniques that go into forging its memorable decanters.
This brand-new offering, Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado, is created through the process of cooking blue agave cores in an ancient style of oven. This oven is a pit that has been dug into the ground and is lit through a combination of firewood and volcanic rock. By using this method, the flames used to light the firewood don’t touch the agave. Instead, heat is transmitted through the volcanic rock.
Once the cooking process is complete, the agave is shredded before it moves on to fermentation. Here, the fiber and juice from the agave are combined with Clase Azul’s own yeast — wild varieties that are selected from its own agave fields. The liquid is then double-distilled in custom-made copper stills.
“Looking to achieve a smoky profile for this tequila, I set out to capture the essence of traditional mezcal-making, reinterpreting each stage of the process to elevate the unique character of the blue agave, but this time through a deliberate act,” said Viridiana Tinoco, master distiller at Clase Azul México.
In Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado, Clase Azul México is concentrating the essence of its homeland, the Los Altos de Jalisco region. Those sampling it should expect a spirit with an elevated yet subtle touch of smoke. In this unaged tequila, the smoke represents the powerful effect of fire on agave.
Aside from the pleasant smoky notes, Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado brings fresh plum and notes of red apple. These blend with hints of fresh lemon and a minerality that fades to a silky finish that’s underpinned with smoke.
While Clase Azul México’s primary focus is always distilling liquid of the highest quality, over the years it has gained particular notoriety for the beauty of its decanters, and Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado is no exception.
Here, the now-iconic Clase Azul México silhouette is reimagined in semi-opaque glass, a nod to the authentic methods used in this spirit’s production. In much the same vein, the texture of the decanter’s dark ceramic base represents the volcanic rocks that play an integral role in cooking the agave. The decanter’s cap and emblem are adorned in copper, subtly highlighting the copper stills utilized during the distilling process.
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Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado has a 45% ABV and arrives in a 750ml decanter. Priced at $250, those who manage to get their hands on the inaugural release will also see their decanter presented in an exclusive case celebrating the debut of Clase Azul México’s latest icon.
