It’s unusual for us to visit a distillery that makes a brand of tequila we’ve never heard of before, that turns out to be a real must-have. But that’s exactly what happened last week when we visited the PRASA distillery, which makes both Sol de Mexico (which we already reviewed) and a new line called Corrido.
Corrido (which takes it name from the narrative ballads typical in Mexico) is a bright and crisp line of tequila with solid agave taste and spice that tails off at the back, in true traditional style. But it is also packed with subtle and well-balanced flavors.
The blanco tastes of slightly sweet agave, citrus and a hint of grass. It has been medium nose of earth and agave flavors that preps the mouth for a similar taste.
The reposado, aged a little over eight months, has a delicious, floral and fruity bouquet with a hint of butter. Just the smell of it is enough to make you fall for this tequila.
The añejo, which spent 18 months in a barrel, resembles the reposado but with intensified flavors of vanilla and caramel. They also make an extra añejo, which we did not get a chance to try, but can only imagine is a real pleasure.
(All aging times are approximate since workers at the plant try the tequila over and over again to determine when it tastes just right. “The tequila tells us when it is ready,” said Operations Director Cesar Gonzalez.)
The PRASA distillery is located in the highlands of Jalisco, where the soil is fertile and red and the temperature is slightly cooler than is in the lowlands. This is also where the company grows the agave it uses in its tequila. This may account for the brightness of Corrido’s agave flavor.
With Corrido, the company uses a single barrel process, meaning that the tequila rests in one barrel at a time and there is no mixing of barrels. Corrido reposado and añejo are first rested in old bourbon barrels and then are switched to old whiskey barrels, giving them a rich flavor base.
As good as the aged tequilas are, some in our group immediately fell in love with the blanco, noting that it shares some characteristics with Siete Leguas blanco, another crisp and traditional tequila favorite. (This is the inspiration for our next video – “A Tale of Two Blancos,” where Corrido and Siete Leguas go head-to-head. )
Corrido is just starting out but we think it carries a catchy tune. If you live in California or Arizona, look for it on the shelves — replete with a guitar pick tied at the neck of the bottle.
Corrido is a must-have for any tequila bar. It’s that good.
-Scarlet y Grover
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