Riazul says that independence runs through their veins. This smooth well-made tequila began with a kick-butt great great-grandmother and a perseverant creative descendant, Iñaki Orozco.
The highlands of Jalisco were apparently a key battlefront in the Mexican War of Independence. For her part in that struggle, Maria Higinia Gomez was granted 10,000 acres of land — most of which she gave away to revolutionaries who fought for Mexico's freedom. The remaining 250 acres was handed down from generation to generation. In the 1990s Iñaki Orozco inherited the family land which happened to be in the exclusive area of Mexico where agave could be harvested and tequila would be officially recognized. The family elders were initially skeptical but Iñaki’s persistence won them over. He planted a few agave shoots that flourished so he planted more and Riazul was born. The high elevation, cool climate, and volcanic soils contributed to a mature agave harvest flavored with the unique aromas and flavors indigenous to the area.
Riazul says that some of the elements that make them different are:
- Their agave has very distinctive fiber composition and above-average sugar content, which provide a unique flavor composition.
- Slower cooking times provide a complex fermentable sugars for Riazul’s unique flavor profile
- State of the art grinding belt for efficient juice extraction (they do not use a diffuser)
- Natural fermentation with inoculation from two different strains of yeast to guarantee unique flavors indigenous to Riazul’s agave.
- Very precise temperatures for flavor consistency. Part of the released alcohols in the first distillation are passed to the second distillation for flavor enhancement.
- Different barrels for each expression. The añjeo ages in very exclusive cured XO cognac barrels. The reposado in French and American Oak barrels and the Plata in neutral oak barrels.
- Riazul land is the highest point in Jalisco that successfully grows blue agave weber plant. (about 7,200 feet above sea level)
All of Riazul’s tequilas are made of the highest-quality 100% blue agave, crafted by agave and tequila experts, and aged to perfection. Come try a tasting flight of Riazul at the Franklin Inn today. Can you taste the independent spirit in this highly rated tequila?
