Padre Azul Tequila is produced at the Tres Mujeres Distillery, NOM 1466, in Amatitan, Jalisco. The brand is owned by HP Eder, from Austria, and his wife Adrian Alvarez Maxemin from Guadalajara. HP Eder inherited a passion for distillation from his father, who is known for the production of Vogelbeerschnaps, an Austrian liquor, based on a recipe that’s been passed down for five generations. Padre Azul Tequila, certified Kosher and Gluten Free, launched in 2016 and is now sold in 35 countries.

Padre Azul uses ripe agave, 8-10 years in age, harvested from the volcanic soil in the Tequila Valley. The water quality in the region is better than standard wells yielding citrus and earthy aromas. The agave is cooked by steam in a traditional masonry oven for 24 to 48 hours, then continues cooking with the remaining residual heat further developing flavor. The juices are removed from the cooked agave using a mechanical shredder. Fermentation in stainless-steel tanks using only naturally-occurring yeasts can take anywhere from 72 to 96 hours, depending on the climate.

Master Distiller Erika Sangeado, who says the most important ingredient is time, uses only the ’heart’ of the distillation process, unlike some factories where the heads and tails are added in the second distillation. Padre Azul is distilled twice at relatively low temperature to create a mellow aftertaste.

Padre Azul’s Reposado rests at least 8 months, and their Añejo is aged at least 18 months in used American bourbon barrels, which imparts flavors such as vanilla, cinnamon, caramel and chocolate. The stylish hand-blown glass bottles reflect a design intended to represent Mexico’s culture, and emphasize the importance of tradition and relationships with family and friends.

Tequila Connection completed our review of Padre Azul Tequilas on 03 Aug 2019. All tasting was performed using the official tequila glass from Riedel with the spirit served at room temperature.

Padre Azul Blanco, a crystal-clear tequila has an oily consistency leaving slow-to-develop, yet defined legs trickling down the glass. It has a robust aroma with a hint of smokiness that reminded us of mezcal. We sensed agave, vegetal (green olive) and herbal tones with a sweetness reminiscent of cotton candy. Upon tasting, we found a sweetness throughout, with grassy, herbal notes, vanilla, and a hint of smoke. Burnt sugar / Crème Brule was mentioned by one of the tasters. The finish was sweet and lengthy, with a mildly-warm peppery spice. Overall, we found the Blanco to be a bit sweet yet quite delightful.
Tequila Connection gives the Blanco a score of 88.5 converting to a rating of Great ++.

Padre Azul Reposado has a golden appearance and a medium-oily consistency. We experienced complex aromas of honey, ripe peaches, dried fruit, roasted agave, vanilla and caramel. Upon tasting, we found it to be sweet (toffee) and spicy (cinnamon - Big Red gum and Red Hots candy). A noticeable sweetness (honey, agave syrup, ripe fruit, caramel) on the mid palate and into the finish. The finish is lengthy, sweet and spicy with a touch of oak at the end. Overall, we thought it was also on the sweet side although slightly spicier/warmer than the Blanco.
The Reposado received a score of 89.5 converting to a rating of Great ++.

The Añejo has a golden-brass appearance with slight copper tones. The body was medium-oily, similar to the Blanco and Reposado. We detected sweet aromas of honey, fruit (baked apple and peach cobbler), caramel, spice and oak. Upon tasting, we experienced flavors of spice (cinnamon), fruit (orange, baked apple, dried fruit), honey, and vanilla. A caramel apple was mentioned. There’s a sweetness up front with more spice in the mid palate, The sweetness is still present in the finish, but not quite as dominating, with notes of chocolate, coffee, leather, spice and oak stepping in. Complex and quite enjoyable.
Tequila Connection gives the Añejo a score of 92 converting to a rating of Excellent --. Well done!

The tasters really appreciated the packaging in hand-blown glass bottles. The colorful laced-leather jacket is very attractive along with the metallic skull stopper. 5-star bottling in our opinion. We also noted the extra-tight fit of the stopper should help reduce evaporation. All around, an excellent job.

To visit Padre Azul Tequila's website, click here: https://padreazul.com/tequilas/