The owner of Paul Mitchell systems, John Paul DeJoria is co-owner of the award winning Patrón tequila. The shampoo man in 1989 founded Patrón Spirits Company with Martin Crowley, using Waeber blue agave from the hills of Jalisco, Mexico to produce what is claimed as the world's best sipping tequila. The Patrón Spirits Company now offers 11 labels to choose from, seven of which are of course are tequila, three are rum and a vodka made from wheat, rye, and potatoes.
Those fine spirits are; Patron Burdeos, Gran Patrón, Patrón Añejo, Patrón Reposado, Patrón Silver, Patrón XO Café, Patrón Citrónge, Pyrat Cask, Pyrat XO Reserve, Pyrat Pistol a Superior Blanco rum, and Ultimat Vodka.
"Under the stewardship of DeJoria and former Seagram executive Ed Brown, a new distilling factory was built in Jalisco. With the guidance of the renown master distiller Francisco Alcarez, the new factory was designed to be state-of-the-art with a core steeped in tradition."(Patrón Spirits)
The Waeber blue agave grown in Jalisco region produce higher "honey" or sugar content and can take up to nine years to mature properly. The bitter sprouts are removed before the agave is steam baked for 36 hours. They're steamed for a long time at low temperature to prevent caramelization that leaves the inside of the fruit under cooked, bitter, and starchy. The cooked agave is then macerated by large stone milling wheels so the juice can be absorbed by the mescal fibers. The fiber-juice is then placed in wooden fermentation vats, allowed to adjust naturally, then yeast is added to encourage the fermentation process. The fermentation lasts for 60 to 72 hours. Afterwards it's distilled twice in copper pot sills, and then balanced to 80 proof/40% Alc. by volume, fine filtered, and bottled in a unique numbered creation.
"If you like high-end spirits, you’ll want to try the Gran Patron Burdeos, an “ultra premium” anejo (aged) tequila that is triple distilled and then placed in barrels that were formerly home to Bordeaux wines, adding a hint of vanilla-berry softness and a Cognac flavor to the spirit. Sadly, the limited edition bottles are currently only available through restaurants, though they say the bottles may hit retail outlets for around $499 in the future."(Kat Valentine)
The Company’s headquarters is out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and also is spending too much on advertisement. These two things alone cause a high over head that is passed on to the consumer. According Patrón Spirits they're still, "outselling it’s nearest competitor by eight times in the United States alone."
The brands Cabo Wabo, Dos Lunas, Don Julio, and Corzo are slightly less in price but still as good.
www.patronspirits.com/
Kat Valentine, http://www.5280.com/blog/?p=2660, September 13, 2007.
http://www.patronspirits.com/en/functional/company/mission/
http://www.queenannewine.com/patteqmex.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125053325AAE7MFG
Accessed 4/1/09