WeeklySA_AdminMEXICAN: Volcanic burst of flavours lend a distinctive and irresistible taste to the newly launched premium tequila…
By Priscilla Malinga
The South African tequila market has experienced a steady growth in recent years, driven by changing consumer preferences and a growing appreciation of premium spirits.
This is according to the Marketwide Research group, which provides insights into consumer trends across the globe. The South African scenario is keeping with the global trends, which record tequila as one of the fastest-growing spirits among discerning new generation and millennial drinkers.
Today’s drinkers have a growing appreciation for craftsmanship, authenticity and high-quality additive-free spirits and, launched in 2020, Volcan de mi Tierra tequila scores highly in all three areas.
Carlos Crain, Global Brand Ambassador for Volcan De Mi Tierra, says: “We have one commitment which is to produce the quality to honour the heritage and tradition and the land where everything starts where agave is planted and also letting the natural processes take place.”
Volcán De Mi Tierra, which translates into “Land of the Volcano,” is a homage to the landscape and environment where tequila is made, and the volcano eruption that made it all possible. Created in 2017 as a partnership between the Gallardo family, who have been living in the region and producing tequilas for more than 300 years, and luxury goods company LVMH, Volcán De Mi Tierra was the first tequila created for the Moët Hennessy portfolio.
Volcan De Mi Tierra Reposado Tequila is crafted from 100% blue agave and matured in a combination of new European and American oak casks for 135 days. Additive free and bottled at 40%. It is hand-crafted and takes five to seven years to mature.
The brand is relatively new in South Africa, having been in the country for just over nine months. Crain feels like the knowledge of the brand is limited, which is why he recently visited South Africa to change all that.
Mexico is the original home of tequila and boasts more than 2000 brands of the spirit – each unique in its own right. There are only 200 distilleries in the world, with only five brands using their own distilleries – Volcan being one of them, according to Crain.
“Tequila is so versatile that it can be found at different social events, including fashion events and other relative lifestyle events,” says Crain.
Some have been added sugar and some have a sense of vanilla or caramel that makes them easier and sweeter to drink, according to Crain. Volcan is 100 percent natural with no preservatives, crafted by letting the natural processes take place.
Volcan tequila can be enjoyed with ice, orange and grapefruit to elevate the taste of a pure tequila. It can also be taken neat, though the accompaniment of orange and grapefruit, instead of lemon and salt, is recommended. It can also be enjoyed as a cocktail. Other additive-free Volcan expressions are now available locally.
“Tequila production is regulated by official standards in Mexico, to guarantee consumers of its authenticity and provenance. But even so, not all tequilas are made equal, and there are several factors that determine a tequila’s flavour and quality.
“Yes, Volcan is totally additive-free and abocantes-free [abocantes are ‘mellowing’ agents such as caramel and glycerin]. But more importantly, at every step of the process, Volcan De Mi Tierra (which by the way means “Land of the Volcano” in Spanish; since before it was a drink, Tequila was the name of the volcano which nourished the terroir of the Jalisco region) is committed to the best way to make tequila, even when it’s harder or more expensive. That’s what makes for quality tequila – and consumers around the world are taking notice,” says Crain.
Expressions include the most recently launched Volcan Cristalino, Volcan Reposado or – if you really want to step out in luxurious style – Volcan XA (Xtra Assemblage). A standout new addition to the family is Volcan Cristalino, a blend of reposado and añejo tequila, boasting a fusion of aromas. Its personality shines through with robust flavours of caramel, tobacco and dark chocolate, finishing with a silky palate. Volcan Reposado is an expression of terroir and time, matured in wood and featuring fruity notes such as blackcurrant, a soft taste with a rich mouth-feel and smooth finish. It retails at approximately R970.
