Gran Patrón Piedra launches at duty free show

Patrón Spirits is launching the brand’s first extra añejo tequila at the 2013 Duty Free Show of the Americas in Orlando next week. The Gran Patrón Piedra tequila will be available exclusively in global travel retail before being released into domestic markets.

Meticulously aged for more than three years in new American and French oak barrels, the new Gran Patrón Piedra offers a distinct range of flavours and aromatics to satisfy the most sophisticated and discerning palates.

“We created Gran Patrón Piedra to offer tequila aficionados a tasting experience unlike any other,” said Francisco Alcaraz, Patrón’s master distiller who developed the recipe and original distillation process for the entire line of Patrón tequilas and liqueurs. “Its complex flavour profile and remarkably smooth finish sets Gran Patrón Piedra apart in the ultra-aged tequila category.”

In addition to extra añejo ageing, Gran Patrón Piedra is also distinguished by its very unique 'Tahona' production process, a time consuming and ancient method for creating tequila. To produce this tequila, the steam-cooked agave is slowly crushed with a large Tahona stone wheel. The resulting juice is then fermented and distilled along with the agave fiber. Piedra, which means 'stone' in Spanish, is created entirely from the Tahona process – one of very few tequilas that is still produced in this age-old way.

Bottled at 40%abv, Gran Patrón Piedra is characterised by its deep mahogany colour and sweet, subtle aroma of fruit, fresh mushroom, light citrus, and toasted French oak. The taste is sweet, yet rich and complex, combining an earthy, herbaceous agave flavour with light vanilla and fresh mushroom.

“We’re thrilled about the extraordinary addition of Gran Patrón Piedra to our portfolio of ultra-premium spirits, and our first-ever duty free exclusive,” said John McDonnell, president, international and COO of Patrón Spirits. “Travel retail represents an important and significant sales channel for us, and we’re excited to make this exquisite spirit available first to our valued duty free partners and consumers.”

Like all Patrón tequilas, Gran Patrón Piedra starts with the highest-quality 100 percent Weber Blue agave grown in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. For Gran Patrón Piedra, and its sister tequilas Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos, the very best of the agave harvest is set aside to create this incredibly distinctive tequila.

Gran Patrón Piedra is a sophisticated luxury spirit that deserves an equally striking package. The hand-numbered bottle, which was inspired by the Tahona stone, has been placed in an elegant box that easily converts into a beautiful display case.

The price in duty-free retail stores will vary internationally but when launched on the domestic market in the US it will be approx. US$389. 

4 April 2013 - Felicity Murray