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StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q May/June 2014 54 Ross. Only 12,000 750 ml bottles of the extra anejo have been produced, packaged in an elegant glass decanter accented with a distressed leather strap and metal buckle. Suggested retail is about $150. Casa Noble introduced two unique, high- end tequilas late last year. Joven translates from Spanish as young, and this high barrel-proof, unfi ltered spirit was aged only six weeks in French oak. "Casa Noble Joven is a very pure expression of tequila," says Hermosillo. The limited-production Casa Noble Single Barrel of Santana was aged in French White oak barrel for fi ve years. The company is also planning a repack for its current expres- sions. "The Casa Noble statement on the new packaging is a bit clearer in terms of identifying the brand." CASK CONDITIONING L ike their whiskey counterparts, tequila master dis- tillers are experimenting with fi nishing the liquid in a variety of barrel types. "The selection and use of different barrel types has been part of our recipe since the be- ginning," says Cohen, commenting upon the trend toward experimenting with various barrel fi nishes. As an example, he points to Patron Gran Burdeos, which is aged in Bordeaux barrels. Tequila Herradura has instituted a program of annual releases of different wood fi nishes, called Coleccion de la Casa Reserva, which began in 2012 with a Port Cask Finish. "Experimenting with different barrels is hot in the category right now," says Stickler at Brown-Forman, who adds that the brand has always had a tradition of innovation. "Our mas- ter distiller looks at different wood fi nishes every year. Last year it was Port, this year it's Cognac. That offers consum- ers a different craft experience each year. The tequila is matured twice, fi rst in American oak barrels for 11 months and then again in French oak casks sourced from the Co- gnac region for an additional three months. Another cask fi nish is schedule for next fall. Herradura also offers retailers the opportunity to se- lect their own bespoke barrel. The tequila is aged once as repo then aged again for a customized fl avor profi le, unique to the retailer. "We've seen growth in our double barrel business," exclaims Stickler. The latest in wood fi nish experimentation is Hornitos Black Barrel, which was launched this spring. The 100% agave tequila is triple aged: fi rst in traditional American oak barrels for 12 months, then in deeply charred barrels for four months to imbue it with the rich character, golden amber color and smoky notes traditionally found in whis- key; fi nally, the tequila is aged in specially-toasted Ameri- can Oak barrels for two months to impart a creamy, vanilla character and depth and complexity. "The idea behind Hornitos Black Barrel is there has been tremendous inter- est in both bourbon and Scotch, and we wanted to create a tequila that had an interesting taste profi le reminiscent of Scotch," explains Ross. The variant fi rst debuted in Mexico, he says, where the product was highly successful. In the U.S., the suggested retail price is $29.99 per 750ml. FLAVORED TEQUILA W ay back in 2004, the Tequila Regulatory Council al- lowed the production of fl avored tequilas. A decade later, fl avored tequilas haven't taken off the way they have in vodka or rum. But a few are appearing on the market. "When fl avors were originally introduced, I think it was too early in terms of con- sumer involvement with the category and the edu- cation level," posits Valdez at Cazadores. But times and the consumer have changed. "The younger legal-age drinker has grown up with the expectation of having many options. They see all these fl avors in vodka and I think they are expecting that in tequila as well." Cazadores, he is quick to say, is not contemplat- ing any fl avored tequilas. "There is huge opportunity for innovation within the tequila category and the allowance of fl avors in tequilas just provides another op- tion for new products," says Schuart at Campari America. Released late last year, coffee-fl avored liqueur Cabo Diablo has seen great success in initial markets, in- cluding New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Wisconsin, with a suggested retail of $22.99. Cohen at Patron noted. "Tequila already has such a natural fl avor from the agave, and then the fl avors between the various expressions are so different; there is no need to mask that." As for Patron XO Café, he is quick to point out that the product is a coffee liqueur with tequila as its base. Jose Cuervo, which had tested the fl avored Introduced nationally late last year, Pernod Ricard's 100% agave Olmeca Altos high- lights its use of the volcanic millstone in the tequila's production. Hornitos has found early success with its Hornitos lime shot fl avored expression. Bacardi USA's superpremium Tequila Cazadores notched sales of 293,000 9-liter cases nationally last year.