On a bottle of Sierra tequila, the inscription flaunts: Hecho en México (“made in Mexico”), a kind of quality mark, indicating that the drink meets all standards. However, connoisseurs note, although pleasant, but completely unusual taste of this tequila, one of the most popular in the world. Sierra is exported to 90 countries. Today, 75% of all tequila consumed in Germany is various Sierra varieties.
In 2008, Sierra Reposado was recognized as the best at the prestigious Mexican competition Premio Mayahuel. She was also awarded a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 2009. Sierra Silver received the Gold Medal at the International Tequila Challenge in 2008.
Historical reference. In 1948, in war-ravaged Germany, the Matthiesen family acquired the Hamburg trading house Borm & Co, which specialized in the sale of alcoholic beverages. The company was immediately renamed Borco, and since 1972 it has been called Borco-Marken-Import Matthiesen GmbH & Co. Today it is owned by the third generation of the family. The company is run by Frau Jutta Matthiesen, who in 2009 was awarded the honorary title of “Best German Alcohol Producer”.
In the 80s, a fashion for tequila arose in Europe. By that time, Borco had already produced several brands of alcohol. The administration of the company decided to purchase its own distillery. The choice was small: the best blue agave grows in the state of Jalisco. The most experienced tequileros also live here, passing on the secrets of making tequila from generation to generation. Borco bought a small distillery near Guadalajara.
All methods of making tequila are similar to each other. The meticulous Germans were told that ripe piñas (“agave cones”) are cut, steamed in ovens, ground, and after the juice with pulp has fermented, they are distilled. The taste of the drink depends on the baking time of the agave, on the type of yeast used for fermentation, on what material the stills are made of.
“What happens if the piñas are not baked, but ground raw?” one of the Borco representatives asked. Mexican tequileros were dumbfounded by such ignorance, bordering on sacrilege. Since the time of the conquistadors, both mezcal and tequila have been made only from baked agave. However, the Germans were adamant: they demanded a series of experiments with raw piñas.
Surprisingly, fresh agave tequila turned out to be not just of high quality, but magnificent, with an original taste that is unlike any other type of drink. The new tequila was named Sierra: after all, the raw materials for it are grown on the fertile volcanic soils of the Sierra Madre highlands, at an altitude of more than 1500 meters above sea level. The distillery was named Destilerias Sierra Unidas.
All types of Sierra tequila are made only from raw agave. The company’s himadors specifically choose not just ripe, but overripe piñas, ready to explode with honey juice. When Sierra was first brought to Germany in 1982, it made a splash, and by 1989 it had become one of the leaders in European sales, second only to Jose Cuervo tequila in popularity.
In 1989, Borco launched an advertising campaign under the slogan “All the best – under one sombrero.” The pun turned out to be very successful: the cork of four of the seven varieties of Sierra is made in the form of a sombrero. That year, the firm sold 1,8 million bottles of this tequila.
Types of sierra tequila
Destilerias Sierra Unidas produces 7 varieties of Sierra tequila:
- Sierra Silver is a colorless young ordinary tequila that contains 51% blue agave alcohol. The drink has a fresh, invigorating apple-agave aroma and a sweet, slightly tart taste with pepper bitterness;
- Sierra Reposado – pale golden tequila two months old with a vanilla-caramel smell and a very mild taste, which is mixed with a slightly astringent shade of oak chips;
- Sierra Antiguo Plata is a colorless tequila made from 100% blue agave juice. The smell of the drink effectively mixes sweet vanilla and refreshing lemon notes. Taste – balanced, fruity, with a hint of green pepper;
- Sierra Antiguo Añejo is a 26 month aged amber golden tequila. It consists of 100% blue agave juice. The drink is fragrant with vanilla and orange, spicy and fruity tones are felt in a mild taste;
- Sierra Milenario Blanco is a premium colorless young tequila that has been triple distilled. The aroma of the drink is spicy-agave, the taste is with hints of dried fruits and a barely perceptible pepper bitterness in the aftertaste;
- Sierra Milenario Reposado is a premium light amber tequila that has undergone a triple distillation. The drink is aged for 9 months in oak barrels, after which it acquires a floral-vanilla aroma and a slightly tart aftertaste of cognac, balancing the sweetness of the agave;
- Sierra Milenario Extra Añejo is a premium dark amber tequila. After three distillations, it is aged for four years in oak barrels. The smell harmoniously combines undertones of honey, agave vanilla and caramel. The taste of the drink is silky, turning from caramel-fruity sweetness to a spicy aftertaste with a hint of cinnamon.
Крепость текилы Sierra – 38%, Old Sierra – 40%, Millennial Sierra – 41,5%.
