Patrón launches $400 Tequila for travel retail

Patrón Spirits has launched its first ever extra añejo Tequila called Gran Patrón Piedra with a price of almost US$400.

The new product is aimed initially at the travel retail sector, and contains aged Tequila made using an ancient process.

“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 and CEO 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,” he added.

Speaking about the product, Patrón’s master distiller Francisco Alcaraz commented, “We created Gran Patrón Piedra to offer Tequila aficionados a tasting experience unlike any other.

“Its complex flavor profile and remarkably smooth finish sets Gran Patrón Piedra apart in the ultra-aged Tequila category,” he continued.

As well as its extended maturation – the tequila is aged for more than three years in new American and French oak barrels – the Gran Patrón Piedra employs an ancient and time-consuming production process called “Tahona”.

The name stems from the Tahona stone wheel used to slowly crush the steam-cooked agave.

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.

The hand-numbered bottle was also inspired by the Tahona stone and the package will retail for around US$389 in the US.