There’s nothing better in the world of Tequila than a bottle of Patrón. It’s one of the best selling tequila brands in the world and the second biggest after Jose Cuervo, and that says enough.
The iconic brand has become a cult favorite among tequila drinkers worldwide. We were curious to understand what makes this brand so big, so we set out to find out more and then choose our favorite bottles of Patrón Tequila in the process.
The Story of Patron Tequila
Patrón Tequila is produced in small batches in Mexico by a company called Patrón Spirits Company. The drink is made from the heart of the blue weber agave plant, and comes in more than a dozen varieties, including special blends with coffee, chocolate, and even an orange liqueur.
Part of what makes this brand so big is that they keep to the old ways of making tequila by using a traditional stone wheel called “tahona” to crush its agave, and never use any additives.
In addition to that, everything, from the barrels to the bottles, is handcrafted at their distilleries. Also, each of their bottles is hand labeled and thoroughly inspected before it leaves the distillery. That attention to detail translates into one of the finest tequilas in the whole world.
While today the name is associated to the eponymous brand, the original Patrón Tequila was produced by Casa 7 Leguas (Casa Siete Leguas), one of the oldest Mexican distilleries.
Brand rights were purchased in 1989 by John Paul DeJoria and Martin Crowley, who launched Patrón Spirits Company in the same year. They kept producing the tequila in the same Siete Leguas distillery until they moved to a newer facility in Jalisco in 2002.
They eventually became the first spirits brand to sell one million cases. Back in 2018, the company was finally sold to giant spirits company Bacardi, but they continue to produce Patrón Tequila.
Having said all that, here are our 15 favorite bottles of Patrón Tequila:
15. Patrón Chairman’s Reserve
Patrón Chairman’s Reserve is a refined drink, aged in both new American oak and French Limousin barrels, which give it a similar quality to fine wine. It features honey and butter notes, with subtle citrus as well.
It’s a limited edition tequila produced in honor of the founding chairman who created Patrón back in 1989. The only way it can be bought is by purchasing an NFT on BlockBar, the world’s first direct to consumer marketplace for wine and spirits.
14. Patrón Añejo Lot 221
The Patrón Añejo Lot 221 brings a unique blend of aged tequilas from American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels, and features extraordinary flavors, among which are agave, butter, cinnamon, chocolate, and dried fruits.
It’s got a superb taste, with a distinct softness and sweetness to it.
13. Patrón X Guillermo Del Toro
The result of a collaboration between Patrón and Guillermo Del Toro, the well known Mexican filmmaker and author, the Patrón X Guillermo Del Toro is a limited edition bottle of tequila.
It comes in a crystalline skull glass bottle, as a tribute to Del Toro’s favorite genre, horror films. The tequila is a nice blend, sweet and fruity, featuring notes of agave, vanilla, and honeyed French oak.
12. Roca Patrón Añejo
Aged for about 14 months in used American bourbon barrels, the Roca Patrón Añejo is a favorite of many tequila bars for its complex and balanced taste and sweet, earthy flavor.
It has a nice medium gold color, with aromas of vanilla, fruits and spices, and notes of citrus, black pepper, oak, caramel, butter, and light ginger. It’s a fine tequila that’s worth trying at least once in one’s lifetime.
11. Gran Patrón Burdeos
The Gran Patrón Burdeos is another limited edition Patrón tequila, but one finished in old Bordeaux wine barrels, giving it an excellent and smooth Bordeaux wine fragrance and flavor.
“Burdeos” is Spanish for Bordeaux, hence the name. Twice distilled and aged in American and French oak barrels, it gets most of its aroma and flavors from those vintage Bordeaux barrels it’s stored in.
It’s got a lovely gold color, and comes with sweet oak, vanilla and caramel notes, and that smooth finish.
10. Gran Patrón Piedra
One of the best Patrón tequilas and part of the brand’s most luxurious label, the Gran Patrón Piedra is a triple distilled spirit, aged for 3 to 4 years in new American white oak and French Limousin barrels before finally being bottled in a beautiful hand crafted glass decanter.
Piedra, stone in English, is a reminder of the two ton Tahona stone used to crush the heart of the agave plants.
It comes with a nice deep mahogany color, a fresh fruit and mushroom aroma, sweet notes of vanilla, agave, and mushroom, and finally a smooth and long finish.
9. Gran Patrón Platinum
The Gran Patrón Platinum is a full bodied tequila, triple distilled, aged for one month in oak tanks, charcoal filtered, and a black pepper finish.
Unlike most other tequilas, the filtration process removes any color, making it look crystal clear, and also removes the harshness. The aroma is a mix of caramel and agave, with hints of spice and vanilla. The taste blends the agave with cinnamon, pepper, and pineapple.
8. Roca Patrón Reposado
The Roca Patrón Reposado is aged for five months in used bourbon barrels, thus getting oak flavors and an excellent smoothness.
Notes of ginger, vanilla, and caramel are the most pregnant in this bottle.
7. Patrón Añejo
Amber colored and aged for twelve months in a mix of French and Hungarian oak, and American whiskey casks, the Patrón Añejo brings a strong taste of oak, honey, vanilla, plus hints of caramel, raisin, and even tobacco and cooked almonds.
It’s sweet, complex, and extremely enjoyable, perfect for sipping it neat, without ice or mixing.
6. Patrón Citrónge Orange
Part of the Patrón Citrónge line of fruit liqueurs, the Patrón Citrónge Orange is the only natural orange liqueur that’s made in Mexico.
Produced only from fresh premium oranges and mixed with the signature Patrón Silver tequila, it’s a perfect addition to any cocktail recipe, gourmet deserts, but it’s superb sipped on its own.
5. Patrón XO Cafe
The Patrón XO Cafe is part of the brand’s line of tequila based coffee liqueurs that are excellent served over desserts or in Martinis.
Made from Patrón Silver tequila and Arabica coffee and it’s got a delicious taste, with flavors of chocolate and vanilla.
4. Patrón Extra Añejo
One of the smoothest Patrón, the Patrón Extra Añejo is an excellent choice for those who want a well balanced spirit, and one that is incredible served neat.
Aged for three years in American white oak barrels, this tequila is sweet tasting, with a rich oak flavor, with notes of caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, agave, and honey.
The makers even said this is the best whiskey replacement for a home bar.
3. Roca Patrón Silver
The Roca Patrón Silver is another crystal clear sipper that’s bottled at 90 proof instead of the usual 80. This bottle is an incredible blend of sweet and dry and it’s a very good choice for plenty of tequila cocktails, which is why it’s a favorite of bartenders from everywhere.
The aroma has agave, brine and grapefruit, while the flavor comes with more agave, and a natural, earthy sweetness, with jalapeno notes and rich minerals. It’s got a long and warm finish, also rich in agave and a little bit of pepper.
2. Patrón Reposado
Patrón Reposado is one of the most easily drinkable tequilas, with an alcoholic note that disappears rapidly. Aged for two months, the minimum requirement to qualify as a Reposado, it features a light amber color and floral and honey notes.
There’s a little bit of harsh sweetness to it, with oak, agave, and alcohol aroma, and more of the same in flavors, plus vanilla. The finish is spicy, and leaves the same hints of vanilla, but also a pepper tingle.
It’s best served on the rocks. It can also be mixed, but due to the high price, there are better alternatives for it.
1. Patrón Silver
The best of the best when it comes to Patrón Tequila, at least in our opinion, is the Patrón Silver. It’s a very versatile double distilled drink that can be served both sipped neat or mixed.
It’s a tequila blanco with a smooth and savory taste, great in cocktails, and rich in roasted agave plant, black pepper, and citrus aromas.
The flavor brings back the agave and then it comes through with pepper, star anise, followed by a long and warm finish with more notes of pepper.
Patrón Tequila FAQs
Why is Patrón Tequila so expensive?
Patrón Tequila is a premium tequila. The entire production process is old-school, and still uses the ancient Tahona process, with a massive volcanic stone that’s dragged across the agave plants, yielding a unique vegetal taste, something that modern tools and processes can’t do.
That, plus the fact that everything, from bottles to barrels is handcrafted in the brand’s distilleries, adds a lot to the production costs. The company spares no expense when it comes to producing high quality tequila, which results in the high selling price of Patrón.
What’s the most expensive Patrón Tequila?
The most expensive Patrón Tequila is the Patrón En Lalique Series, a special blend that was made in collaboration with the French crystal house Lalique. It’s a very rare bottle of Patrón and it sells for about $7,500.
How to drink Patrón Tequila?
Being a premium tequila, drinking it should be a entire process. Take your time, relax and enjoy sipping it. It can be served neat, or chilled, on the rocks.
It can also be used to make a cocktail.
What cocktails can be made with Patrón Tequila?
Some of the best cocktails that are made with Patrón Tequila are the Perfect Patrón Margarita, the Patrón Silver Paloma, Patrón Tequila Sunrise, and Patrón Tequila Mojito. The Patrón Espresso Martini also looks incredible, right?
These and plenty of other recipes can be found on the official site of Patrón Tequila.
Final Thoughts
Though there may be other tequilas that are worth more in terms of pricing or their use in cocktails, Patrón Tequila might offer one of the purest tequila tastes, remaining faithful to the traditional method of making it, adding great attention to detail and none of the additives many drinks come with nowadays.
Patrón Tequila is more than a simple drink. It’s a sophisticated spirit meant to be sipped and savored in a relaxed space, with time on your side.
Contents
- The Story of Patron Tequila
- 15. Patrón Chairman’s Reserve
- 14. Patrón Añejo Lot 221
- 13. Patrón X Guillermo Del Toro
- 12. Roca Patrón Añejo
- 11. Gran Patrón Burdeos
- 10. Gran Patrón Piedra
- 9. Gran Patrón Platinum
- 8. Roca Patrón Reposado
- 7. Patrón Añejo
- 6. Patrón Citrónge Orange
- 5. Patrón XO Cafe
- 4. Patrón Extra Añejo
- 3. Roca Patrón Silver
- 2. Patrón Reposado
- 1. Patrón Silver
Great write-up, For the definitive lineup check out Mr. Patrontequila on instagram.