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 Posted - August 18 2005 : 5:12:13 PM
"Who Was That Masked Man?"
by Mike Morales, White Moccasins Publishing Company.
 As a kid, I loved the Lone Ranger television series (I'm not old enough to remember the radio version!), but not just because he was the mysterious Masked Man. Sure, he wore the white hat, pearl handled six guns, and left a silver bullet as a calling card. All very cool when you're a youngster. Actually, it was his daring, resourcefulness, and
shoot-from-the-hip truthfulness that made the Lone Ranger a real hero.
Certainly qualities worth aspiring to.
Recently, I had the great fortune of tasting the first of only two bottles of Fina Estampa silver available in the US. (I'll tell you where the second bottle is shortly!) When I first saw the packaging of the new blanco, this time with the profile of a galloping black horse set against a white background, I instantly recalled why I admire Todd Bowen, importer of Fina Estampa.
How does a guy who imports truck parts get involved in the tequila business?
It's his daring, resourcefulness, and straight-shooting manner--his Lone Ranger cowboy-ness--that makes this dark horse of a tequila a rapidly rising favorite. It also doesn't hurt that he has a tremendous product, too!
"...Return With Us Now to Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear..."
But first, the essentials....
Fina Estampa
NOM 1436
Tequila Artesanal de Los Altos de Jalisco
Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, MX
Fina Estampa reposado won a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition this past March. The Beverage Tasting Institute called Fina Estampa reposado "very refined." And Wine Enthusiast Magazine voted Fina Estampa and its stablemate, Herencia de Plata, among the top 50 must-have spirits of 2004.
The name--Tequila Artesanal--says it all, too.
"Fina Estampa is an artisan tequila made the old fashioned way," explains Bowen. "From the hand blown bottles to the wood cork tops, everything is done by hand."
When I first tasted the reposado, it was unlike any I had ever tried. The best description I could come up with was "complicated." There was a lot going on in my Riedel glass of Fina Estampa, from the first smell to the last swallow.
It's no secret that I lean toward blancos, so it occurred to me that if the reposado is this good, surely it must start out as a fabulous silver.
I was right!
"...A Fiery Horse With a Speed of Light, A Cloud of Dust and A Hearty Hi-Yo Silver!"
Where do I start? The flavor? The subtleties? The packaging? Hell--let's just shoot from the hip!
Fina Estampa is on a whole other level!
It's so light and fresh in the smell, the taste, the slight smokiness and sweetness. The only other time that I was this impressed with a tequila was when I first tasted Penca Azul--which I refer to as the "champagne of tequilas."
Fina Estampa blanco is that and more. Because of its lightness, some might say that it only slightly resembles tequila. But once it goes down, there's no mistaking it for anything but high quality tequila!
(Nice buzz, too!)
Only double distilled, I'd still put it up against Casa Noble's triple distilled Crystal and the over-priced Patrón Platinum and Corzo--anytime, anywhere! (Those last two can't even compete!)
I'll even go out on a limb...
I believe this will be the first blanco to be a favorite among women! Gals don't usually like blancos because they're too harsh. That's why they prefer añejos. (A fact that doesn't escape tequila producers!) I would confidently order Fina Estampa blanco for any female companion.
"Kemosabe--Greetings Trusty Scout"
And what about that second bottle I mentioned?
It's in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in the hands of someone whose palate and opinion Todd Bowen trusts. For purposes of this blog, I'll refer to him as Don Silver.
Here's what Don Silver had to say about Fina Estampa silver:
Regarding the packaging for this new blanco...
"For some reason the white box seems more attractive, if not as classic, than the green one."
Regarding the freshness of this product...
"Did you by chance notice the date on your bottle of Fina Estampa? It's behind the front label, visible from the back of the bottle. Mine says May 25 '05. How's that for freshness? Why hell, just two months ago that tequila was still out in the fields, I'll bet."
And finally, regarding the taste...
"As a silver, or blanco, Fina Estampa can hold it's own with any high end silver tequila. I find it smooth and flavorful as Porfidio, Arette Suave, 1921. Way above Patrón, Corazón and El Tesoro."
"The Lone Ranger Rides Again!"
It's very exciting to be on the forefront of something this big and this new! Our thanks to Todd and Clark Munkel, importer of Herencia de Plata, for this sneak peek of Fina Estampa silver.
And borrowing loosely from the preamble, with the William Tell Overture playing in the background...
"Along with his faithful companion Tonto--er, Clark--the daring and resourceful Todd Bowen--masked rider of the Oregon plains--leads the fight for law and order in the tequila industry!"
Recently, these boys have secured distribution in California through Bev-Mo, and this should only add fuel to the fire!
Just when the rest of the country is getting it's first taste of Fina Estampa reposado, watch for Fina Estampa blanco to be a runaway hit!
"Hi-Yo Silver, away!"
To get more of the "inside story" behind Fina Estampa and Herencia de Plata, subscribe to our podcast RSS link here or register for free and download the podcasts from the download section here.
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Copyright 2005 by Miguel A. Morales. All rights reserved.
Co-organizer of the New Mexico International Tequila Experience™, Mike Morales, heads White Moccasins Publishing Company specializing in copywriting and press releases based in Albuquerque, NM.
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OREGON: Fina Estampa - "Hi-Yo Silver, away!"
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