Review: Corzo Silver Tequila  90/100
a review by Chip Dykstra
Published March 19, 2018

Corzo is a 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila produced in Los Altos (the Highlands) of Jalisco, Mexico. Although the Corzo website does not explicitly state the distillery which produces their tequila,The NOM identifier on the the bottle is 1487 CRT. This NOM identifier is required by the Mexican Government to be placed on the label of each bottle of tequila to verify that it is produced legally from agave sourced in the Tequila region of Mexico. Each distillery has its own NOM, and by researching the NOM we can discover exactly which distillery produces each brand of tequila. The Corzo Brand is produced at the Tequila Cazadores De Arandas, S. De R.I. De C.V. (also known as Bacardi y Compania, S.A. de C.V.). Indeed the Corzo Brand is owned by Bacardi and is their premium tequila brand.

Most tequila is double distilled however, Corzo Silver Tequila is triple distilled with only a small center cut taken from each distillation. In fact this fine center cut requires the company to use twice as much agave to produce the tequila as would normally be used. The triple distillation and the fine center cut means that the Corzo spirit is lighter in texture and body than a typical 100 % agave blanco spirit. Before bottling the Blanco spirit is injected with small oxygen bubbles which are said to help rest the spirit and achieve a smoother more refined taste.

Corzo Anejo is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

In the Bottle  5/5

The bottle was apparently designed by renowned art director Fabien Baron who is the creative director of Baron & Baron, an art direction and marketing company whose portfolio of clients includes Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani.

The rectangular vessel is stunning as it oozes masculinity and sex appeal. At first, I thought I might have trouble pouring the spirit into my glass because of the extremely short neck. However, if you look closely at the bottle shot to the left you can see a small channel on the lip of the spout. This channel serves to bridge the gap from my glass to the pouring spout. (It also looks really cool when you pour a shot for your friends.)

All in all this is a fantastic product presentation.

In the Glass 8.5/10

The blanco spirit is clear with a very light oily texture which clings to the side of my glass when I swirl it. The breezes above the glass do not carry the same assertive agave punch that one would be used to from a 100 % agave tequila. The triple distillation has not only lightened the spirit it has taken a portion of the assertive agave away as well. This means that the agave push is lessened; but it also means that other lighter aromas which might have been missed are now apparent. I notice evergreens (more the needles than the boughs), spearmint,  and light accents of citrus zest in the air as well.

I am somewhat on the fence here, I love the fact that I am noticing scents and smells I do not normally encounter in a blanco tequila spirit; but there is a part of me that wishes the agave would be more forceful. We shall have to see how that paradox plays out across the palate.

In the Mouth 54/60

Although I said that the Corzo Silver Tequila would be lighter than most blanco tequila spirits, it must also be said that the this blanco spirit has a silky soft mouthfeel. The soft mouthfeel gives me an impression of decadence as I sip. I suspect it is those tiny oxygen bubbles injected into the spirit before bottling which is responsible for the rich texture I have encountered.

The flavour is all at once lightly sweet, lightly minty, and filled with a light flavour of fruity agave. The highland character begins to show through on the second sip as I notice a peppery heat akin to lime citrus and orange zest, hints of grapefruit and green bell peppers appearing. This is really quite nice! I mixed a small Margarita and was quite pleased; although I certainly do not want to dissuade anyone from sipping the spirit neat as it certainly is easy to do so.

In The Throat 13.5/15

I commented on the silky mouthfeel above and that silky texture continues right through the finish. This make the exit smooth and easy on the tonsils. I taste a lingering sweetness, as well a hints of soothing mint and fruity agave.

The Afterburn 9/10

This is the second triple distilled 100 % agave tequila I have tried this year, and it is the second time I have been impressed by the light flavours and nuances which appear when the fruity agave is held a bay. While I probably prefer a stronger push of agave when I drink tequila, I have to admit that this triple distilled style of Corzo has a strong appeal as well.

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Suggested Cocktail

For this cocktail I wanted a nice punch of grapefruit flavour combined with the sour tartness of lemon and lime. Constructed in the style of the Margarita, I decided to call this particular construction, March Madness.

March Madness

2 oz Corzo Blanco Tequila
1 oz fresh Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Lime Juice
3/8 oz Orange Curacao
3/8 oz Sugar Syrup
Ice
Lime slice

Add the ingredients to a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the sides of the shaker begin to frost
Strain into a Martini Glass
Garnish with a slice of Lime

Enjoy Responsibly!

Note: If  you are interested in more cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing Tequila.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, (we are probably still cocktail in territory).
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing delicious cocktails!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)