BRUSSELS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Just like the dark horse that graces every bottle of Mi Rancho tequila, this little-known, family-owned brand has emerged from the pack again taking a top prize for its premium Añejo tequila, but this time, it is on an international world stage.
In May 2017, Mi Rancho Añejo tequila was judged by an independent panel of international spirit experts, European chefs and sommeliers and given the Superior Taste Award Designation by the International Taste & Quality Institute in Brussels, Belgium. Mi Rancho Añejo tequila was the only Añejo tequila awarded the designation in 2017. The award designation also includes ISO 9001 Quality Control Certification, an industry certification of quality control standards and practices related to various consumer products.
The win further solidified Mi Rancho’s unique position in the tequila market of being a dark horse on the rise, earning high marks from the international panel of judges on the appearance of the Añejo tequila, its distinctive toasty aroma and its smooth taste. The Award Designation is an exceptional opportunity for Mi Rancho to promote the quality of its tequila.
This is the fourth award received this year by Mi Rancho Añejo tequila. The first was in March, in New York City, where Mi Rancho was named one of the 50 best Añejo tequilas in the world, taking home a double gold medal from the invitation-only competition sponsored by TheFiftyBest.com, an online guide to fine living that features unbiased ratings and reviews of wine, spirits, restaurants and food.
"Competing for prime shelf space with multinational, multimillion-dollar producers, importers and distributors of tequila worldwide, and yet we are being recognized internationally and having won four different major awards, can only help increase the awareness and demand for the tequila,” says Michael Dean, a company principal at Mi Rancho Tequila.
“It took nearly 10 years to perfect the overall profile and final recipe before we were ready to launch Mi Rancho in the fall of 2016,” Dean said.
The award winning Mi Rancho Añejo tequila has been barrel-aged for over a year, making it the darkest of the three Mi Rancho tequilas, with toffee, chocolate and brown sugar on the nose. It brings out toasty butterscotch and honey flavors on the palate. “The public does not realize how hard it is to hold the quality of tequila consistent as you age it in oak barrels from the youngest, Silver, to the oldest, Añejo,” says Dean. “We have to stay very vigilant to make sure that our tequila delivers the quality at every level, and we are proud to say it does.”
“Mi Rancho customers know that we make a quality product, we put our heart and soul into every bottle. These awards help us tell our story to the people out there who care more about the quality and the taste of what is in their glass rather than paying top dollar to simply drink a recognized or known brand name,” says Dean.
Kevin Hodge, owner of Cellar Rat Wine Merchants in Kansas City, carries all three profiles of the Mi Rancho tequilas. He says once people taste them, they buy them. “The Dean-Lozoya family have made a quality tequila that has ties to Kansas City,” Hodge says. “If I can get people to sample it, they buy it, because it tastes great and it sells at an extremely attractive and affordable price.”
The final attribute that sets Mi Rancho tequila apart from its competitors might be one of the most important.
“Our tequila has one of the lowest registered methanol contents of any tequila in the industry, and this is important because methanol is what causes a hangover,” says Dean.
About the International Taste & Quality Institute
The Juries of the International Taste & Quality Institute - iTQi - are unique in the world because they are selected from the exclusive partnership with prestigious culinary organizations, the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and other highly regarded drink experts.
These judges, carefully selected by iTQi and these culinary organizations, have been trained for many years to taste food and beverage products. They have exercised their profession in Europe but also, in countries as diversified as Japan, China, Thailand, Australia, as well as in North, Central and South America. They are passionate and enthusiastic in their ongoing discovery for new flavors from unknown products wherever the origin may be. For the sake of transparency, iTQi authorizes participating companies, on specific request, to attend the judging at the tastings.
For more information about Mi Rancho tequila and where to find it, visit miranchotequila.com. Also, find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
