Episode 172 - Tequila Casa Dragones with Bertha González Nieves

In this delicious interview and spirits tasting with Bertha González Nieves of Casa Dragones Tequila, some of the topics we discuss include:   How Bertha came to small batch Tequila by way of a company we've all heard of: Groupo Jose Cuervo. She talks about her time working with the one of the world's largest purveyors of agave spirits and how it launched her into her current venture. What it means to be certified as a "Maestra Tequilera," and why this trade certification is particularly special in Bertha's case. Then, to my great delight, we jump right into the Casa Dragones portfolio. The marks that we taste through, in order, are their Blanco Tequila, their innovative Joven expression, and then finally their Barrel Blend. Of course, I provide nosing and tasting notes, but we also get pretty granular speaking about each spirit. We cover the mineral profile of the Mexican Trans-Volcanic Belt, the process of blending aged and un-aged agave distillates to create a new product altogether, and even the art of selecting barrels using Sessile oak (which is different from traditional Limousin French oak). And much, much more.