Don Rico Blanco

For every craft brand tequila owner who dreamed of passionately making a tequila they would be proud to share with the world, there are 10 other brands that began in boardrooms, focus groups, and marketing meetings. Don Rico Tequila was dreamed into existence in a corporate environment by a man who wanted to get away from that culture and create something better.

Founded by Austin, Texas entrepreneur Rick "Rico" Olivo, Don Rico Tequila was born from Rico’s genuine passion for traditionally made tequila, which grew stronger while he was serving as general counsel for a large brand. The result is a family-operated brand that has quietly earned a loyal following among enthusiasts.

Produced at Compañia Tequilera Los Valores (NOM 1608), Don Rico positions itself as an additive-free tequila focused on authenticity and quality. When Rico began to leave the corporate world to build his passion, he met distillery owner Ricardo Antonio Aguilar. They hit it off at a time when the distillery was in development, so Don Rico became the first contract brand there. NOM 1608 has since grown substantially larger and now has numerous contract brands. Rico uses the team at the distillery to build unique flavors that are very far from ordinary.

One of his desires was to use both Valles and Los Altos agave, to blend the flavors so that not one specific region of flavors was the hero. I think that’s a home run idea, though the sweetness from Los Altos and the deep earthy flavors from the Valles built together may shake some connoisseurs’ taste buds initially if they try to pinpoint the flavors and are only expecting one regional source.

But that’s not the only unique process that sets the flavor on a different tangent. Rico and the team choose to only use the “heart” of the distillation on both runs. By not using the heads or tails, you might expect something imperfect, but in this case, it flat-out works.

Nose: cooked agave / hint of vanilla / hint of cinnamon / pineapple / green apple / grapefruit / clove / salty brine / bell pepper / mineral

Taste: sweet cooked agave / vanilla / mild cinnamon / green apple / pineapple / orange / anise / bell pepper / spearmint / baking spices / mineral

Finish: light viscosity / coats the palate well / the sweet agave just keeps hanging on / light hints of fruit and bell pepper round out the last seconds of the swallow / light spearmint freshness and gentle vegetal notes create a unique aftertaste

Don Rico is the rare brand that has bold flavors that match the exuberant personality of its owner. I recommend giving this brand a try.