When it comes to alcohol, Scotland is best known for, well, its Scotch. But one Scottish company has ventured into the world of tequila. UWA Tequila is a tequila company based in Aberdeen, Scotland, and it touts itself as the first ever tequila aged in Scotch whisky barrels by a Scottish company.
Of course, to be considered tequila, it must be made in Mexico. So to start, the company ships Speyside single malt Scotch casks from Scotland to Tequila, Mexico, where the spirit is aged and bottled. Then it’s brought back to the U.K. and distributed.
Speyside is one of the five Scotch-producing regions in Scotland. UWA Tequila is the first tequila company to age its tequila in single malt Scotch whiskey casks, as opposed to used American bourbon casks.
UWA Tequila – Breaking the Mould from UWA Tequila on Vimeo.
UWA Tequila has three types of tequila available. While the Platinum Blanco is unaged, the Reposado tequila is aged in the casks for seven months and is made from 100 percent blue agave. The Platinum Blanco tequila has a subtle sweetness and robust notes of agave. The company’s Reposado tequila features hints of honey and vanilla that compliment the earthiness of the agave. As one might expect, the Speyside casks give the Reposado tequila an oaky finish. An Anejo aged for 14 months is expected to release in 2018.
The casks aren’t the only unique aspect of UWA Tequila. The company also uses volcanic spring water to distill its tequila three times. The company urges customers to sip its tequila instead of shooting it, so the complex flavors and textures can be fully appreciated. While it’ll never reach the level of popularity as Scotch whisky, it’s definitely something that would be interesting to try.
