AYATE

After selling his former businesses - Orin Swift Cellars, wine guru Dave Phinney, launched the spirits company Savage and Cooke in 2016. Their distillery produces exceptional brown spirits including bourbon, whiskey, rye, and of course, tequila.The Ayate line-up features two very unique tequilas, a Reposado, and an Aejo. These meticulously handcrafted tequilas are specially treated with a large deal of care. The agave used in these tequilas are hand selected by Rosendo Ramirez Senior, a who has been farming the region his entire life. Expert jimadors extract the hearts of the plant (pias) and they are transported to the distillery. The cores are removed and cut to precise specifications; four segments, which is a highly intensive method compared to other production methods carried out by most distilleries. The hearts are then roasted in an autoclave with a proprietary process, and the sweet juices are then slowly extracted from the tender pias and separated for fermentation. The tequila is crafted using a traditional copper pot still to emphasize the most intricate esters of the agave. What makes Ayate Tequila so distinct is their maturation technique. Being aged in ex-wine barrels gives their tequila a unique touch: "Our goal is to make spirits in the same way that we do wine, from soup to nuts. We will start by using grain that is grown on our property in Solano County which is less than 40 miles from the distillery, mill it on site, monitor every state of the distillation process and then age the spirits in our wine barrels," says Dave Phinney.Ayate Aejo is aged for two months in new American barrels, then transferred to used French oak barrels for a resting period of four months and finally finished in Chardonnay barrels for six months. After being cut with spring water sourced for the distillery grounds, the tequila is bottled by hand, and on site at the Casa Ramirez facility. Hand painted with precious metals, the tequila comes in a bespoke bottle is designed by Phinney himself, and manufactured in Mexico.Get your bottle today!