The Agave
Blue Weber agave grows in the estate fields at Hacienda de Reyes in Tequila, Jalisco. Eight to ten years in the ground before it is ready. Every bottle of Dano's starts with this plant — Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety, harvested only when fully mature. No mixto. No accelerated growth. The agave does the long work, and everything that follows is downstream of it.
The Cook
We cook the piñas in stone hornos for twenty-six hours. Pressurized steam, low and slow, the way it has been done at Hacienda de Reyes for one hundred and eighty-five years. No autoclaves. No diffusers. Autoclaves cook agave in seven hours and strip the character out of it. We take the longer way because what comes out tastes like the plant, not the process.
The Still
Twice distilled in copper stills the Reyes family has been working for generations. Slow distillation, low temperatures. Copper pulls out the harsh compounds the way it always has — there is no shortcut for this part. What enters the still as fermented wash leaves as clean tequila, ready to be bottled or rested.
The Rest
Reposado spends nine months in 200-liter virgin white oak barrels. Añejo spends eighteen. We use virgin barrels — not used whiskey or wine barrels — because the agave should not have to compete with someone else's spirit. The wood gives up vanilla, soft spice, a deeper color. Nothing else.
The people
Six generations of the Reyes family. Jimadores who learned the field from their fathers. Distillers who have been working the same copper stills for decades. The work is hand work. The hands belong to the people who have always done it.
