Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Every once in a while, a bottle shows up that feels extra special. Today we're reviewing Interimana Sprima Vera, a tequila gifted to me personally by master distiller Jimmy Salsa. Yes, that Salsa, a family name. This tequila is produced at nom 1522 Hacienda de Ora and is one of the most interesting fermentation stories I've heard in a long time. Interim Manas is a brand rooted in heritage and craftsmanship. The primavera expression represents renewal, springtime in a bottle, showcasing the balance between tradition and innovation. And when someone like Jimmy Salza puts his hands on a product, you know it' to be something worth paying attention to. This bottle does carry a personal memory for me. Jimmy and I and some friends. My wife, Renee Carranza from Atanasio, also Cristiana Morens from Velor. We actually got to sit at the Salza Ranch in San Martin, Mexico, crack this bottle and several others and talk about them and taste them. So what I'm sharing today isn't just a review. It's a chance to kind of relive an incredible experience. This tequila is built on tradition with a little bit of a twist. The agaves come from the vias of Jalisco, cooked in a low pressure autoclave to preserve their natural sweetness. And Jimmy Salza knows how to keep them sweet, crushed with a roller mill to release all of those juice. And here's where the magic came. Jimmy took some old wine barrels that he had from another project that were never used. He cut the tops off of them, flipped them up and used them for fermentation. The tequila was allowed to wildly ferment inside of those wine barrels, absorbing the unique yeast and subtle character finely. Just twice. Distilled and stainless steel stills with copper coils, balancing tradition with precision. Now, let's taste it on the nose. Cooked agave. Of course, these agaves are a little more mineral rich and also very vegetal. I get that almost a fresh agave in there with just a little bit of citrus and a little hint of floral. There's a soft fruitiness in the background that nods to maybe that wine barrel fermentation with a little bit of an oakiness hint and also just a little bit of that, I'm going to say cheesy or funky smell that you get. Let's dive into the taste. Sweet agave, white pepper right in the front. A very herbal freshness. I got a lot of spice. It's very silky and a creamy texture that almost hints to a cream soda type taste. A little bit of Orange. And as it goes into the finish, it's crisp, it's clean, it's lingering. And there's the agave sweetness that just kind of hangs on there with a little bit of a floral lift in the finish. Let's do another taste. I have to say this bottle's been open, it's rested, it's flown home. There was a little bit more of an alcohol forward in it when we very first tasted it. This did come out at 44 ABV. So it's a little bit more amped up than just a standard 80 proof tequila. Now that is really softened the oxygen in here has made this really soft, really easy to drink. But it hasn't lost any of those flavors. The agave, the pepper, the. In the second time I tasted a lot more vegetal hints and also a little bit more minerality. Almost a little bit of wet earth and then still that really creamy texture. Crisp, clean finish. It kind of hangs on for a long time. And it's nice that in the finish instead of it switching to a pepper or something. That is normal in tequila. For me, this just sticks with like a cooked agave sweetness with a little floral lift. Primavera feels great. I've had lot one, lot five, lot three of the interimanas. I always like each one and they all taste a little bit different. The Primavera is one to search out. So again, intromanas Primavera is more than just tequila. It's heritage, it's innovation, its story in a glass. Sharing this bottle with Jimmy Salsa at the ranch was unforgettable. And every sip takes me right back there and I can't wait to get back there as soon as possible. Huge thanks to tecalero maestro Jimmy Salza for the gift and the hospitality. He's always amazing. If you've tried interim on us, let me know what your thoughts are in the comments. And if this is your first time hearing about it, would you give it a try? Don't forget to like, subscribe and join me next time on tasting tequila with Brad. Thanks. Cheers.
[00:04:05] Have a fantastic night.
