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Young entrepreneurs Patrick Dillingham and Sean Koffel didn't take long to establish their reputation in the world of spirits. Since launching American Born Moonshine in 2013, the dynamic duo has grown the brand into a national powerhousethey recently sold it to Milestone Brands LLC, a premium spirits company based in Austin, Texas, and now work alongside Milestone to continue touting the brand. Meanwhile, they're also launching a new line of products with Código 1530 Tequila.
Unlike other tequilas, which enter the U.S. market strictly through a distribution deal with a Mexican manufacturer, Código 1530 is a true partnership between Koffel and Dillingham and a small, family-owned tequileria in the lowlands of Los Bajos and the tiny town of Amatitán. Five generations have taken advantage of the volcanic soils of the region to grow agave plants into the raw material used to create tequila that, before recently, was rarely consumed outside of the immediate area.
The freshwater pools and rainwater that naturally filters down the mountains and through the volcanic soil around Amatitán produce the purest drinking and agricultural water in Jalisco. The result helps perfect Código 1530 products, which are currently only available in the U.S. in Texas, California, and Nashville.
Unlike the larger mega-distilleries of Jalisco that harvest agave after only five to six years, Código 1530 only uses blue agave, which has been growing for at least seven to 10 years, to create a more nuanced and mature spirit. In their unrested Blanco expression, the tequila is never in contact with oak barrels, so the essence of the agave plant comes through in the green, herbaceous flavor.
There are 40 steps in the manufacturing process and distillers spend 21 days making itmore than four times as long as traditional highlands tequila. While the Blanco is perfectly acceptable to drink alone (or maybe with a cinnamon-dipped orange slice), it really excels as the base ingredient in a proper margarita or in a paloma, the popular grapefruit-soda cocktail of the moment. Even more sippable are the aged expressions of Código 1530, their Reposado, Añejo, and remarkable Extra Añejo that goes by the name of 'Origen.” All of the aged versions of Código 1530 sit in repose in oak casks like most other tequilas. But, unlike most other aged Mexican spirits, these are aged in fine French white-oak wine barrels instead of used whiskey and bourbon barrels. The wine casks contribute a more subtle character from the wood to come through.
The Reposado rests at least six months before bottling, and it picks up a lot of lovely flavors and color during its wood-bound nap. The spirit exhibits a pale, straw-colored hue and delicate notes of chocolate, as well as some flavors that will be familiar to whiskey drinkers: sweet toasted caramel and vanilla. Código 1530 Añejo ages for 18 months, allowing it to pick up even more intense color and a depth of flavor that led to it being awarded 'Best in Class” in the prestigious 2016 Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards.
At more than $200 per bottle, the Origen is a pretty special spirit. The name harkens back to 1530, the year that Amatitán received its charter from the Spanish government and its own coat of arms anchored by the Jerusalem Cross that appears on every bottle. Aged a remarkable six years in oak, Origen exhibits an amazingly complex flavor profile akin to rare cognacs or those ancient bourbons that collectors seek. Fortunately, you'll only have to scour the shelves of Nashville's finer liquor stores to find it.
