A new kind of tequila is in town, and it’s called Cincoro.
In July 2016, a group of friends with ties to the basketball industry grabbed dinner. Over the course of the meal, all five friends bonded over their mutual love of tequila. However, they couldn’t seem to find a tequila that tasted exactly how they wanted. By the time the meal was over, the friends had decided to team up to make their dream tequila, and that’s how Cincoro Tequila was born.
I spoke with a few of Cincoro’s founders about the newly launched brand. The brand was created by Michael Jordan (yes, you read that right) of the Charlotte Hornets, Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Emilia Fazzalari and Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics. Although the brand has equal partners, the CEO of the company is Emilia Fazzalari.
The founders dreamt of a tequila that could be sipped like whiskey, and they set out to create a smooth, rich and complex drink. From my tasting experience, I can confirm their success. I never thought I would see the day when I could casually sip on tequila like I do with wine — and it’s a total game-changer. From a taste perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever had tequila with such an inviting, lingering flavor. As I write this, I’m still reminiscing about sipping the drink.
When I spoke with the founders, I asked what was the best way to drink Cincoro, and they suggested sipping the luxurious drink neat, or on the rocks (using a whiskey cube). When it came to pairing, Fazzalari told me she sips it like wine with a variety of items for dinner. Next time you have some wine that’s not sitting well with your meal (we’ve all been there), consider swapping it out for tequila.
When it came to creating the taste profile, the team behind the brand told me it took quite some time to perfect their flavor vision. Their spirit is made with 100 percent Weber Blue Agave from private farms in both the highlands and lowlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
The brand launched four different varieties of a tequila: the Blanco, the Reposado, the Añejo and the Extra Añejo. The difference between each drink depends on how long they’ve been barrel-aged in underground cellars. The Blanco is not aged, the Reposado is aged from 8 to 10 months, the Añejo from 24 to 28 months, and the Extra Añejo between 40 and 44 months. Although all four tequilas are wonderful, my favorite was the Reposado; I loved the vanilla notes of this particular variety.
Even though the brand just officially launched, it’s already won 16 medals across a range of competitions.
