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If you fancy yourself a tequila connoisseur, the odds are that you are probably aware of the two brands Patron and Jose Cuervo.
Although both companies are world-famous for supplying premium quality tequila, there are fundamental differences between the two that set them apart. People have rated both brands differently depending on their tastes and preference.
The Spirits Business holds the 250-year-old brand Jose Cuervo in greater esteem compared to Patron. It refers to Jose Cuervo as the best-selling tequila in the world by a significant margin.
Leave it up to us to analyze the differences between Patron vs Jose Cuervo to determine what the best option for you is.
Patron vs Jose Cuervo – How are they made?
Jose Cuervo and Patron are Mexican brands producing premium liquor, but they follow slightly different manufacturing processes.
Although both brands use agave as the main ingredient for making tequila, Jose Cuervo is a mixto, meaning it is not purely agave.
However, Patron tequila is not a mixto, the brand uses a miller and tahona to crush the agave fruit completely to make tequila purely containing agave juice.
Patron
Source of Agave
The highlands of Jalisco provide Weber Blue Agave to Patron distillery for creating tequila. The company first assures that the agave plants are unadulterated and brought to the distillery immediately after harvesting for tequila production.
Patron prefers to source the agave plants from Jalisco highlands instead of those cultivated in tequila valley because Jalisco has a more favorable climate.
The highlands of Jalisco experience cooler weather and abundant annual rainfall, resulting in fertile soil full of mineral salts like iron oxide.
Such conditions favor the maturation of the plants and considerably raise their sugar content, ensuring the superior quality and taste of the tequila.
Making
Farmers harvest the agave plant once it is ripe enough. They remove the leaves and roots, leaving behind the pina. Then they cut the pina into four portions to ensure that each part evenly bakes in the oven.
Because of the steam baking process, the starches in the pina from fermented sugar. Experts recommend baking the agave over a long period and giving it enough time to cool so that the flavor can deepen.
Undercooked agave has a bland unappealing taste because of its minimum sugar content. Likewise, over-baked agave is bitter and resists the action of yeast.
Once baking is over, the workers unload the agave on a conveyor belt so it can go to the roller-mill machines for crushing. Crushing brings out the sugary juice from the pinas, which collects in a holding tank.
Now the experts mix in a precise amount of water and aerate the liquid. After analyzing the sugar content, the experts can mix in more water to dilute it if the concoction is cloyingly sweet or add honey to sweeten it if it seems tasteless.
Next, in the fermentation tanks, the experts add yeast to the mixture. The remaining process involves distillation, water addition, and aging before final bottling and transport.
Jose Cuervo
Source of Agave
Jose Cuervo obtains agave from Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Michoacán. The Beckmann Family, which owns the brand, also has control of the most extensive agave farms worldwide.
It is the sole owner of 70% of the agave essential for making the Jose Cuervo tequila. The company sources the remainder of the amount of agave from other reputable agave farmers based on long-standing contracts.
The company cultivates agave in the months between February and July to avoid heavy rain. These plants require at least seven years to reach full maturity.
Making
The process of making tequila is somewhat similar when comparing Patron vs Jose Cuervo. Experts cook the pinas in autoclave ovens after fermentation.
They maintain the temperature of the ovens between 176° and 200°F and bake the pinas for 36 to 38 hours. The La Rojena distillery has sixteen ovens with a capacity to hold between 24 and 60 tons of agave piñas.
Jose Cuervo performs a double distillation of the agave juice in either a pot or column still depending on the final product. With the first distillation experts eliminate the unnecessary byproducts, while the second defines the alcohol percentage of the product.
The La Rojena distillery has six 10,000L copper pot stills making spirits with 155 proof and 77.5% ABV.Â
Varieties
Patron has a longer list of alcoholic beverages to choose from compared to Jose Cuervo. However, Jose Cuervo offers a more assorted variety since its products are mixto tequilas.
Patron
Patron tequila differs from Jose Cuervo because most of its products, apart from the pure tequila variants, have a bold coffee flavor.
The collection bearing coffee-infused tequila is popularly known as Patron XO Café. This is an ideal selection for those who are passionate about coffee.
If you want to sample Patron tequila, below are some of their famous types:
- Roca Patron Silver
- Gran Patron Piedra
- Gran Patron Burdeos
- Gran Patron Platinum
- Patron Añejo
- Patron Silver
- Patron Reposado
- Roca Patron Añejo
Jose Cuervo
This brand generally makes mixto tequila which is more pocket-friendly and has a smooth, sweet flavor profile. Perhaps, the most famous variety is the Jose Cuervo Silver which possesses herbaceous fragrances carrying hints of pine and sage.
Many people claim that this variety is an excellent selection because it has a sugary and earthy taste initially which leads to a peppery flavor that remains on the palate. Other popular varieties include the following:
- Especial Reposado
- Tradicional
- Platino
- Margaritas
- Maestro Dobel
- Black
- Cinge
- Reserva De La Familia
Patron vs Jose Cuervo – Taste and Essence
Both brands have a diverse category of products to choose from, and each type varies in flavor. Thus given below is a comparison of the Silver variant of both brands to help you understand the nature of the drink you wish to buy.
Patron Silver Tequila
Color
It is an unaged beverage, so it appears transparent and clear.
Smell
The first impression of Patron Silver carries the refreshing herb aroma of cooked agave. Images of lush green grass and green peppers come to mind when you first take a whiff of this product.
It also carries earthy notes with traces of eucalyptus. Its fragrance is a reminder of the open plains of Jalisco.
Flavor
The initial sip seems dry on the palate carrying the flavor of mineral salts with subtle savory undertones. You can also detect the taste of roasted agave and white pepper.
Some people also claim that this beverage carries hints of vanilla and anise. All in all, it has a smooth, luxuriant feel in the mouth.
Finish
The final impression is dry and full of agave flavor. There is a spicy kick and a savory taste from the sip that lingers on the tongue.
Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Tequila
Color
Since this is also an unaged spirit, it has a transparent appearance.
Smell
This variant also has a grassy and herbaceous aroma but with citrus hints. You can detect a subtle fragrance of sweet melon, but overshadowing it is a stronger acetone aroma similar to the smell of nail polish remover.
Flavor
A sip of this tequila carries lots of flavors. There is a hint of citrus, some grassiness, a faint suggestion of black pepper, and the sweetness of vanilla.
However, experts claim that overpowering these appealing flavors is an unnatural, artificial bitterness.
Finish
This drink has a brief aftertaste that does not remain on the palate for long, and many people find the lingering flavor unpleasantly sweet.
Patron vs Jose Cuervo – Price
Patron is much more expensive because it is purely agave-based. Jose Cuervo is cheaper because it is a mixed-tequila brand. To observe the difference in the prices of Patron and Jose Cuervo, refer to the table below.
| Serial No | Type | Volume in ml | Price in dollars |
| 1 | Gran Patron Platinum | 750 | $190.99 – $199.99 |
| 2 | Gran Patron Piedra | 750 | $319.99 – $399.99 |
| 3 | Patron Anejo | 750 | $49.99 – $52.99 |
| 4 | Jose Cuervo Especial Silver | 750 | $16.99 – $18.99 |
| 5 | Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver | 750 | $25.99 – $29.99 |
| 6 | Jose Cuervo Especial Gold | 750 | $16.99 – $18.99 |
Conclusion
Jose Cuervo is at the forefront of selling tequila worldwide, and it has a long history going back to 1795, but recently it has tainted its reputation.
Although it produces some exceptional tequila, such as the luxurious Reserva de la Familia, it has also delivered cheap and poor-quality vodka at frat parties, disappointing its customers.
Patron, on the contrary, has an established reputation as the second-best-selling tequila in the market after Jose Cuervo. And although many competitors are hunting for an opportunity to defame the brand, the proof is in the drinking.
Hundreds of people testify to the quality of Patron tequila which is why the brand has persisted even after three decades and is still gaining more popularity.
