Having raised as much funding as the Securities & Exchange Commission will allow –$1.07 million in six months — on StartEngine.com, PaQuí Tequila is officially launching in six states, including New York, California, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. PaQuí as specially created to avoid the harsh bite of most Tequilas.
All three expressions of PaQuí Tequila – Silvera, Reposado and Añejo – are also available for retail purchase online at PaquiTequila.com, with shipping to 40 states and Washington D.C.
“I created PaQuí because I felt there had to be a better tasting Tequila – one that fully expresses the beautiful aromas and flavors of the blue agave fruit, without the harsh bite that is so common in Tequila,” said PaQuí founder John Chappell. “I wanted to create a Tequila that is a pure pleasure to sip and enjoy in cocktails.”
A top finding in PaQuí’s consumer research uncovered that while a lot of people love the idea of Tequila, they don’t actually love the actual liquid. So Chappell found a master distiller in Jalisco, Mexico – the highly respected Gilberto Jasso — who knew a different way to make Tequila.
PaQuí Tequila stands out, Chappell says, from other luxury Tequilas thanks to three key differentiators in the production process:
1) Only agave piñas that reach exactly 26 brix ripeness (sugar level) make the cut.
These agave plants take seven or more years to mature; most mass production
Tequilas are made with younger, less-ripe agave (as young as four years).
2) Fresh wine yeast – not airborne yeast – is used in the fermentation process, for control and consistency over the finished product. PaQuí also uses stainless steel fermentation tanks and pot stills to avoid “off” flavors.
3) A selective distillation process goes further than most major brands by separating the “heart” of the distillate to remove impurities that are harsh, bitter substances, allowing the pleasant aromas, fruit, minerals and soft texture to fully emerge.
The resulting Tequila is said to be uniquely fruity, floral and complex, with a silky texture, long finish, and no harshness. PaQuí Silvera is unaged, PaQuí Reposado is aged for four months in ex-whisky barrels of American oak, and PaQuí Añejo is aged for 14 months in ex-whisky American oak barrels.
PaQui Tequila is the first distilled spirit to be launched by Tequila Holdings, Inc., an
independent spirits company founded by career beverage executive John Chappell in
New York. PaQuí recently conducted a successful fund-raising campaign on
StartEngine.com, becoming one of just 85 companies to reach the allowed limit of
Regulation C fund-raising campaigns ($1.07 million raised over a six-month period).