Siete Leguas (Seven Leagues) dates back to the 1920s. Currently, Lucretia González and her son Fernando operate the business. Siete Leguas has two distilleries in the town of Atotonilco—a smaller plant with traditional hornos and tahona, and a more modern facility that produces the bulk of Siete Leguas tequila.

Siete Leguas rose to fame as the first producer of Patrón tequila. Released as a Blanco and an Añejo, the Patrón brand is owned by Martin Crowley of St. Maarten Spirits Company. Crowley worked with the Siete Leguas production manager to develop the first blend of Patrón Añejo. That first Patrón Blanco defined the classic wet cement, earthy character of tequila made from Los Altos agave. Patrón’s beautiful, distinctive hand-blown glass bottle proved a great success in the United States. It set the trend for a wave of high-priced tequila in designer bottles.

Crowley attempted a joint venture with Siete Leguas, but that didn’t work out. Eventually, he signed a distribution deal with Seagrams Company. Sales quickly exceeded production. Siete Leguas could not meet the demand, especially for the Añejo. Because Patrón continues as one of the most successful ultra-premium brands in the United States, Crowley is considering using other distilleries to produce additional supplies.

On its own, Siete Leguas is a renowned tequila producer in Mexico. The house style features full-blown, in-your-face wet cement agave aromas and flavors. The

Blanco tequila is the freshest and purest example. Reposados and Añejos pick up some fine complex flavors, but remain a bit harsh and rustic.

Patrón Blanco: Wow! and pungent, this colorless tequila explodes with classic wet cement agave aromas. Muy macho intensity and very suave, with hints of lemon, pepper, and banana in the background. Oily with some sweetness, it tastes like it smells: wet cement, earthy, complex agave. The finish is hot and long with a hint of sweetness accompanying the agave.

Patrón Añejo: Strong and pungent/burning on attack, this tequila is golden in color. Complex and muy macho. Earthy agave aromas dominate, with lots of toasty caramel from the oak. Definite hints of citrus and some pepper. Oily in the mouth, with little sweetness. Flavors fall off to cardboard, ripe apples, caramel, and creosote. The finish is long and hot with some bitterness. Cardboard, doughy flavors last a long time.

Siete Leguas Reposado: Pale yellow color, pungent and full. Macho agave intensity with good complexity. Agave, ginseng, and caramel are the primary aromas along with burning alcohol. Slightly sweet and full in the mouth. Caramel and toasty oak flavors overlay the earthy agave and ginseng. The finish is hot, with the caramel flavors of medium duration.

Siete Leguas Añejo: Golden color with a full, pungent attack. Moderate, suave agave intensity. Toasty oak is the strongest aroma, laced with earthy agave, caramel, and pepper. Low sweetness and medium mouth feel. Smoke and caramel jump out in the flavor, followed by agave. The finish is lip-numbing with a long-lasting smoke and caramel aftertaste.