The Mexican premium tequila brand "Clase Azul" is gaining attention among domestic liquor enthusiasts. Despite the price ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of won for a single bottle, it is considered differentiated due to the fact that all processes are handled by artisans. Clase Azul aims to expand consumer touchpoints in line with the increasing demand for tequila in Korea.
According to industry sources on the 17th, Clase Azul has gained popularity under the moniker "Choo Sung Hoon tequila," thanks to its high public recognition. Mixed martial artist Choo Sung Hoon, who has 1.87 million YouTube subscribers, introduced Clase Azul as his favorite drink on his channel. The video has garnered over 3.5 million views as of that day. Since then, Clase Azul has become a topic of discussion not only among tequila enthusiasts but also among various liquor aficionados.
The brand name Clase Azul is derived from the Spanish word "clase," meaning grade, combined with "azul" (meaning blue), which symbolizes luxury and rarity. It signifies the intention to showcase the best of tequila. Clase Azul is currently available in 101 countries worldwide, including Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Clase Azul Korea held a media tasting event at a bar in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 26th of last month, introducing their representative products. These include ▲Plata ▲Gold ▲Reposado ▲Añejo ▲Ultra. The price ranges from 200,000 won to 5 million won per bottle. Notably, Ultra is Clase Azul's most expensive product and was also featured on Choo Sung Hoon's YouTube.
The reason Ultra's price reaches several million won is primarily due to the alcohol evaporation (angel's share) of long-aged tequila. The evaporation during aging is greater than that of whiskey, so a longer aging period leads to increased production costs. For example, to produce tequila of the "Extra Añejo" grade, it must be aged for over three years, whereas Clase Azul creates the product "Ultra" through a five-year aging period.
A representative from Clase Azul Korea noted, "Ultra is aged for 3 years in American barrels and for another 2 years in sherry barrels," adding, "It is challenging to age tequila for a long time due to the angel's share. For this reason, products of Extra Añejo grade are difficult to find from other brands."
Aside from Ultra, the price range of Clase Azul products is relatively high because they go through a rigorous process from the cultivation and harvesting of raw materials to distillation, aging, and decanter (bottle) production.
According to Clase Azul, their annual total production is around 800,000 liters. In comparison, most tequila brands produce over 300 million liters annually, which is 1/4000 of that amount. Clase Azul only uses blue Weber agave from Mexico that has been grown for over six years. A representative from Clase Azul Korea explained, "Other brands make tequila using agave that has grown for 3 to 5 years, while we wait about twice as long to harvest. Agave that is 6 years old produces baby agaves around it, which increases its sweetness. We harvest at the peak sweetness to make tequila."
After harvesting, the leaves of the agave are removed, and the core called "piña" is cooked in a stone oven at a low temperature for 72 hours. During the cooking process, the oven door is occasionally opened to expel unpleasant odors. Typically, tequila brands use a method called "autoclave," which cooks piña at high temperature and pressure. A representative from Clase Azul Korea stated, "Using the autoclave method can lead to some parts being burnt while others are undercooked, but using a stone oven for a long period at a low temperature produces an even sweetness and aroma."
Fermentation is followed by the distillation process, where methanol and gases are removed, and only the highest purity portion, 35%, is used. This distillation process is done twice. Typically, tequila brands use 70% and discard 30%. Aging takes place in barrels with a capacity of 800 liters. Compared to other tequila brands that use 10,000-liter container barrels, this requires more barrels, labor, and time.
The decanters are also handcrafted. They are made in the ceramic workshop "Tradición Mazahua," established directly by Clase Azul, where artisans handcraft the pieces. Traditional Mexican techniques are applied to shape the ceramics and etch designs onto them. It takes up to 12 days to complete a single bottle.
Among the products introduced that day, "Plata" is the youngest tequila bottled without aging, contained in a clear glass bottle. It is characterized by its pure and clean flavor. "Reposado" is aged for 8 months in American whiskey barrels. It is said to be the most popular in Korea due to its smooth and sweet notes, featuring banana, vanilla, and orange peel. "Gold" is a product blended from Plata, Reposado, and Extra Añejo. It has a unique bottle design that combines glass and ceramic and offers delicate flavors. "Añejo" is tequila aged for 25 months, which is infused with cinnamon and hazelnut aromas.
A representative from Clase Azul Korea stated, "We will strive to showcase the brand and product appeal to Korean customers through various marketing activities in the future."