Hornitos® Revolutionizes Tequila With Launch Of Hornitos® Black Barrel®

DEERFIELD, Ill., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hornitos® Tequila is redefining the premium tequila experience with the launch of new Hornitos® Black Barrel®, a 100% blue agave tequila, distinctively aged through an innovative process that conveys the classic tasting notes of a whiskey.

Triple aged to create a uniquely complex tequila with whiskey characteristics, the newest premium offering from Hornitos® is aged first for 12 months in American Oak barrels before transitioning into deep charred American Oak barrels for four months.  In the final aging process, the liquid is transferred to specially-toasted American Oak barrels for two additional months to further enhance the whiskey-like notes of this one-of-a-kind premium tequila.

The distinctive Hornitos® Black Barrel® aging process creates a spirit unlike anything else in the tequila category. With oaky-vanilla notes and a peppery spiciness, the tequila offers light smoky oak notes and smooth, sweet agave character. The spirit is full-bodied with a clean, mild flavor finish and a slightly lingering tingle sensation.

Prior to hitting shelves, Hornitos® Black Barrel® quickly became an award-winning tequila with accolades at international spirits competitions. Hornitos® Black Barrel® won the 2014 Best of Show Award and received Double Gold honors at the 2014 International Denver Spirit Awards. The spirit also won a Double Gold award at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition.

"With the recent growing excitement around the whiskey category, now is the perfect time to introduce Hornitos® Black Barrel® – a one-of-a-kind product that is sure to please both tequila and whiskey fans," said Gary Ross, Senior Brand Director Tequila at Beam Inc. "We are also extremely proud of the industry's response to our newest spirit. The success of Hornitos® Black Barrel® at the 2014 International Denver Spirit Awards and San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition serves as further evidence that this storied brand will continue its 140-year history of revolutionizing the tequila category."

"The groundbreaking aging process that Hornitos® Black Barrel® undergoes is unlike anything else on the mass market and gives it remarkable depth, complexity and rich character," said Servando Calderon, Casa Sauza Distillery Director. "This tequila takes on two unique spirit profiles and truly delivers a new and innovative product with the same high quality standards that tequila aficionados have come to expect from Hornitos®."

Hornitos® Black Barrel® is 80 proof and is available for a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750ml bottle. It can be sipped on the rocks, neat, or mixed in cocktails.

For those looking to enjoy Hornitos® Black Barrel® in a cocktail, some recipes for inspiration can be found below.

The Neruda
2 parts Hornitos® Black Barrel®
1 part sweet vermouth
Dash of bitters
Candied habanero
Lemon twist for garnish

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass, stir and serve over ice with a lemon twist and garnish with candied habanero. Serve in a rocks glass.

La Bamba
2 parts Hornitos® Black Barrel®
1/2 part lime juice
1/2 part agave
1/2 part Chile liqueur (or dash of hot sauce)
Ginger beer

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass (except ginger beer), add ice, and shake vigorously. Pour over ice and top with ginger beer. Serve in a coupe glass.

For more information, visit www.HornitosTequila.com, like us on Facebook.com/HornitosTequila, or follow us on Twitter @Hornitos and Instagram @Hornitostequila.

About Hornitos® Tequila
The Hornitos® family of tequilas keeps Don Francisco Javier Sauza's legacy alive, using the same high standards to cultivate the best and most flavorful agaves, molding them into premium tequilas that everyone can enjoy. He brought the celebrated spirit to new heights with the agave-robust Reposado, broke the rules to create a crystalline Plata, went above and beyond tequila standards to make an ultra smooth and aromatic Anejo, revolutionized the shot occasion with Lime Shot, and now his legacy lives on with our latest innovation Hornitos® Black Barrel® — reinforcing that Hornitos is Not Just Any Tequila.

About Beam Inc.
As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials.  Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,200 passionate associates worldwide generated 2013 sales of $2.55 billion excluding excise taxes), volume of 37 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Drink Responsibly
Hornitos® Tequila, 40% alc./vol. ©2014 Sauza Tequila Import Company, Deerfield, IL
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Beam Inc.