MORE TEXANS MAY BE GOING LOCO FROM NOW ON
- andychalk
- 21 minutes ago
- 3 min read
by Andrew Chalk
A curious and expectant media crowd gathered earlier this week at The Mexican in Dallas’s Design District for the local unveiling of Loco Tequila, a super-premium brand that has only been available in Texas since February.
Loco Tequila CEO Alberto Navarro flew in from Mexico City to personally guide attendees through a tasting of the brand’s three core expressions now entering the Dallas market.
Navarro explained that Loco is both additive-free and estate-grown, with production limited to agaves cultivated on its own 100 hectares in El Arenal, Jalisco—the heart of tequila country. Cultivation follows traditional, painstaking methods. At harvest, after seven or eight years of growth, the piñas are separated from the stem at precisely the right point to prevent fibrous material from entering production. The hearts are then double-shaved before being slow-cooked for three days in masonry ovens—a process many modern producers have replaced with faster, high-pressure autoclaves.
The baked piñas are crushed, and their juice is fermented on native yeasts in wooden pipones salvaged from the historic Hacienda La Providencia. Distillation occurs twice in small copper pot stills, in limited batches.
Two of Loco’s expressions—Loco Blanco and Loco Puro Corazón—see no oak contact, reflecting Navarro’s philosophy:
“The essence of Loco represents the essence of agave, not oak or other added flavors,” he says. “But for this drink to become the artistic expression we know, the intervention of man is needed. It’s in this careful process that lies, to a large extent, the difference between a good tequila and an exceptional one.”
The third expression, Loco Ámbar Reposado, spends 6–8 months resting in oak.
Below are the producer’s official descriptions:
Loco Blanco — “The First Terroir Tequila” ($145)
Balanced and refined, its creamy, well-structured palate highlights mineral, citrus, and herbal notes that speak of its Jalisco origin. Personalized bottle engraving is available.
Loco Ámbar — “The Extraordinary Takes Time” ($212)
A limited-production reposado that rests for 6–8 months in four exceptional barrels, building layers of sweetness over mineral depth. Personalized bottle engraving available.
Loco Puro Corazón — “Best Overall Tequila” (Robb Report) ($372)
Unrivaled in purity and refinement. Only the pure heart of the distillation is retained; all heads and tails are discarded. Personalized bottle engraving available.
Design also plays a key role. The striking bottle, designed by Mexican-Dutch artist Jan Hendrix, draws inspiration from nature. Its vivid red hue comes from cochineal, a traditional dye derived from a South American insect.
Impressions
I was struck by the subtlety and precision of these spirits. The Blanco opened with delicate aromas of tropical fruit, herbs, anise, and strawberry. On the palate, those flavors harmonized, the anise recalling the candy-shop treats of my childhood.
The Puro Corazón was the most complex—a true sipping tequila to challenge any cristalino. Rather than rely on filtration, its clarity comes from an exacting distillation cut that captures only the “heart.” The result is elegant, layered, and addictive.
The Reposado showcases its oak influence prominently after its extended rest of 6–8 months—well beyond the CRT’s two-month minimum. I found myself wishing for slightly less oak, especially given how beautifully Loco’s unaged expressions highlight pure agave character.
An Añejo exists, though it remains available only in tiny quantities in Mexico—for now.
Verdict
Loco Tequila is one of the most impressive new entrants in the ultra-premium tequila space. It respects tradition, prizes purity, and delivers elegance across its range. For tequila aficionados, this is a brand to seek out—and a new benchmark for others to match.
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