We don’t all have the deep pockets to satisfy our culinary curiosity and that’s a fact!. Getting to taste the best food and the best spirits is expensive and a very real obstacle if you want to experience and understand the luxuries of this world. Knowledge is part intake of information, part first hand experience and having the information that a Siete Leguas tequila blanco is better than a Sierre Tequila Silver is not the same thing as having actually tasted both products.
So what to do, if you want to educate yourself in the world of high quality spirits? Well, a solution might be, to go for smaller quantities and this is where the danish company Konnesoren.dk comes in. The company has specialized in making tasting kits of high quality spirits based on consultations with experts in each field. A neat solution to become a spirits expert one sip at a time!
TequilaList.com has made a small interview with the kind and knowledgeable people behind the project.
Q: Who’s behind Konnesoren.dk?
“Konnessøren” was created by Brian, Bo, Allan & David. Bo and Allan are the experts, who are very experienced in collecting, tasting and teaching others to enjoy the many different types of spirits out there (and figure out what to drink, and what to avoid). David & Brian the less experienced part of the group, making sure that the tastings doesn’t become too nerdy, and more available for everyone. Also, they have a taste for other spirits such as rum and gin, and of course tequila and mezcal (!)
Three gentlemen on a mission, to introduce the worlds best spirits to everybody. One sip at a time!
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Konnesoren?
The idea actually came to us during a classic Christmas lunch some years ago, when some family members and friends wanted to taste a few spirits (perhaps they got confident due to the number of snaps’ they had), and we basically started discussing why no one offered people a chance to taste their way to what they like – instead of always forcing consumers to buy expensive bottles, making it feel like a lottery every time. So, the idea was to show everyone that they can enjoy drinking alcohol neat and not only mixed with different mixers.
Q: Can you please share a little about the thoughts which goes into the product development of the boxes?
One of the great tequilas which goes into Konnessøren’s tequila/mezcal box, Creencias Tequila.
The development of the boxes is pretty genious if we say so ourselves. Basically we spend some time researching and speaking to many distilleries around the world, to shortlist a number of bottles that may make it into our samples. Then, once a year, we go to a summerhouse in the Northern part of Denmark for a weekend to taste everything, and to discuss the roadmap for the next 12 months. The first year we focused on whisky, rum and gin, and tasted around 90 different bottles, and last year we included some specific nordic gins, some Danish whiskies, and a ton of tequilas. Then we basically try one after one, neat (and if we are tasting gin, we add some tonic). We rate it, and write down all our comments. Some of the comments are added to our tasting notes later on, which you can find in the boxes.
It is a pretty tough weekend to be honest, but it really works, both for the team-building, the strategy sessions and we get to taste a lot of good stuff!
Q: What products did you launch with?
We started with whiskies and rum, and then later added gins. Basically we believed that more people would be inclined to buy samples of whiskies, but quickly saw that the need was as big on the gin market. Then, because tequila is a hidden gem, we decided to give it a go last year.
Q: What products have been the most successfull?
Luckily we are very fortunate with our products and selections. We started with the tasting kits, and all are very popular. During the summer our gins are moving quickly, and during the autumn and winter (closer to Christmas) our whiskies and rums are popular. We’ve even had some limited editions that were sold out in a couple of hours. We are very excited about our tequila samples and after touring some of the tequila bars lately, we know that once you try tequila, you’ll love it!
The magnificent tequila/mezcal tasting box from Konnessøren
Q: Last year you took in tequila and mezcal. What brands did you select for the box?
We look for some very specific things in each bottle that we take in. It is especially very important that our first tasting kit shows the range of tequila, so that our customers can get a good idea about what tequila can be. That’s why we added the Mezcal in there (and because it is just simply put: great!). Then, when you try the bottles and you see what you like, you can start trying more of the same type.
The next boxes we’ll make may be a bit more daring, as we want people to keep exploring.
The tequilas that made the first cut in our tasting were:
- Mezcal Escorpión – Joven
- OCHO – Tequila Blanco, Los Nopales
- IXÁ – Reposado Tequila
- Creencias – Añejo, Tequila Organico
- Tapatio Excelencia – Gran Reserva, Extra Añejo
A lot of care has gone into creating the stunning graphic design of the Konnesøren tasting kits. They are absolutely gorgeous!
Q: How have the reactions been to the tequila/mezcal box?
We were a bit defensive with our own goals for the tasting kit, because tequila is often mentioned as “the one with the hat”, and that many people have had a rough night when drinking tequila. But they couldn’t be more from the truth (!). We have seen a slower start than with our gins, and rums, but almost the same traction as our whiskies. However, as we keep seeing the southern american food becoming more and more popular, we have high hopes for our tequila sales – People need to try good tequila, and stop thinking about the cheap stuff!
Q: Do you sell your products in other countries beside Denmark?
Currently we are selling in Denmark, the Nordics, and have some clients in Europe (even some in Portugal). Currently our tasting notes are only available in Danish, but we might have some ideas of what to do outside Denmark 😉
Q: What plans do you have for new products?
We recently opened our GinButler subscription, basically delivering (awesome) gins, every month or so (You decide if you want a bottle every month, 2nd or 3rd). Actually that is the last product we have released, and we expect to come out with new releases of our tasting kits and samples, once we complete the next tasting session that we have planned out. We always add new bottles during the year, but the summertime is when we really get creative and consider all our options. If you guys are interested in getting a new bottle of tequila, or perhaps 3 samples every month, then that is definitely an option!
The great product can be found here:
