Overview: Chip Tate, the founder of the innovative whiskey distillery Balcones, is transitioning into agave spirits production through a partnership with Foley Family Wines & Spirits. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of Gran Nota tequila and Penumbra mezcal, leveraging Tate’s technical background in fermentation and science.
The Full Story
The transition began when Chip Tate received an unexpected pitch from a friend at Foley Family Wines, now known as Foley Family Wines & Spirits. The Sonoma County-based, family-owned wine company sought to diversify its predominant wine portfolio by starting tequila and mezcal production with Tate. Tate, calling from his home in Texas, noted that he was always interested in agave spirits and had been trying to figure out a way to dive into mezcal specifically.
Tate’s technical background sets him up perfectly to make a mark with tequila and mezcal as well as the American whiskey world. His approach involves a blend of tradition and innovation, drawing parallels between his work in whiskey and his recent ventures in agave spirits. Tate notes similarities between roasted agave and malt regarding flavor formation during roasting and malting processes. This technical foundation allows him to innovate beyond grain and barrel types, experimenting with concepts like Maillard reactions, furfural, and Ehrlich pathways.
Tate’s journey began with a passion for baking and an obsessive desire to find out how things work. He received a philosophy degree from the College of William & Mary and later studied theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA, while earning a diploma in Brewing & Distilling. After moving to Waco, TX, Tate realized his passion had shifted from beer to whiskey. He decided to start a Texas whiskey distillery, designing the Balcones stills and equipment himself. When he left Balcones in 2014, he had paved the way for other Texas whiskey distilleries to prosper.
Production & Profile
Tate’s first innovations at Foley go far beyond the grain and barrel types he experimented with at Balcones. In late 2025, he released Ampersand, a small-batch line of “unexpected spirits” including a rye and Calvados blend, a rye and neutral grain spirit blend matured in Cognac casks, and an extra-aged bourbon finished in Tokaji barrels. This year, he released Gambit No. 6, a six-year-old bourbon finished in six different casks.
The agave spirits production utilizes specific technical methods to achieve distinct flavor profiles. Gran Nota is a Triple Oak reposado tequila that offers hints of grilled pineapple and citrus. Penumbra Mezcal is a wonderfully balanced espadin mezcal with notes of grapefruit, peppercorn, sweet smoke, and a hint of salinity. For Gran Nota, Tate uses a whiskey yeast, which is not traditional but aligns with his technical approach. He utilizes oven roasting versus autoclaves for the agave, noting that oven roasting takes three days and gives a certain flavor similar to malt versus corn.
Brand & Industry History
Tate’s history in spirits production is rooted in engineering and necessity. At Balcones, he used traditional mashing methods, though the fermentation and cuts were different. He produced a malt that could be competitive with a 10- or 12-year-old whisky in a couple of years due to heat variation in Texas. Balcones eventually released a line of award-winning single malts and ryes, with Baby Blue, a corn whiskey, winning Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. When he left Balcones in 2014, he had paved the way for other Texas whiskey distilleries to prosper, including releases from the likes of Garrison Brothers, TX Whiskey, StillAustin.
What This Means
Tate sees a lot of parallels with his early Balcones work and his recent forays into agave spirits. He notes that whiskey drinkers and agave drinkers have a lot in common, possessing a very strong sense of tradition which isn’t always super well defined. Tate credits his brewing background for the relative ease he has shifting from whiskeys to tequila. His solution involves more innovation to counter a general timidity in the whiskey business where good whiskey can be obtained cheaply compared to three years ago. To him, that creates opportunity.
Consumer Takeaway
This release offers the drinker access to agave spirits produced with single-malt traditions and technical precision. The bottles provide specific flavor profiles derived from oven roasting and traditional fermentation analysis rather than standard industrial methods. Consumers can expect a blend of tradition and innovation, drawing parallels between whiskey and agave production processes while benefiting from Tate’s hands-on role with the Bañuelos family.
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