Brent Hocking

Brent Hocking is an American entrepreneur. He is the founder of DeLeón Tequila, which he launched in 2009, and Virginia Black Whiskey, which he co-founded with Drake in 2016. Hocking grew up in Compton, California and has lived in Southern California for most of his life.[1]

Hocking left his job in finance[2] in 2006 to start his own brand of tequila, which later became known as DeLeón Tequila. Hocking bought a distillery in Purísima del Rincón, Mexico and launched the brand in 2009.[3] Hocking sold the brand to Diageo and Sean Combs in 2014 for an undisclosed amount.[4] Hocking is the co-founder of Virginia Black Whiskey, a venture he launched with Drake in 2016.[1]

In 2019, Hocking launched Mod Sélection Champagne stating; "What I’m doing with champagne is very much in line with what I did in tequila. [With DeLeón], I partnered with a family who had been producing a high-quality product for generations but never exported to the US. I came in and furthered their tradition and technique by selecting only the most pure, mature and superior quality agave available, which resulted in a supremely pure and unadulterated product. This is exactly what I’m doing with our vines in Champagne, France." [5]

Hocking has been credited with creating "a whole new class of tequila"[6] and "a new generation of Champagne':[7] “If you know anything about me, you know my background (and passion) has always been in wine. I started aging DeLeón Tequila in Sauternes wine barrels … 10 years before anyone else in the market caught on. Barrel aging and flavor profile have always been paramount to me … and Champagne is a natural progression. What we’re doing ... is nothing short of revolutionary and very much in line with what I’ve done in the tequila and American whiskey space.”[8]

Under Hocking, DeLeón Tequila won the following awards:

• Robb Report's 2011 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Añejo Tequila[9]
• Robb Report's 2012 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Extra Añejo Tequila[10]
• Robb Report's 2013 ‘Spirit of the Year’ for DeLeón Leóna Tequila[11]
• “M&A International Consumer Retail & Products Deal of the Year" following the sale of DeLeón Tequila.

Virginia Black Whiskey won the following awards:

• 91 points by Wine Enthusiast for Virginia Black[12]

Mod Sélection Champagne won the following awards:

• 97 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection Vintage Rosé Champagne[13][14]
• 96 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection Vintage Réserve Champagne[15][16]
• 95 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Réserve Champagne[17][18]
• 95 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Rosé Champagne[19][20]
• 94 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Blancs[21]
• 94 points by James Suckling for Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Noirs[22]
• 98 points by Anthony Dias Blue 'Blue Lifestyle' for Mod Sélection Vintage, Réserve and Rosé Champagne[23]
• 97 points by Anthony Dias Blue 'Blue Lifestyle' Mod Sélection NV Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs[24]