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For Tequila Lovers

#302
Sort of related since it is also an agave product, but has anyone had this yet? I liked their Pechuga very much but I need some firstahnd experience before I drop close-enough-as-makes-no-difference two bills on the bottle.
 

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#303
Wow -- I hadn't realized that this thread has been quiet for so long. Time to bring it back to life!

Something occurred to me today, in the context of a different thread, that I hadn't thought about before. I'd be interested to hear if others agree with me about this or not....

As I've said in previous posts, I'm mainly a blanco guy: Pour a two or three fingers over a couple of ice cubes and I'm good to go. I like resposados too (and anejos as well, for that matter), but some much more than others. And here's what I realized for the first time today: I tend to dislike the resposados among cheaper brands, and I tend to like the reposados (sometimes even more than blancos) among more expensive brands. For example, I don't care for the reposados from Camarena or Lunazul, near the bottom of the price range, although I find their blancos drinkable. At a slightly higher price point, I like 1800 and Espolon blancos pretty well, but not their corresponding resposados. Further north in the price range, however, I like the reposados from Cabo Wabo and Tres Agaves better than their respective blancos.

What's interesting to me about this is that intuitively it seems like it should be the other way around. It seems like a little barrel-aging of a lower quality blanco should only make it better, by smoothing out the rough edges and introducing new flavors that should help mask undesirable flavors. In contrast, a higher quality blanco shouldn't need any help, and if anything the added flavors are more likely to be undesirable. Indeed, that's why I'm a "blanco guy": I generally prefer the raw, unadulterated flavor of agave.

So, I wonder if others have the same experience, because if it is true for a lot of people I wonder why it is. The only hypothesis I can come up with is that the cheaper brands might sell their best (relatively speaking) stuff as blanco, and then age their not-as-good stuff to sell as reposado -- under the assumption, as I suggested above, that the barrel aging will help mask deficiencies in the juice it started with. I have no evidence to support this hypothesis, but it's the best explanation I can come up with. Any other ideas?
 
#304
Just found this thread. Excellent! I, too, had sworn off tequila for about 15 years after having had one too many bad experiences with Jose Cuervo at the local bucket-o-blood. LOL. Thankfully, a friend introduced me to Herradura Silver at a house party, and I toasted, reluctantly, straight up. Been hooked ever since, and it is my go-to choice in tequila for both sipping and margaritas. The anejo and reposado are also very good when I'm in the mood for a little added flavor.

Generally, I'll sip straight up, storing the tequila in the fridge or freezer for a while, but my g/f is a fan of the simple 'rita made with Santa Cruz limeade, and on a hot summer night that will do the trick. We have trouble finding the Santa Cruz around here, so we substitute Simply Limeade, which isn't too, too bad.

For those friends who are uninitiated to the joys of good tequila, I'll break them in with the Herradura Silver/Santa Cruz frozen "slushy" 'rita. Makes it a little easier for them to latch onto. They are also amazed the next morning to find that they have barely a trace of a hangover after an crazy night drinking tequila. I've turned quite a few many people onto Herradura Silver that way.

I agree, that the number of Mexican restaurants that absolutely butcher their margaritas with god-awful sour/'rita mix is criminal. It's as though there's a whole lot of sophisticated consumers out there who appreciate good tequila more than the people serving it, and treat it more like Weekend At Bernie's, or something. I'm usually making a pain in the butt of myself, instructing the bartender/waiter precisely how I want my drink served. I don't like to be disappointed when I'm drinking my favorite tequila!

Great thread. Thanks for starting it!
 
#307
Lobster11 said:
There are a couple of things that are important to know about tequila, one of which is absolutely crucial: the difference between "puros" and "mixtos."

What makes tequila different from, say, whiskey or vodka, is that it is made from the agave plant (actually, a particular species thereof). By Mexican law, to be labeled "tequila," at least 51% of the liquor must be distilled from agave; the other 49% can be distilled from corn, sugar cane, or whatever else is available. Agave is expensive, in comparison to corn or sugar cane, so such "mixtos" can be made on the cheap. Many of the most popular brands -- including the ubiquitous Jose Cuervo Gold that we've all gotten sick on at some time in our lives -- are mixtos. So, a bottle of this stuff contains about half real tequila, and half who-knows-what-else. If the what-else is distilled from sugar cane, for example, it is basically cheap rum; if it is distilled from corn, it is basically cheap corn whiskey. Do not drink this stuff under any circumstances. Would you order a drink at a bar made from half good tequila, and half the cheapest rum available? It's no wonder that people get sick and have terrible hangovers drinking mixtos.

In contrast, a "puro" is distilled entirely from agave: It is "pure" tequila. Look carefully at any bottle and search for the phrase "100% de agave": If it says that somewhere, it is a puro and worth trying. If it doesn't say that anywhere, it is surely a mixto, and you should take a pass. Note that the "100%" part is crucial. If it just says something like "made from blue weber agave," it's a mixto (i.e., it's made only partly from agave).

Of course, puros are generally more expensive than mixtos, but often not by as much as you'd think. The market is bulging these days with inexpensive puros, some of which (e.g., Lunazul, Agavales) are even less expensive than Cuervo Gold. Use one of these for your margaritas -- a mixto isn't even worthy of use in mixed drinks -- and experiment with the top-shelf brands for sipping neat or (as I prefer) over ice.
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Worth knowing & re-quoting. Thanks for the awesome info.
 
#308
Just saw this on another TB ("funny pictures") thread:

https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/election-day-jpg.984890/

Putting aside the intended joke, I did a little research to confirm that this product does indeed exist. While doing so, I came across a review that nicely captured my thoughts about it (boldface added):

And to be honest, the whole idea baffles me. If you like premium tequila, you’ll dislike the idea of watering it down with vodka — essentially turning it into a mixto. On the other hand, if you’re a vodka kinda guy, well, you’re just going to hate having tequila in it.
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Truth. The single best way to turn real tequila into an inferior liquor is to blend it with a spirit that's cheaper to make -- i.e., to create a mixto rather than a puro. This is precisely why we tequila lovers insist on drinking only tequila that is clearly labeled as "100% de agave."
 
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#314
Toptube said:
I haven't read this whole thread.

My go to tequila is Espolon's 'reposado' type.

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It's not harsh, very sip-able. Has a nice smokyness to the flavor. Is low cost and is fairly widely available. There may not be a better reposado, for the money. In addtion to drinking it straight, it also works well as an Old Fashioned, with tequila. Or coupled with some dry vermouth.
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I'm halfway through al bottle of Espolon's "Anejo".

Without a bottle of reposado to compare directly----it tastes very similar and the buzz feels simlar. The Anejo Miiiiiiight be a little bit richer in flavor. Overall, not worth being double the price. Espolon's Reposado is a great value and they clearly have a tough time beating it, themselves!
 
#317
MJ5150 said:
Hey @Lobster11, have you tried Volcán De Mi Tierra?
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-Mike
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Thanks for thinking of me, Mike. No, I haven't heard of this one. It sounds interesting, but unfortunately it looks like I can't get it here in VA (where we have state-run stores that all share a master list). Have you tried it, or know anybody who has?
 
#320
Lobster11 said:
Thanks for that, pedroims -- very nice explanation.

Sadly, I have much less experience with mezcal than tequila -- not for lack of desire or interest, but simply because I've had so little opportunity. I've lived for the last 20+ years in a place where liquor is sold only in state-run stores, so what is available in any store (even by special order) is limited to a master list maintained at the state level. Fortunately, the tequila selection available is not too terrible (though its downright pathetic by, say, Texas or California standards). But as far as mezcal is concerned, there is exactly ONE available for purchase in Virginia, and it is awful. I've gotten to try a few others when I've been travelling, though, and I really loved some of them.
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Casamigos Mezcal is excellent if you can get it
 
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