If you ever come across a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, buy it. It's going to be very expensive, but worth every penny.
-Mike
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For Tequila Lovers
- Thread starter Lobster11
- Start date
If you ever come across a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, buy it. It's going to be very expensive, but worth every penny.
-Mike
Herradura is good stuff. I'd put it at the very high end of the mid priced set. Very good.
Hopkins
Commercial User
That's my usual weapon of choice...it's nothing fancy but I usually drink Jim Beam Red Stag. It's a black cherry infused bourbon...pretty cheap but delicious and gets the job done well
I know my way around scotch, wine and beers and I'm not too bad with cognac and gin. Bourbon and tequila are two spirits I need to give a real chance someday.
Around here a 5th of stag costs 16.99..definitely worth a shot
Edit:
To get back in topic though how much does a bottle of Lunazul run? Can I find it in most liquor stores or would i be better off going to a beverage depot?
Availability and pricing of tequilas are extremely variable across regions of the country and from state to state, and even from store to store within states, so it's unlikely anyone can give you a very accurate answer unless they live near you.
That said, here in Virginia the regular price for the Lunazul blanco and reposado is $18.80; the anjeo is $21.80. At any given time, one or more of these is usually on sale for a couple bucks off. I think prices are a little higher across the board here than in most other states, so you might find it for less. (For kicks, I just looked up Red Stag on the state ABC list, and found that Red Stag is priced exactly the same as the Lunazul blanco and repo. FWIW.
I paid $15 for the 750ml bottle I got at the state run liquor store here in NH. It was gold colored, Lunazul Reposado.
-Mike
Get yourself a bottle of Woodford Reserve or Four Roses small batch. Excellent and won't break the bank.
I like the Patron Silver and Don Julio blanco as well, but my absolute favorite so far is the Don Julio 1942.
Also had a good one in Japan that I've never seen since called Camino.
Also had a good one in Japan that I've never seen since called Camino.
Looks like I'll be picking one up tonight
Edit:
Picked one up last night and it was DELICIOUS! Definitely worth getting a bottle.
If you're looking for budget tequilas, there are a few on the market now in the same price range as Lunazul that are also worth trying. For example, Camarena has won awards the last couple of years for both its blanco (2012) and reposado (2011) in blind tastings sponsored by tequila.net -- alongside brands that are 2 or 3 times the price. Agavales reposado won an award in 2012. (Be careful not to confuse this with Agavales "gold," which looks similar but is not a puro.) And for just a couple bucks more, Espolon deserves a lot of love.
Here are links to the tequila.net award listings:
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Here are links to the tequila.net award listings:
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Here's a really interesting piece from the New York Times regarding the current tequila market, focusing mainly on blancos:
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The main point is the observation that, as the market continues to expand, there has been a trend toward blancos becoming increasingly mild and neutral-tasting -- presumably because these are more appealing to American tequila newbies. The article really hit home with me because of a pair of recent experiences. First, I recently had a chance while travelling to try the new-and-popular (and expensive) Avion brand, splitting a bottle of the blanco with a friend over the course of a few days. I found it to be super-smooth with a very nice flavor profile -- a very "refined" taste, if you will -- but I kept wondering if I was inadvertently using too much ice, or my ice was melting too quickly, or something: The flavor, nice as it was, just seemed very mild and subdued. Then, when I returned from my trip a few days later, I discovered that my local ABC store had received their first shipment (at my earlier request) of Casa Noble blanco ("crystal," as they call it). When I got that home, poured it over a couple of rocks, and took my first sip, it blew my doors off: The flavor just seemed to explode in my mouth. The flavor itself seemed very similar to what I remembered the Avion to be, but there just seemed to be so much more of it. Wow.
It was just a few days later that my friend sent me the link to the NYT article, which seemed to be making the very point that I had just discovered. And imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I got to the part of the article identifying Casa Noble as the winner of their taste test!
Invalid Link Removed
The main point is the observation that, as the market continues to expand, there has been a trend toward blancos becoming increasingly mild and neutral-tasting -- presumably because these are more appealing to American tequila newbies. The article really hit home with me because of a pair of recent experiences. First, I recently had a chance while travelling to try the new-and-popular (and expensive) Avion brand, splitting a bottle of the blanco with a friend over the course of a few days. I found it to be super-smooth with a very nice flavor profile -- a very "refined" taste, if you will -- but I kept wondering if I was inadvertently using too much ice, or my ice was melting too quickly, or something: The flavor, nice as it was, just seemed very mild and subdued. Then, when I returned from my trip a few days later, I discovered that my local ABC store had received their first shipment (at my earlier request) of Casa Noble blanco ("crystal," as they call it). When I got that home, poured it over a couple of rocks, and took my first sip, it blew my doors off: The flavor just seemed to explode in my mouth. The flavor itself seemed very similar to what I remembered the Avion to be, but there just seemed to be so much more of it. Wow.
It was just a few days later that my friend sent me the link to the NYT article, which seemed to be making the very point that I had just discovered. And imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I got to the part of the article identifying Casa Noble as the winner of their taste test!
I'm a single malt man usually bt this thread's been a very interesting read, particularly the puros and mixtos distinction (just like anyone trying Scotch needs to know the distinction between blended and single malt).
I've only had one bottle of tequila, Olmeca Blanco (a mixto it would appear), but I did enjoy it. I must look out for a good puros for sipping.
I've only had one bottle of tequila, Olmeca Blanco (a mixto it would appear), but I did enjoy it. I must look out for a good puros for sipping.
What is the preferred method for sipping tequila? With ice? I'll admit I have ever only had it in mixed drinks or shots.
-Mike
-Mike
I keep mine in the fridge, so no cubes required. In a bar they will use a small shaker type devise and ice to swirl the liqueur before pouring in your glass.
Only reposados for my margaritas, please. Give me a Patron, 1800, or Herradura, they do just fine.
Point taken, but there's one REALLY big difference between the blended/single-malt distinction in Scotch whisky and the mixto/puro distinction in tequila: In a blended Scotch, the stuff that's blended is all whisky. Try to imagine someone producing a "whisky" in which 49% of the juice was distilled from sugar cane rather than some kind of grain! (On second thought, don't imagine that -- I don't want to give you nightmares.)
Consequently, although there are plenty of Scotch aficionados who think that single-malts are clearly superior to blended whiskies, period, there are also many who regard whisky-blending as an art form unto itself. By contrast, I'm doubtful that there exist any tequila aficionados who think that way about mixtos.
Also, it's interesting to note that the best-selling whisky in Scotland is a blend, whereas the best-selling tequila in Mexico is a puro. Jose Cuervo Especial is wildly popular in the U.S., but Mexicans know better!
The really serious aficionados drink it neat, and professional tastings are always done that way. However, I'll admit that I personally prefer it over a couple of ice cubes -- not only to chill it, but to dilute it just a bit to take a little of the edge off. I think the addition of a little water (i.e., melted ice) might also help it to "open up," for the same reasons that Scotch aficionados typically add "a wee dram" of water to their whisky.
Good to know, thanks for the tips. I'll give the Lunzaul a few sips tonight and see how I do.
-Mike
-Mike
