tequila

[Ken Gargett]

i am sure that there must be some decent ones out there but in the world of spirits, it ranks very much as the red-headed stepchild for me. hard to envisage people drinking it for pleasure.

well, national tequila day is tomorrow (apparently national now means international, as we have it as well). i am mid-piece through an article on the glories of tequila (oh, how one can be economical with the truth when an editor requests). 

any thoughts? any good ones? any point in tequila existing?

all that said, i have a couple of what i am assured are good ones - Calle 23 and Fortaleza Still Strength 46 - arriving today as samples. both are 100% agave. i am hopeful they will help change my mind (or at least make me not sure a liar in print). 

[BoliDan]

Don Julio 1942 if you can afford it. This one will change your mind, Ken. I know prices in Oz are a tad overwhelming, so if it's too rich for your blood, Grand Mayan Ultra Aged Anejo. Or maybe not. I cant find a rum I enjoy for the life of me. 

[lovethehaze]

Did someone say tequila ???? Now we r talking !!


1942 and Cuervo reserva de la familia very good as well. But 4th of July did those in ...
I prefer the silver or Blancos to mix or shoot cold.
If however one likes to sip should lean more into the reposado or anejo range or ultra or cristalino’s. Aged but look like Blancos ... smooth. This Dobrl is top notch as well.

Also the herradura’s are from Mexico ... truly a different blend. My favorite is centenario sooooo smooth literally can pour from the bottle to Your mouth and no bite. But has to be from Mexico not any other fake one like bought here in the us. Totally different.





Cheers



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[lovethehaze]

George Clooney sponsored. Don’t let it fool u. Chilled is excellent


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[Ken Gargett]

apols, i should have clarified. that is Calle 23 Criollo. 

[Ken Gargett]

ta guys. all very interesting. curious that tequila can be bottled in the states. don't think it makes it fake but i would be thinking the good stuff would be bottled in mexico. 

this reminded me of having to write about tequila many years ago. just checked the very bottom of the alcohol cupboard and there are about a dozen bottles, but so covered in dust. about an inch thick. not a staple over at the swamp. 

some patron, some don julio - the anejo but it does not mention 1492. some herraduras. i might have to wipe the dust away if these two don't do it for me. 

[xtcat9k]

Huge fan of Cava de Oro extra anejo. A very distinctive and unique flavor profile. 

[lovethehaze]

1 minute ago, Ken Gargett said:

ta guys. all very interesting. curious that tequila can be bottled in the states. don't think it makes it fake but i would be thinking the good stuff would be bottled in mexico. 

this reminded me of having to write about tequila many years ago. just checked the very bottom of the alcohol cupboard and there are about a dozen bottles, but so covered in dust. about an inch thick. not a staple over at the swamp. 

some patron, some don julio - the anejo but it does not mention 1492. some herraduras. i might have to wipe the dust away if these two don't do it for me. 

1942 it’s a tall slender bottle. With a wood cork .... 

If you can get the centenario anejo you def will not be disappointed. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, lovethehaze said:

1942 it’s a tall slender bottle. With a wood cork .... 

If you can get the centenario anejo you def will not be disappointed. 

the anejo is a squat bottle. 

to be honest, these come as samples. i'm not yet so convinced that i will be buying the stuff. rum, whisky, gin etc are fine but i have a bit to go for tequila (though checking under the dust of the old bunch, i must have enjoyed them more than i remember as the levels in a few are quite low). 

so, any recommendations for a cigar to go with tequila? i'd be thinking Monte C...

[BrightonCorgi]

6 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

ta guys. all very interesting. curious that tequila can be bottled in the states. don't think it makes it fake but i would be thinking the good stuff would be bottled in mexico.

Needs to be bottled in Mexico to be called Tequila and in a specific part of Mexico too.  Tequila is my favorite clear liquor if I had to pick one.  Reposado is the best balance of age and flavor.  It's in the middle of age curve which is small for Tequila as it is.  Many good brands out there.

[xtcat9k]

The DJ 1942 is shaped to replica a blue agave leaf. 

A fan as well of it, when looking for a more traditional tasting tequila. 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, BrightonCorgi said:

Needs to be bottled in Mexico to be called Tequila and in a specific part of Mexico too.  Tequila is my favorite clear liquor if I had to pick one.  Reposado is the best balance of age and flavor.  It's in the middle of age curve which is small for Tequila as it is.  Many good brands out there.

when i started researching this, i assumed that would be the case.

basic rules - and this is very much boiled down - at least 51% blue agave, which must come from one of five delineated regions in Mexico. but, and they may have changed it very recently although given relations between the nations, i doubt that mexico have received many concessions of late, when mexico was putting the regulations in place (and one would have assumed it would not be unreasonable to insist that tequila was all mexican in every way), there was a dispute with the States. involved claimed breaches of NAFTA and so on. there were claims of large job losses in the States if the distilleries in the southern States had to be shut down. as a result, a separate deal was made with the States which allowed bulk tequila to be brought to the States and bottled there. that can't happen elsewhere. it did sound very odd to me. 

if that is false, please let me know. i'd be very grateful. 

[Puros Y Vino]

Tequila can be quite exquisite. Hornitos  Reposado or Anejo is a good place to start. On the more exotic side. Clase Azul is probably the most exquisite Tequila Ive had. Comes in nice hand crafted porcelain bottles too. Any Tequila not bottled in Mexico is a lie.  

 

 

 

 

[lovethehaze]

All I know is the ones you get there taste diff then the ones you buy here. It is very noticeable, not 100% sure how or why but def different.

8 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

the anejo is a squat bottle. 
to be honest, these come as samples. i'm not yet so convinced that i will be buying the stuff. rum, whisky, gin etc are fine but i have a bit to go for tequila (though checking under the dust of the old bunch, i must have enjoyed them more than i remember as the levels in a few are quite low). 
so, any recommendations for a cigar to go with tequila? i'd be thinking Monte C...

I’d go more spicy and peppery myself. Maybe a p2 or a d4 or could go young BBF ...


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[Ken Gargett]

2 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

when i started researching this, i assumed that would be the case.

basic rules - and this is very much boiled down - at least 51% blue agave, which must come from one of five delineated regions in Mexico. but, and they may have changed it very recently although given relations between the nations, i doubt that mexico have received many concessions of late, when mexico was putting the regulations in place (and one would have assumed it would not be unreasonable to insist that tequila was all mexican in every way), there was a dispute with the States. involved claimed breaches of NAFTA and so on. there were claims of large job losses in the States if the distilleries in the southern States had to be shut down. as a result, a separate deal was made with the States which allowed bulk tequila to be brought to the States and bottled there. that can't happen elsewhere. it did sound very odd to me. 

if that is false, please let me know. i'd be very grateful. 

quick follow up. as far as i can see, the agreement was reached in January 2006 and it has not been repealed or amended to prevent bulk tequila going to the States for bottling. there is a registry of american entities which are entitled to bottle in the States. 

but this could be out of date and if anyone has more up-to-date info, please let me know.

i would guess that the stuff being bottled in the States is unlikely to be the high quality or interesting stuff. 

[Habana Mike]

Fine Tequila is all well and good but quality Mezcal is where it's at.....

[Ken Gargett]

so, if i may extrapolate a little. 

tequila has fans as devoted as those for any spirit and they argue as passionately as any. 

[Habana Mike]

3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

so, if i may extrapolate a little. 

tequila has fans as devoted as those for any spirit and they argue as passionately as any. 

I'd say that's a fair statement and include Mezcal in your study!

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, Habana Mike said:

I'd say that's a fair statement and include Mezcal in your study!

i can't make any promises...

[Habana Mike]

6 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

i can't make any promises...

Be that as it may, all Mezcals are tequila but all tequilas are not Mezcal....

[eg133]

If you're a whisky drinker I highly recommend Clase Azul Reposado. It reminds me more of a whisky sometimes with notes of oak, chocolate, and vanilla.

If you want a truly smooth and beautiful tequila Casa Dragones never fails.

And for every day, you can't go wrong with Don Julio 70 Anniversario

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[MD Puffer]

Have you tried mixing it up with some fresh squeezed lime juice and a splash of Cointreau, shaken, then poured into a wide-mouthed cocktail glass with a salted rim? 

[El Hoze]

I drink a fair amount of tequila. It is hard to keep track of all the new stuff out there, there’s been an explosion in the market. 

Of the stuff you see around fairly regularly DJ 1942 is going to be most people’s favorite dollar for dollar. If you gave most people a DJ Real (their high end) next to DJ 1942 most people in my view would have a hard time picking which one costs 3x as much as the other.

Other heavily rested ones that stick out for me are Paradiso by El Tesoro. 

Fortaleza, which is becoming more of a staple on shelves is excellent. 

One of the newer brands that I have had is G4. The blanco is excellent in my view. 

I have migrated more towards tequilas that are more agave forward. A brand worth mentioning in that respect is Casa Dragones. They have what they call blanco (lower end) and joven, which is their high end. Both are blancos. I laughed the first time I heard about a blanco for $250/bottle but it is very good.

My favorite tequila producer at this point is Fuentaseca. You don’t see it alot and the bottles, depending on age, can get into the stratosphere fairly quickly. But in my opinion that is the top of the heap at this point in tequila. If you google Enrique Fonseca you can read about the guy who makes it. Hardcore guy. Effectively much of what he does is use various woods/climates/elevations during the ageing process to effect some pretty masterful stuff. Worth looking into his story, in my opinion. 

 

 

[BoliDan]

59 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

the anejo is a squat bottle. 

to be honest, these come as samples. i'm not yet so convinced that i will be buying the stuff. rum, whisky, gin etc are fine but i have a bit to go for tequila (though checking under the dust of the old bunch, i must have enjoyed them more than i remember as the levels in a few are quite low). 

so, any recommendations for a cigar to go with tequila? i'd be thinking Monte C...

You may not have the taste for it. I don't think theres anything wrong with that. For a monte, and something cheap? Probably citrus forward. Hornitos black barrell. If you dont enjoy it with an ice cube, add some lime juice

 

[Bill Hayes]

Not a big fan of tequila but I have consumed my share of Patron XO Café coffee infused tequila and paired it with cigars. But it's really just for sipping on. Apparently fashionable 10 years agao to add a coffee bean and heat the tequila in a shot glass in the microwave.