Tequila Education and Reviews
Is Single Barrel Tequila Different?
Single Barrel versus Regular Reposado. Does it make a difference? This is El Gran Legado from NOM 1123 Cascahuin, one of our favorite brands. All the agaves for this brand made in Michoacán, grown in Michoacán, which is a little bit unusual. This is the regular repasado, 40% ABV. We reviewed this on the channel. I loved it. You liked it quite a bit as well. It's just a really soft, delicate, I think we called it Blanco Plus at the time. Uhhuh. Still great. Yeah. Good. This new one just came out is a Single Barrel Reposado aged four or five months in very specific, Rabbit Hole Bourbon barrels. 53% ABV. Yeah. Wow! Made in honor of the brand owner Steve Vera's grandfather, quite a bit. Much darker. Yeah. And a much higher ABV. It is tasty, but they're very different. This is packed with flavor. Yeah. It this is like this, if you like concentrated it down like a red wine reduction sauce, it's this. It's amazing. Absolutely. Both really good, but super different.And I think that's the lesson, right? Uhhuh. Yeah, people ask all the time, does a single barrel really, is it different than the original? And obviously, in this case, in color and in taste, it really is.If you see single barrels, think about getting them. And big news, we've got three single barrels coming out soon.
Learn moreThe Ultimate Tequila and Mezcal Sampler: SpiritCo
The ultimate tequila and mezcal sampler. Check this out! It is 12 little vials here. It's like being at the drugstore with booze. Literally.Look at this, back shelf down here, 12 different samples and like pretty cool. So it's a great gift, right? So like Father's Day, or even if somebody just like is just getting into agave spirits want to like a little sampler, compare and contrast, so there's some great stuff in here. I was going to say, there's some good brands. We've got like Tapatio, G4, Ocho, Don Fulano. El Tequileño, Arette, and then some good mezcals as well. It's really cool, and I love the packaging as well. It ships from the UK, so because of the shipping, it's a little pricey.It ends up being about $10 per sample, but you really can't get something like this put together any other way. So I think it's really neat, especially for like tastings and educational events and gifts, it's cool. Yeah, it's a great, great gift. Get the link in the comments.
Learn moreTequila Made 100% by Women
All right. I am here with Melly Barajas at her amazing distillery. It's something that I'm interested in as a young woman is that everybody that works here is a female. I'm wondering why that was so important to you and how you made that happen. You know, it wasn't on purpose. When I opened for business, I put up the now-hiring signage. I didn't request men or women. But, Valle de Guadalupe is a small town where most of the men go to the United States in search of new opportunities. This is why most of the applicants were women, all women. I was like oh my God! what's going to happen? All women. So really we had to teach ourselves to do everything that men do. So, it wasn't on purpose at first. Then, seeing how they work, to see the heart they put into the things they do, the energy, everything that a woman is. From that moment on, all women.
Learn moreAdditive-Free Tequila is Now 5% of the Market
Pour yourself a glass of something special. I'm going to go with this Corrido Reposado. I just saw some data from Nielsen that indicates that at retail, additive-free tequila is now 5% of the market in the United States. How much is 5% of the American tequila market? More than $400 million per year. Here's what's going to happen. The additive-free tequila category is going to do exactly what craft beer did to the big beer companies: keep chipping away, chipping away at their market share and steal the thoughtful, smart customer like you. Today, craft beer is 13% of the total beer market in the US, and that is where additive-free tequila is headed. Share this if you're ready to be a part of it.
Learn moreTierra De Ensueno Blanco Review
Are two master distillers better than one?- We're going to find out. This is the new blanco-only brand for now, Tierra De Ensueño.- Yep, NOM 1580 in Los Altos. It is additive-free.- $65, something like that for the Blanco, which is a little up there, but it's really well made. We talked about sort of two participants. Sergio Cruz, who's usually a Vivanco, is a master distiller. Oscar Velasquez is the master blender. Why do they need a blender for a Blanco?- It is aged for 14 days in bourbon cask. We're starting to see that a little bit more. Brands are actually aging their blancos because it does add just a little kiss of flavor and a little kiss of color. And this is also a little bit higher proof. It's 42. Whoa!- Very agave.- Holy cow! That is agave. That's a blanco nerd's tequila right there.- Yeah, it is.- Yep.- This is right up your alley.- It sure is. Agave, white pepper, lemon grass, a little citrus over the top. I'm guessing it's a little too agave forward for you.- It is a little bit, but I still like it. It's just not going to be like my first pick.- And that is progress because at one point, like let's say a year and a half ago, you would've hated this tequila.- Yeah, absolutely!- I dig it to 9 for me.- All right! And I like it, but like I said, this is just not quite my flavor profile, so I'm going to give it like a 7.- 9 and a 7.
Learn moreThe Truth About Cinco De Mayo
Here's the truth about Cinco de Mayo. It's not Mexico's Independence Day, which is September 16th. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 where Mexican forces collided with the French army. The fight was over an old debt that Mexico owed to England, Spain and France. The government had reached a deal with the first two, but France was like, "No"And they sent soldiers to collect the debt and that did not work out for them as the Mexican forces dramatically outnumbered, though they were, routed the French. So 162 years later, this is a day of remembrance and celebration, especially in the Puebla region, but it's not a Mexican holiday. Cinco is a much bigger day in the U.S. where it's become kind of a catch-all celebration of all things Mexican culture.Many Americans will celebrate Cinco de Mayo, hopefully, hopefully with some quality tequila.
Learn more3 Tequilas for College Graduation Gifts
Aanya, who is usually our camera person is graduating from Indiana University. What do you do, Maddie? - You drink tequila.- We picked out three bottles that we would suggest that you get to any... Again, college graduate. This is not a high school graduation appropriate. Yep. You don't want to go with Clase Azul or 1942. You want to go with something a little bit additive free and fantastic. Tequilas from Cierto, delicious, delightful. Looks classy, right?- Looks very classy.-Just like you. So, happy graduation. What else we got?- So next up, we love Tequila Ocho. They're one of the only brands that actually puts the year on the label on the bottle. So that's a great idea. This is 2023, but their 2024 labels are coming out any day now, so go grab one for a graduate.- One of our favorite tequilas we've ever had on the show: Tears of Llorona. We're not going to give you a half-drank bottle because that's not very classy. It's aged in like sherry barrels and stuff, so this tastes like adulting. Three picks for tequila for graduates. Congratulations, Aanya! Whoo!
Learn moreSantaleza Reposado Tequila Review
Santaleza Reposado - Should you put it in your mouth?- It's got good production. I mean, made it NOM 1604 in the Highlands, stone oven.- Okay.- Tahona.- $68. Yep.- I mean, you know...- Yeah, for a reposado...- Yeah, made this way.- Yeah! They claim to be additive-free.- Nice.- Well, it smells sweet.- Yeah, but not gross sweet. Not super vanilla sugar cookie. I get a lot of tropical notes on this.- It's nice.- It smells great.- Yeah, it really does. Lovely! It is not as distinctive. The nose is really noticeable and distinctive. The flavor is nice, but I'm not like, oh, I'll always remember that one and it does have a little... it's a little hot for me.- It is a little bit hot. Yeah, I agree with that, especially for how sweet it smelled. I wasn't quite expecting that. I am going to give it an 8.- Nice! I'd probably go 7.5, something like that. Just for fairness, I'll make this one a 7. 7 and 8. Santaleza Reposado, look for it!
Learn more3 Interesting New Tequilas
Here are three tequilas I discovered this month that I think you should know about. This is the first edition of the Suerte high-proof blanco. Very nice, fresh, clean, decent price, as well, for high-proof. Second batch is on the way. Look for it! Cabal released this single barrel high-proof añejo at 55% ABV a few months ago with the Nashville Bourbon Social Club. I got a buddy down there, The_Tequila_Cop, who got me one. It is outstanding, a horse that needs to be ridden. And a new additive-free brand, Dos Angeles Caidos, made at NOM 1522 with the excellent Jaime Villalobos Sauza as master distiller. This is a Rosa, aged in Tempranillo barrels, very tasty, long, dry finish. What did you discover this month? Share it in the comments, please.
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