Any tequila aficionados out there?

[mikenk]

Over my many years going to Mexico, I have enjoyed many, many margaritas. To Kill time while my wife was flea market negotiating, I started doing tequila tasting in the little shops - first out of curiosity, but then, I started to appreciate there are some excellent sipping tequilas - many of which are almost impossible to find in the USA. I find it great fun to seek them out and generally bring 1 or 2 bottles home and enjoy them over ice.

Are there others out there that enjoy sipping tequilas? Any recommendations as to where to shop and taste - particularly in the Nuevo / Puerto Vallarta area? Any favorite tequilas?

My favorite is Adictivo Anejo or Extra Anejo.

Thanks for any info.
Mike

 

[sts1732]

My wife also seeks out the different tequilas as we travel. She found one in Sedona at a importers, Dos Artes reserve especial 100% agave extra anejo. She claims to be extra smooth, and likens it to her 20 yr. scotch. Comes in a one of a kind hand painted bottle/numbered, and they ship. So you can see my predicament...

 

[pedro47]

We travel to MB,SC to purchase Costco premium tequila.

 

[mikenk]

We travel to MB,SC to purchase Costco premium tequila.

I heard the Kirkland (Costco) Anejo is quite good for the price; I would like to try it; unfortunately, it is not available in Texas - nor can we have spirits shipped to us in the states.

I do like that the little tequila shops in Mexico have a lot of nice tequilas to try before buying.

 

[pedro47]

Milenk, how far are you from a Costco California store that sell liquor?
Maybe, a weekend trip to California, you can purchase some Kirkland Premium Tequila, or Kirkland Premium Vodka and they also have excellent deals on the various brands of Crown Royal, plus, Johnny Walkers red, black blue scotch brands labels.

Also,We will stop up on Costco egg nog brand on our trip to OceanWatch in November.
Their egg nog is the best.

 

[Fredflintstone]

I love tequila! And PV is sure a great place to try many kinds. You just got to watch the tequila shops disguised as timeshare presentation centres.

Extra old tequila for is my best friend. Anything smooth like water as it goes down with no burn is a ok. I like so many brands. There are too many to mention.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[rpennisi]

Hacienda San Sebastian (reposada) just over the bridge toward San Sebastian is one of my favorites.

 

[geist1223]

We like Clase Azul Anejo. It comes in a white and blue porcelain bottle. The Silver comes in a clear hand blown glass bottle. We sip it straight up like a good Whiskey. Very occasionally you can find it at Costco. A few years ago we got a 1.750 bottle in Las Vegas for only $150.00 at Costco.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I heard the Kirkland (Costco) Anejo is quite good for the price; I would like to try it; unfortunately, it is not available in Texas - nor can we have spirits shipped to us in the states.

I do like that the little tequila shops in Mexico have a lot of nice tequilas to try before buying.

If you venture to Louisiana, they sell it at Costco there. Very reasonable and great product.

When I was last in Cancun area, they have a lot of local Tequila at the Duty free and they provides samples. I purchased a Chile Caliente. It is not chile flavored but rather comes in a bottle shaped like a Chile.

My tequila purchase at home is usually Herradura Anejo.

Check out https://www.tequilamatchmaker.com/

 

[dayooper]

I heard the Kirkland (Costco) Anejo is quite good for the price; I would like to try it; unfortunately, it is not available in Texas - nor can we have spirits shipped to us in the states.

I do like that the little tequila shops in Mexico have a lot of nice tequilas to try before buying.

The Costco Anejo Tequila reminds me a lot of Patron Anejo, but a whole lot less money. It’s not the really good stuff you get in Mexico, but for the price, the Kirkland is outstanding.

 

[mikenk]

If you venture to Louisiana, they sell it at Costco there. Very reasonable and great product.

When I was last in Cancun area, they have a lot of local Tequila at the Duty free and they provides samples. I purchased a Chile Caliente. It is not chile flavored but rather comes in a bottle shaped like a Chile.

My tequila purchase at home is usually Herradura Anejo.

Check out https://www.tequilamatchmaker.com/

Thanks for this link - quite informative.

I would like to try the Costco brand - but not really up for travel to get it and doubt it is good enough to justify the travel cost.

So far, my only experience in tasting is the Tequila Pharmacy in Bucerias. While I have been impressed by the quality of what they offer, I really want to branch out to other stores within the region.

 

[pedro47]

Thanks...Sandy VDH, take is a very nice link.

 

[pedro47]

The Costco Anejo Tequila reminds me a lot of Patron Anejo, but a whole lot less money. It’s not the really good stuff you get in Mexico, but for the price, the Kirkland is outstanding.

I agree with your taste buds. The Costco Anejo Tequila is so much cheaper and is still good.

 

[bobpark56]

Recent houseguests brought us a bottle of Don Julio 1942 ($125/bottle, I believe). It's the smoothest sipping tequila I have ever had, and I have had several good ones...though I never ventured into this price range.

For what it's worth, if you did not know so already...when sipping mescal, Mexicans do so with a wedge of orange, not lemon and salt as many do with tequila...at least they did so in our favorite hangout in Merida. I found mescal to be much nicer than I had anticipated.

 

[midnight1]

try Don Julio 70 - less expensive than 1942 (which i have had and is very good - bought my wife a bottle for her birthday and then ended up buying a "case" since was cheaper per bottle that way).....Don Julio 70 is a clear anejo and also very smooth

in san jose del cabo or cabo buy Don Malaquias anejo....don't think you can buy that anywhere else but it is very smooth - he also has a lot of different flavored tequila's that are good

in cozumel i liked Los Tres Tonos anejo

 

[Phydeaux]

Over my many years going to Mexico, I have enjoyed many, many margaritas. To Kill time while my wife was flea market negotiating, I started doing tequila tasting in the little shops - first out of curiosity, but then, I started to appreciate there are some excellent sipping tequilas - many of which are almost impossible to find in the USA. I find it great fun to seek them out and generally bring 1 or 2 bottles home and enjoy them over ice.

Are there others out there that enjoy sipping tequilas? Any recommendations as to where to shop and taste - particularly in the Nuevo / Puerto Vallarta area? Any favorite tequilas?

My favorite is Adictivo Anejo or Extra Anejo.

Thanks for any info.
Mike

I consider myself a former tequila aficionado, since I've for the most part moved on to others. Advice from someone that has an extensive collection and many years of tasting experience, here goes:

Get educated. Learn about this complex spirit. A good site to start would be tequila.net. Taste is a personal thing, thus I'll try hard not to recommend specific brands. Example: somone above mentioned Clase Azul. Personally, to me this tastes like something I'd use to clean brushes with. Classic example of fancy bottle - lousy product inside of it. I tend to stay away from the fancy bottles. I've found some of the best tequila in plain Jane containers.

Here's where the education will help you. Know the differences between a blanco, reposado, anejo & extra anejo. Understand NOM, because herein you will expand your choices, since when you discover the brand you LOVE, chances are the same distillery makes other tequilas that you will also love. Observation: newbies generally always gravitate to the anejos, because "they're soooo smooth". I suggest you do the reverse, and start with fine blancos. Many newbies never move on to the repos or blancos, and thus miss some of the finest tequila money can buy. If you want smooooth, purchase a fine cognac.

To be continued...I gotta run.

 

[Phydeaux]

OK then....

OP, try sipping fine tequila without the ice. Just a friendly suggestion. Take in the true flavors, and then try to describe them. Agave is distinctive, I'm sure you'd agree. That's why I moved on from the anejos many years ago. Yes, they're smooth, but at the cost of robbing this fine spirit of its heart - the agave nuances. You know you're getting proficient when you can name the tequila from your broad collection in a blind test We had a lot of fun with this at our home.

Next, try the fine mezcals out there. Same thing - blanco, repo & anejo. After you've mastered those, raicilla. Save the best for last: SOTOL!

 

[mikenk]

Phydeaux,

Good advice; you are well ahead of me in the world of enjoying and understanding tequila. I have done some googling to understand the basics and nuances of making it and enjoying it - but tasting and finding gems that we like in our Mexico travels is our goal. I have found that I prefer the Anejo and extra anejo and actually prefer the sweeter ones - which most purists seem to turn their noses up at.

I certainly agree that some of the so called high end brands are not very interesting to me taste-wise. For me, the fun is the search while in Mexico to find just the right taste for a reasonable price.

Mike

 

[Phydeaux]

Very well. I'm afraid I can't help with where to sample on the Pacific side of Mexico, but can tell you that is where you'll find raicilla. Given your objectives, the best advice I can offer is stay away from the fancy bottles. There are exceptions, but I've found the rule that they all too commonly contain the worst juice. Second, check out the link I provided you. One stop shopping - you'll learn more about tequila there than anywhere else, and there's a lot of garbage "advice" out there about tequila if you're simply Googling. Fun tip to know: most people believe that the agave is a form of cactus, 'cause it looks like one. Not so. Blue agave weber is actually closer related to the lilly. Salud!

 

[gnorth16]

My take....
Patreon is well marketed, but garbage, same goes for Cabo Wabo. I have only left two bottles of tequila behind, one was Cabo Wabo, then second was a small bottle of Don Julio - which I think went bad or was unsealed when it was bought it at the resort gift shop and never noticed.

I love my tequila, ( having one now and staring at the ocean in Cabo ), but the best ones are the ones you never heard of - the small batch types are rarely exported and have to be bought at either small shops or the distilleries themselves. Anyone to proclaim themselves an expert is only fooling themselves!

People go gaga over extra anejo, yes its aged longer, often in oak barrels, but IMO, its not worth the extra cost unless you can tell the difference. If you are looking for value, look elsewhere!

My common tequila is Herradura Reposado for drinks, which i can't buy at home, so the default is 1812 reposado which is good, not great.

As for specialty/more rare ones:
Maestro Dobel - reposado and anejo (both fantastic - anejo is always a bit more smooth)
La famillia - Extra anejo (yes its owned by Jose Cuervo, but it only comes out with a promotion or when a baby is born - so twice and neither was a promotion!)
Claus Azul - Reposado - could be the really cool bottle or memories of a fantastic trip, but it holds a special place to me.
Revelation Tequila Anejo - Savored the two bottles for 3 years before i ran out. not sure why, but would pick up again (pretty sure it was from duty free)

I would encourage anyone to do a tequila tasting at their resort. Its a chance to try 5 or 6 different ones and see what you like. Try and figure out why you like it. If its in a margarita, you are not getting the real taste - try it on its own.

Cheers!

 

[Phydeaux]

My take....
Patreon is well marketed, but garbage, same goes for Cabo Wabo. I have only left two bottles of tequila behind, one was Cabo Wabo, then second was a small bottle of Don Julio - which I think went bad or was unsealed when it was bought it at the resort gift shop and never noticed.

I love my tequila, ( having one now and staring at the ocean in Cabo ), but the best ones are the ones you never heard of - the small batch types are rarely exported and have to be bought at either small shops or the distilleries themselves. Anyone to proclaim themselves an expert is only fooling themselves!

People go gaga over extra anejo, yes its aged longer, often in oak barrels, but IMO, its not worth the extra cost unless you can tell the difference. If you are looking for value, look elsewhere!

My common tequila is Herradura Reposado for drinks, which i can't buy at home, so the default is 1812 reposado which is good, not great.

As for specialty/more rare ones:
Maestro Dobel - reposado and anejo (both fantastic - anejo is always a bit more smooth)
La famillia - Extra anejo (yes its owned by Jose Cuervo, but it only comes out with a promotion or when a baby is born - so twice and neither was a promotion!)
Claus Azul - Reposado - could be the really cool bottle or memories of a fantastic trip, but it holds a special place to me.
Revelation Tequila Anejo - Savored the two bottles for 3 years before i ran out. not sure why, but would pick up again (pretty sure it was from duty free)

I would encourage anyone to do a tequila tasting at their resort. Its a chance to try 5 or 6 different ones and see what you like. Try and figure out why you like it. If its in a margarita, you are not getting the real taste - try it on its own.

Cheers!

A true connoisseur can distinguish not only the age of the tequila, but also the brand/distillery. Blind taste tests. I've rarely brought back a bottle that was exported, since to me, it makes no sense to fill valuable luggage space with something that can be purchased back at home.

Anyone that likes Patron would be wise to drink the original, Siete Leguas. It is excellent. I prefer the reposado.

As for your choices, Maestro Dobel, NOM 1122 is dressed up Jose Cuervo. Same distillery.

Reserva de la Familia is also NOM 1122. You must like Jose Cuervo!

Clase Azul, distillery Productos Finos de Agave, S.A. de C.V. Nice bottle. Garbage tequila. I'd use it to clean paint brushes. NOM 1416, I suggest you try Avion if you like this stuff.

Revolucion, meh. It's OK, but you can find much better.

These are my opinions only, of course.