Review: Gran Centenario Azul Tequila Reposado
Cinco de Mayo is just two days away, and that means it’s tequila time. Here’s a new one that just launched in April.
Gran Centenario already makes a full line of tequilas, including a reposado, but recently the company expanded with a new brand called Azul. The big draw: At $16 a bottle, it’s about a third the price of Gran Centenario’s standard-label reposado and one of the cheapest non-mixto tequilas on the market (if not the cheapest).
I wish I had Gran Centenario’s standard reposado to compare against, but since I don’t, take my remarks on a standalone basis. Bluntly: Azul (the name is Spanish for “blue,” as in blue agave) is a fine tequila, especially at this remarkable price.
100 percent blue agave, rested for two months, and bottled at 80 proof, it’s incredibly smooth. Agave is strong on the nose and up front in the palate, but it gives way to wood, vanilla, and a lingering sweetness that’s hard not to enjoy. Some vegetal notes make the finish somewhat less than perfect, and Azul is hardly a complex spirit on the whole, but this is a product that exudes both versatility and quality.
Bottom line: This is easily a go-to tequila for any cocktail and it works quite well for sipping straight, too. (I will note, however, that I had some trouble with the built-in bottle pourer, which refused to relinquish any tequila at all until it was fiddled with extensively.)
80 proof.
A- / $16 / proximospirits.com
I’m still wondering how to open the bottle!!!! finally jammed a ice pick thru it.
So any better ideas??
Can’t remember how I got that off. I think it involved a monkey wrench, though.
well after reading other peoples techniques of getting the bottle open, we decided to stick a pen in the hole && pounded it w/ a monkey wrench, until it broke. we will probably die from lead poisoning but @ least were drinking our margaritas now!!!!
&& we forgot milk……=(
Getting to the “pour” of Azul requires getting past the major design flaw at the top of the bottle. We too opted for the Trotsky method…jamming an ice pick in the head of the plastic cap. Once we “tapped it” and got into the actual flow of making our margaritas on the rocks, everyone’s spirits became markedly higher. Azul is very smooth though lacking the complexities of my favorite reposados like Chamucos and Arete. All in all we were pleasantly surprised and you can’t beat the price unless you’re purchasing your tequila off the back of a truck in Nogales, TX.
Correction…Nogales, AZ. My gyroscope is a bit awry after our late night, rooftop margarita party to view the Macy’s July 4th firework display on the Hudson.
p.s. Buy Azul, you can’t go wrong!
You fools. The design of the bottle tip is to airate the tequila as you pour. You must hold it upside down into the glass (like a ketchup bottle),and shake a bit if it doesn’t come out – give a firm tap at its base. It will stream the Tequila.
If you still can’t get it open then buy a $2 bottle of cold duck and enjoy.
lol thanks Alfredo
Just tilt bottle and tap bottom lightly to pour. ancient mexican secret.
I don’t care about the pouring…. I just want to know why this Tequlia is the only one without a hangover. How is that possible? I actually feel good the next day after a bottle of this stuff? WTF?
u just shake the bottle a bit once ur pouring it and it comes right out. also its very yum… got mine in mexico..
Only buy this in Mexico. If you buy it in the US, you will be disappointed. It happened to me. Had this in Mexico, thought it was the best tequila because it was so smooth. Came back to the US, and went to Rayleys, the tequila sucked. It was so strong and not smooth at all.
Alfredo,
what you say about the difference between Azul in Mexico and in US is weird, and i believe that it is more related to your actual ood, your physical state at tthe moment of drinking, if you were tired or not, etc
it is exactly the same tequila produced in Mexico than in the US, no difference for the markets.
mix it with some good ole’ hamemade sweet tea and just hold the bottle straight up and pop the bottem of bottle for a solid pour, dont waste time trying to get thru plastic. good shit in sweet tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mix it with some good ole’ homemade sweet tea and just hold the bottle straight up and pop the bottem of bottle for a solid pour, dont waste time trying to get thru plastic. good shit in sweet tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The difference from a mexicos azul and the one here is very simple the azul overthere is 35% alcohol and here it 40% that’s why is smoother overthere and a tequila from mexico is always better.
Try sucking on that thing. Pour even worse,,,taste however, at least $60.
suck it…like a beautiful breast
Thanks for the instructions on how to open this. I was about to get really pissed.
We were confused about the top and felt like monkeys trying to finish a puzzle to get a reward, in this case Azul. lol. I hopped on this site and found the key to sweet, sweet tequila, but my friend had already taken the special rocket science top off. It’s okay. That’s what corks are for!!!
Trouble pouring, huh? Maybe they switched up the spout or something, I got the large bottle of it, and never had any trouble thank god. Good tequila, it’s one of the cheapest 100%reps you can get, and it’s good stuff. Thinking about buying a bunch of it for the value, although that would take away from sampling other stuff.
thatsh gud shtufff!!!…
It is a vacuum effect. Just shake it a little while pouring or tap the bottle a little and it streams out. It keeps you from wasting it. Once the flow starts it get easier. The first few shots are slow coming out! I am on the border and even here it is a good brand of tequila! Salute!
Wow, do i feel dumb. I was totally stumped. This was our second bottle and I was determined to figure it out. Found the answer here. Literally, just turn it COMPLETELY upside down. PS. In testing it, poured half a shot on the carpet next to the computer. I recommend testing it over a shot glass ;)
Thank you Alfredo! You saved me a lot of trouble.
Oh man… we wished we’d read all of these comments before we pulled an all- American Redneck fixall Nevadan-style! We couldn’t get the top to pop and the seal to seal after we tapped it, so we duct-taped it back to the bottle! Too buzzed to analyze further. Will inform at later date.
I’ll go with the “you fools” comment. I searched out this site trying to figure how to get to the tequila and after reading the comments I was sipping my shot in ten sconds. Gracias!
Lol, have to admit I was considering going ‘monkey-tilt’ on the bottle with a wrench and/or kabob skewer. Luckily I searched the web and found this – a beautiful thing.
The tequila is top-notch 100% agave. Add to that the $18.00 price (even in Virginia where they mark up our spirits) and I was very pleased.
hello blogger, i was reading your posts on Review: Gran Centenario Azul Tequila Reposado » Drinkhacker.com and i actually liked them. one thing that i observed whilst browsing through your blog that some of the links aren’t working and giving error. this makes the reading experience a little bit sour. you’ve got a good blog and i would request you to update the links so that fascinated people can get all the details they want to have. By the way are you on twitter?? i would genuinely like to follow you and get up-dates on your blog.
Clio – Thanks for the note. Vendors sometimes change their websites or go out of business, and when they update their links they never tell us. Comments and emails are always appreciated if you find a bad link on the site. This one should now be fixed. As for Twitter, yes, we are tweeting at @drinkhacker — http://twitter.com/#!/drinkhacker
Great site and comments. Loved this tequila also.
marrrrtyyy
Wow~ i was aleeady feeling so very frhstrated already and after reading the “you fools” comment, i feel even worse! What a way to start the bottle!! Dont know if i should thank for the comment, or not…!! You fools… Wow… U r so smart!!!
$11.90 U.S. at Walmart in Cabo San Lucas today. Good tequila & great price!
i just bought a bottle of this. the design flaw appears to have been fixed–it’s a basic screw top nowadays.
No, Alfredo. Sorry buddy, but I had a bottle of regular Gran Centenario Reposado that I purchased in Cabo San Lucas and nothing was coming out of that bottle after I opened it up. This is not my first bottle of the stuff, but this was the first time fluid would simply not flow. I looked up the problem on Google and saw this site with the suggestions to tap the bottom while holding it upside down. I went back just to make sure and tapped the bottom, but to no avail. I got a kitchen towel and folded it up to make a pad and I wacked the bottom of the thing while it was upside down, still to no avail. I could not find an ice pick so I had to use a nail to get it to flow. It does not flow normally, but it is better than throwing out the bottle. I think it was a manufacturing defect in which the hole was never punched. I am sure I am not the first to have this problem.
Does anyone know where can i find this tequila.
I just got some at Costco in Cancun. $144 pesos/bottle, so about $8 US, for a 0.95l bottle. I grabbed two, and they seem good.
Just bought a 1,75 litro bottle at Sams Club in Vallarta. 310 pesos, much better then the plain Centenario reposado a former landlord drank. No problem with pouring, very smooth, similar to Don Julio at around a third the price. After reading a comment above I would agree only buy in Mexico.
¿Qué pasa con el estúpido top? ¿Cómo se vierte a través del tapón de plástico en la botella? ¡Tengo que romperlo en orden para que se vierta!