Tequila
Tequila is one of the fastest-growing spirits in the U.S., with America consuming even more than they do in its homeland of Mexico. The biggest growth is in the premium and super-premium categories, as drinkers discover the pleasure of sipping rather than slamming good tequila. Tequila is in fact a type of mezcal, but one that has a specific “domain of origin” status and which must be made from a single species of agave, the blue agave. Tequila must be made in certain designated areas in Mexico, the biggest being the state of Jalisco, where the town of Tequila is located. Rack “tequila” must contain at least 51% blue agave sugars, and the remainder can be just about anything, including corn syrup. However, quality tequila will state on the bottle that it is made from 100% blue agave. Anything less than this (think Cuervo Gold) is called a mixto. Within Mexico, tequila can be bottled at anything from 62 to 110 proof, but within the U.S. it must be at least 80 proof. Blanco (silver or white) tequila is sold unaged, reposado tequila must be aged at least two months in white oak barrels, and añejo (aged) tequila are aged for twelve months minimum. Finally, extra añejo must be aged for at least three years. A new variety of tequila, generally called cristalino, is aged tequila that has been filtered to remove color, giving it the appearance of a blanco but the flavor of an añejo.
Top Tequila Posts:
Understanding the Different Styles of Tequila
A Visit to Casa Herradura
A Visit to the Don Julio Tequila Distillery
“Prestige” tequilas — you know the ones in impossibly tall bottle and with impossibly high prices — are a rapidly growing category, and with El Alto, Patron makes its long-awaited first entry into the category. It’s instantly unusual for being a reposado — albeit one aged in 11 types of barrels, “mostly hybrid barrels of American…
Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia has long been a top-shelf extra anejo, released every year with a unique wooden box encasing it. I somehow missed the news that Cuervo expanded the Reserva de la Familia line in 2020, adding top-shelf blanco and reposado expressions to the mix. Like the extra anejo, these are annual…
Cenote tequila is a bit of a mystery. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “cenote” is a “deep sinkhole in limestone with a pool at the bottom that is found especially in Yucatán.” The Cenote brand, according to their website, uses the name to invoke “the beauty of the Yucatán Peninsula and the spectacular underground…
Sotol — made from various species of the Dasylirion plant instead of agave — is on the rise in the U.S. — as well as in Mexico, where it originated in the state of Chihuahua. Nocheluna is the OG version of the stuff, hailing from Chihuahua and made by fourth generation Maestro Vinatero Don Eduardo…
We recently tried Espanita’s core lineup of tequilas, which are made with 100% blue agave from the Jalisco Highlands. Today we are trying their limited release Reposado Double Barrel, which was rested in American oak before being finished in a second set of fresh, first-fill ex-bourbon barrels for up to four extra months. Let’s give…
Monita is a new tequila launched by Black entrepreneur Serita Braxton, and it promises a “unique, smooth taste” and a “flavor-filled profile.” It’s 100% agave, but there’s not much additional information available about agave sourcing or pina ages. While the three traditional expressions are available, we received only the blanco for review. Let’s give it…
Corazon’s always exciting Expresiones del Corazón Collection — featuing tequilas aged in barrels previously containing various high-end Buffalo Trace products — arrive just about every year, right at the tail end. For 2022, two bottlings were released: one aged in barrels used to age Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon and one containing Thomas H. Handy Sazerac…
Desolas Mezcal is made from 100% Salmiana agave, sometimes called the “green giant” for its larger size, and which sometimes needs as much as 25 years to reach its prime. In addition to using a particular agave, Desolas is also distinctive among mezcals for its minimal smokiness, which results from the use of above ground…
It’s been a decade since we’ve visited with Chinaco, a truly unique tequila in a world where every tequila claims to be unique. Produced not in Jalisco but in Tamaulipas, to the east, it hails from a much different region with a different type of soil and climate. The production methods are equally unique, eschewing…
In 2009, we had our first taste of Gran Centenario Leyenda. At the time, we reported that it was the first tequila to carry the illustrious extra anejo designation reserved for tequilas barrel-aged for three years or longer. Apparently, there was some debate about that (with Mr. Cuervo) as Leyenda no longer claims that title.…