All about Tequila

[Rafa]

Tapatio blanco and overproof are excellent. I'm a big fan of the Calle 23 blanco and repo too; the repo uses a different yeast strain, which gives it a floral aspect to round out the blanco's earthy pepper.

[haresfur]

I like my 1800 reposado. I'd like to get some more of the Kirkland anejo but Costco hasn't had it in a long time.

[Dave the Cook]

You say you can get 1800 silver. I think that's a pass in its usual incarnation -- it's ordinary. But if the 100-proof version is available, that's a different story. It's maybe US$4 more (per 750) here, but well worth it.

[ChrisTaylor]

Ho. When it comes to normal pruchases, our exchange rate works something like this: one Australian dollar gets you eightysomething US cents. When it comes to booze, our exchange rate works something like this: $1USD = $100AUD. Enter the $90 bottle of Rittenhouse. $85 if you score big bargains.

Anyway. I ended up going with the Julio reposado. It's warm and steamy outside and it seems like a good reason to knock together a Margarita.

[annachan]

I like my 1800 reposado. I'd like to get some more of the Kirkland anejo but Costco hasn't had it in a long time.

I have a bottle of that at home - drinking some right now.

Chris: you can now get Clase Azul here. Casa de Vino in Port Melbourne has them. They are planning to ship some of the anejo here. But it will be $$$$....

Edited January 23, 2014 by annachan (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

Probably.

Anyway. The Julio makes a workable Marg. Reckon I might make the next one 3:1 with the 1 representing some Ilegal, tho'.

[Tri2Cook]

The only tequilas on your list, and the only 100% agave silver and reposado, available where I live are the Milagros. So I can't compare them to anything else you can get but, compared to anything else I can get, they're great. I'm happy enough with them that I won't drive the 5 hours to where I can get a wider selection. So basically, listen to the others who know more about it than I do.

[KD1191]

Another vote for Don Julio, particularly the reposado which is smoother than the silver and has more character. However, my fave is also not on your list: El Jimador Añejo. If you can find it, it's well worth the price-tag.

I also enjoy El Jimador, but it is essentially Herradura's second label, so probably not the choice to replace a bottle of Herradurra (assuming the OP is looking for something a bit different).

[Rafa]

Reviving this thread just in time for the 5th.

 

I'm about to restock my tequila (thank you, citywide agave sales), and I'm hoping for suggestions. I'm probably going to get a blanco, but I can be talked up into a reposado.

 

Here's a partial list of blancos I've enjoyed:

 

Calle 23 (though I think I like the repo slightly better)

Ocho "Los Fresnos" plata

Partida

Don Julio

Patron

Tapatio 

 

I haven't tried Siete Leguas, but I hear good things. Edit: I'm also curious about the ArteNOM selections, but I'm about to try some at Astor Wines this afternoon.

 

I've enjoyed the Tapatio overproof, but I'm not sure if I want something that strong as my house tequila (although, it's currently $40/liter, which, tequila being tequila, is practically a steal). I'm open to anyone's favorites. Thanks~

Edited May 4, 2014 by Rafa (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The only tequila I've tried of any kind is Patron, and I like it very much.

[Hassouni]

Overproof tequila exists??

[lesliec]

I really like 123 tequila (uno is blanco, dos is reposado, tres is anejo).

 

If you can find it, Chris, at least the first two have my strong recommendation.  We haven't tried 3 yet; the day is coming, but it's hard to see how it could be better than 2.

[FrogPrincesse]

My vote still goes to 7 Leguas, blanco and reposado.

[Czequershuus]

I have really enjoyed both Milagro and Lunazul in terms of Blancos. 

[lindag]

Looking for a good tasting tequila.  Not too expensive and not too exotic because we don't have 'exotic' in the smallish town where I live.

Since I'm a bit tired of G&Ts and I'm not allowed to have a Salty Dog I've decided it's Margarita time, especially since warm weather is here.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[tanstaafl2]

If I am using a blanco I tend to use Chinaco as I like its peppery character. But I tend towards a reposado in a margarita and especially when making party size batches I turns towards Espolon. Inexpensive and reasonably tasty if not particularly unique.

Espolon just came out with an Anejo as well. Bought a bottle but haven't tried it yet. Anybody else try it?

[sbumgarner]

Milagro and Espolon both make pretty decent blancos for under $30 and are both usually pretty easy to find. El Jimador is another one that's decent in a pinch and is usually available everywhere.

[FrogPrincesse]

I like 7 Leguas. A bit peppery with fresh agave notes. Very nice in a Margarita or a simple sour.

[GarethLangston]

Ocho 8 reposado and Ambar plata are my favourites. Amber is fantastic in a margherita with a cognac based orange liquer.

The bottle for Ambar is great, too. There's an extra shot in the lid, so you have some left after sharing a bottle with friends. Or at least that's what their representative told me,

[tanstaafl2]

Have a friend going to Cabo (who is willing to bring me back a bottle or two) and I was curious if anyone had been recently and knew of any tequila not available in the US worth looking for. I seem to remember reading something about tequila availability in the Cabo area and the best store(s) to check but I can't seem to find it with the search function. Of course I could be "disremembering" and it was from another website that I am thinking of!

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

[damac]

hello guys to make a difference, I bought a different tequila than the one I normally buy, they call this tequila (gold). and is more spicy and strong than regular tequila (you feel the whole agave taste ) , but this tequila suppresses the taste of all the cocktails I make and leaves a very bad taste.

I mixed it with other stuff and none of them gave good results.

When I added sugar syrup to half of the cocktail, the spice and bitterness were gone but this time i can't drink because of the sugar , is there anything I can add to suppress this bitter tequila taste?

[blue_dolphin]

Welcome to eGullet!  For specific recommendations, it might help if you told us the name and brand of the gold tequila you're working with and what cocktails you've tried making with it.   Some gold tequilas aren't 100% agave spirits, get their color from added caramel and aren't that great.  It sounds as if you like the taste of this one on its own but not in the cocktails you've mixed with it and would like other options.  There's a good discussion on Tequila Cocktails here that you might like to check out for ideas.  The El Diablo cocktail is one that's mentioned and that I'd recommend trying if you haven't already.  I've made it with both blanco and reposado tequila and both were good so it might be a promising candidate for your gold tequila.

 

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

We prefer blanco tequilas, sometimes called Silver or Platinum, for its clean agave flavor. Here in México of course there is an abundance of tequila, from blanco to reposado (rested) and añejo. Reposado tequila is "rested" in oak casks left over from bourbon production for at least a month, and añejo ("aged") is left in casks for as long as a year or more. For cocktail purposes I would recommend a blanco or light reposado. Hornitos is a good choice for margaritas--not expensive and readily available. For "sipping" tequila many people like an añejo, but we stick with  blanco. A new form of añejo is aged in glass, which leaves it perfectly clear and white but with the same complex flavor as a traditional añejo. Don Julio 70 is a good one; Herradura makes one but I can't remember the name. Pricey but worth the extra $$. I'm not sure how this process works compared to the traditional method, but it does and we like it.

 

I would not use an añejo in mixed drinks. By the time it goes through the aging process, there are too many flavors to blend well with the other ingredients in my opinion. But YMMV, and if it works for you, go for it.

 

By the way, the higher the alcohol content, over 40%, tequila begins to taste more like mezcal. Tequila is a form of mezcal but produced differently to eliminate the smokiness. In mezcal, the "piñas" (so named because they look like pineapples) are cooked in a reducing fire for several days before being fermented, while in tequila they are roasted in ovens. If you take a tour at a tequila distillery you can eat the roasted piña like candy. Delicious. That's the flavor that comes through in the blancos, which is why we like them.

 

 

[lindag]

I've been making my warm weather margaritas with Lunazul.  A nice blanco that is reasonably priced here.  No complaints.

[weinoo]

This is a really lovely drink, combining reposado with mezcal. Phil Ward created it at Death & Co. before he went on to open his tequila bar, Mayahuel.

 

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/oaxacan-old-fashioned/