Know your own preferences first
Jan 26 '01
The Bottom Line Always go for the 100% blue agave brands.Taste, taste and taste some more before deciding.
Choosing the right tequila for you is a question of knowledge and taste. You simply cannot put these 2 issues apart, as they constitute your most reliable reference for comparison. The following advice refers only to 100% Blue agave brands, since most "Mixtos" are not even worth a shot, due to the abismal difference in quailty and organoleptic features.
Lets begin with the 4 basic types of tequila:
- BLANCO (a.k.a Silver or Crystal). This is tequila in its purest form. If you really want to know is a given brand is worthy of your recognition or not, try the BLANCO version first. This type is the most powerful and raw expression of the Agave spirits: potent, basic flavor structure where sweet agave flavors have to dominate. The best specimens behave nervously in the mouth, packing quite a punch on your tastebuds. The drier the feeling, the better in quality. Triple distilled versions such as Porfidio or Casa Noble are surprisingly smooth and mellow. Look for floral and citrus overtones in the retronasal passages, and the finish should be very long and pleasing.
- JOVEN (a.k.a. GOLD or Abocado). The best specimens on this category do not stay in barrels for more than 1 month. JOVEN tequilas offer a less powerful experience than BLANCOS, and yet they retain most of the agave presence, and add a slightly wooden accent to the finish. Excellent as mixers, JOVEN tequilas constitute the perfect platform to begin exploring the delicious complexity of aged tequila. Good 100% blue agave JOVEN tequilas are hard to find. The worst examples on this category are Cuervo, Sauza and Orendain.
- REPOSADO (Aged). Perhaps the most popular type, reposados have long charmed the tequila fanatics all over the world, due to a balance between the sweet agave notes and authoritative wooden accents from Oak , Elm and Cedar, although the best ones are rested in french white oak, for periods that do not exceed 8 months.
Premium and ultra premium reposados are recogniozeable because of their satiny texture, superb smoothness in the mouth and throat, a deep bouquet where agave, wood, floral ans spiced notes are dominant, along with citrus overtones. The best feature of a good reposado is the LONG finish...slow, deep exhalations after ingestion should bring the elegant agave sensations in the retronasal passages well after 5 minutes of the last sip. Purist believe its sacrilegious to MIX Reposado tequilas. And so do I. The best 3 in the world have to be Casa Noble, Tesoro de Don Felipe and Los Cofrades.
- AŅEJO (Extra Aged): Superior Aņejos are located at the top echelon of distilled spirits of the world. Smooth and creamy, dry and abrasive, sweet and delicious, no other spirit in the worls has the complexity and potential of enjoyment as a fine, super premiun Aņejo tequila. They get along perfectly with Cigar smoking. Aņejos range from resting periods of 1 year to 5 years, altough the more time they spend in the barrel, the more woodden accents they aquire, sometimes losing the superb organoleptic features of agave.
Choose your type according to your preferences and budget. Premium tequilas of any type sell for over $40USD, with some aņejos reaching over $400USD. margarita fans can decide from the first three choices, and straight drinkers have all the oprions open. The best option for mixed drink fanatics is the JOVEN (Gold) type.
My sugestion is: try at least 3 different brands when buying, and remember: always prepare your senses for the sipping process. Moisten your mouth and lips first, take small sips, let it glide trough your mouth and throat, exhale slowly and trough the nose. You cant go wrong on your final decision: your taste decides!
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