Review: Herencia de Plata (Reposado) Tequila

Herencia de Plata Reposado Tequila is a 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila produced by TEQUILAS DEL SEÑOR, S. A. DE C. V.,  a mid-sized, fourth generation family company located in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The company was founded in 1943 and currently produces a number of tequila brands which include, Reserva del Señor, Sombrero, Tekali, Herencia Histórico, and of course Herencia de Plata. The word ‘Herencia’ is apparently related to the english word ‘heritage’, and indeed, the Herencia de Plata has an impressive heritage. The tequila has been served by Mexican President, Vicente Fox to Queen Elizabeth II; it has won awards internationally, and it was originally produced to commemorate wedding of Juan Garcia, the son of the of the company founder, Manuel Garcia.

I originally reviewed the Herencia De Plata Reposado about four years ago, and I decided it was time to revisit this tequila to see how it and my perceptions may have changed.

“…The tequila is rather clean and crisp. The typical flavours one expects in tequila, the somewhat earthy agave flavour, the orange and lime citrus, and the thrust of white pepper are all wonderfully mixed in a crisp, sharp, but very pleasing combination…”

Here is the full review:

Tequila Review: Herencia de Plata (Reposado)

Please enjoy the review and my suggested cocktail, The Lonely Silver Rain!

Cheers!

Review: Jose Cuervo Tradicional (Reposado)

According to the Jose Cuervo website, it all began in 1795 when Jose María Guadalupe de Cuervo was began to commercially produce his Mexcal wine spirit based upon an official permit from the King of Spain. By 1812, he had established La Rojena, the distillery which to this day still produces Jose Cuervo Tequila. By 1844, Jose Cuervo Tequila was being distributed within Mexico, and in 1873 the earliest known documented export of the Tequila outside of Mexico occurred when 3 bottles of Jose Cuervo were transported across the United States border by donkey. Those exports have continued (although no longer by donkey), and now the Jose Cuervo brand is the best-selling tequila brand in the entire world.

All Jose Cuervo branded Tequila is made in the central Mexican town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco. The Jose Cuervo Tradicional is produced from 100% blue agave, and aged (or rested) in oak barrels (for less than one year).

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

“… The delivery is quite soft in the mouth as the spirit seems to have a bit of an ‘oily’ consistency. The herbaceous agave flavour is somewhat muted (I am reminded of baked squash, and grilled pineapple with a light dusting of white pepper). Hints of light oak, vanilla, and honey accompany that mild, fruity agave flavour across the palate. Although the agave is mild across the palate …”

The review includes a nice ‘shot-style recipe I call Cinnamon Skin.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe!

Review: Corzo Reposado Tequila

Corzo Reposado is a 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila produced from Highland agave whose manufacture is a bit of an interesting tale. The process begins with a long (slow) fermentation cycle which apparently takes place while the music of Mozart is playing in the background. The resulting liquid is then double distilled with only a small center cut taken from each distillation, in fact this fine center cut requires the company to use twice as much agave to produce the tequila as would normally be used. The resulting distillate is then rested for 2 to 4 months in American white oak barrels. After the tequila has matured for this first amount of time the tequila is then distilled a third time. After the third distillation the tequila is then matured (or rested) for a second period of time (3 to 6 months) in French oak.

After meeting some of the members of the Alberta Bacardi Marketing team at the recent Edmonton Tequila Fest, I was given a bottle of the Corzo Reposado for the purpose of a review here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass is lightly sweet with hints of dark fruit mingling with the mild punky aroma of agave and a firm scent of white pepper. Rising into the breezes above the glass are additional impressions of honey and vanilla, almond and coconut, hints of lemon zest lemon, and grilled pineapple… “

You may read the full review here

Enjoy this review, and if you happen to have a little music by Mozart handy, perhaps playing it in the background will enhance the experience.

Cheers!

Review: Don Julio Reposado Tequila

Don Julio is a 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila made from agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. As a highland tequila,we can expect the Don Julio to exhibit strong fruity citrus notes and to have a little hot pepper in the finish. The company was established by Don Julio González, who apparently began to examine the prospect of making his own Tequila in 1942. He established his distillery called, La Primavera, and spent nearly forty years refining his Tequila into the spirit which now bears his name.

The Don Julio Reposado is aged in American white-oak barrels for eight months. The spirit is currently owned by the Diageo Conglomerate, and I was provided with a 375 ml sample for this review by their Northern Alberta Marketing Agent.

Here is an excerpt from my Review:

“… The initial aroma rising into the breezes above the glass is that typical herbaceous agave aroma which is lightly peppery or spicy, somewhat earthy and somewhat fruity. I am reminded of baked squash, white pepper, and spicy citrus zest (reminiscent of grapefruit)… “

You may read the full review here which also includes the recipe for one of my favourite tequila Cocktails, Metro Mexico:

Please enjoy the review and of course my great cocktail recipe.

Cheers!

The Year in Tequila

All things considered, I had a pretty good year with respect to the spirit called Tequila in 2012. I was able to help in a small way with Edmonton’s first Tequila festival earlier this month, and I was able to double the number of reviews here on my website. Although Tequila has a small following in my local market (relative to rum and whisky), that small group of tequila aficionados is very passionate about their favourite spirit; and, I believe that group of Tequila lovers is steadily growing!

In an effort to recognize the growing importance of this spirit in not only my locale, but also as a global spirit; I have decided this year to give Tequila its own awards page on my website this year (last year I grouped the Gin, Tequila and Vodka Awards together all on the same page).

It is time to reveal my Tequila awards by looking at the Rum Howler’s Year in Tequila.

Here is a Link to the Awards Page:

The 2012 Rum Howler Awards – The Year in Tequila

Congratulations to all the Award Winners!

Review: Reposado Tequila

Patron Tequila is a pure 100% Blue Weber Agave Tequila made from agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. This Agave is 6 to 7 years old when harvested, and the heart of the plant or the piña is all that is used. These piñas are cut and slowly steamed in traditional masonry ovens for 79 hours. The steamed piñas are then shredded and placed into a traditional stone pit, where they are broken into finer pieces with large stone milling wheels called “Tahonas”. The resulting juice is fermented for 72 hours in a wooden fermentation vat, and distilled twice in copper pot stills.

Patrón Reposado Tequila is a blend of unique tequilas which have been aged in oak barrels for an average of six months. I received a sample bottle of the Patron Silver Tequila from Diamond Estates Wine and Spirits, who are the local distributor Patron Spirits.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… When I brought the glass to my nose, light scents of caramel and mildly punky agave were rising from the glass, and he initial aroma is very enticing. As the glass sits some light scents of sandalwood develop and some hints of honey and vanilla. The decanted glass has a nice ‘earthy’ aroma with fruity accents of broiled zucchini and oven baked squash softening the more pungent agave and muting the peppery spice we usually encounter in a highland tequila… “

You may read the full review here:

Review: Patrón Reposado Tequila

As well I have included a wonderful Tequila cocktail which combines Orange and Mango Soda with Patrón Reposado Tequila; I call my recipe, Bright Orange for the Shroud!

Please enjoy the review and my amazing cocktail!

Review: Herradura Reposado Tequila

Thirty miles from Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, in the town of Amatitan, is where the Herradura LDN can be found. Herradura LDN makes a true 100% Weber Blue agave tequila. The agave is cooked in old stone ovens, and distilled on old copper pot stills.

Herradura Reposado tequila has won numerous awards and accolades for the Herradura company. As well, Herradura LDN is credited on more than one website as pioneering the movement towards aging tequila in oak and making Reposado and Anejo Tequila. Reposado means rested, and literally the implication is that this style of tequila ‘rests’ in oak. By law reposado tequila must spend more than two months and less than one year in oak to be considered  “Reposado”.  The Herradura Reposado rests in oak for eleven months.

I first reviewed the Herradura Reposado on my website in January of 2010. Recently I received a new bottle, and this past weekend I put it through the paces of my review system and revised my original review. Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… Once we pour the Herradura Reposado our nose is immediately greeted with an intense, earthy, agave scent. Getting past the intensity of that earthy agave is difficult, but letting the glass rest for a few moments allows us to catch sweeter tones of caramel and to a lesser extent vanilla. The spiciness of red chili peppers and a hint of citrus complete the nose …”

My complete review is available here:

As well I have included a classic Tequila recipe, the Toreador.

Please enjoy the review and the classic cocktail….

Cheers!

Review: Cruz del sol Reposado Tequila

According to the website information, Cruz Tequila contains no chemicals, additives or flavorings. It is produced from pure 100% blue agave grown in the Mexican State of Jalisco. After harvesting this agave, it is steamed in traditional hornos (or brick ovens) for two days. The cooked agave is then allowed to cool after which the juice is extracted and then fermented. The Cruz Del Sol Reposado is double distilled and aged in oak barrels for five months. All of the Cruz Tequila is packaged and bottled using recycled materials. This includes the blown glass bottles and the aluminum caps as well as the aluminum cross on the front label.

This product is being brought into my home market of Alberta by local the Importer PB Beverages who arranged for me to receive a sample bottle to review here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass is lightly sweet with the mild punky aroma of agave combining well with the muted scent of white pepper. There is a mild vanilla which rises into the air above the glass, and a mellow fruity citrus scent which winds through the breezes… “

You may read the full review here:

As well I have constructed a nice new recipe I recommend for this spirit called, The Lonely Silver Rain.

Please enjoy the cocktail and the review.

Cheers!

Revisiting Cabo Wabo Reposado

Cabo Wabo Tequila is made from 100 percent Blue Weber Agave grown in the lowlands of the Mexican State of Jalisco. The distinction between agave grown in the lowlands versus the highlands is important because lowland agave tends to carry more earthy and vegetal flavours into the final distilled Tequila than Agave grown in the highlands. Interestingly, the founder of Cabo Wabo Tequila is rock musician Sammy Hagar, and his Tequila was apparently named after the nightclub he owns in Cabo San Lucas.

The Cabo Wabo Reposado was the first Tequila that I reviewed. Although it is two years later, I went back to this Reposado recently making a few cocktails and polishing off the contents which I had been slowly sipping on over time. (It takes me a while to finish a bottle as new bottles are constantly arriving in my review queue.) I decided to republish my original review with a nice cocktail suggestion added.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“… This is spicy with lots of citrus. The spice is hot, more like pepper than cinnamon.  The citrus notes taste like fresh squeezed lemon and/or lime.  It’s hard to be specific as the punky agave flavour masks other notes to some degree.  I  feel a little oil on my palate.  As everyone knows, tequila bites hard, but in spite of the hot citrus and punky agave, this has a milder bite than other tequila I have tried …”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Cabo Wabo Reposado

Please enjoy the review and my cocktail suggestion, Pale Gray for Guilt!

Review: Alamo Reposado Tequila

Alamo Tequila is a 100 % Agave Tequila from Agaveros y Tequileros Unidos de Los Altos, S.A. de C.V. distillery in Jalsico, Mexico. I received my bottle for review from Ravinder Minhas, of Mcbsw Sales Company Inc. who is the local importer of this spirit in Alberta, where I live. When I tried to research Alamo Tequila and the distillery from which the spirit is produced, I was unable to find out very much information at all. Agaveros y Tequileros Unidos de Los Altos appears to be an independent distillery in Jalisco Mexico who specializes in a small range of small market tequila.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…When I brought the glass to my nose I discovered a lightly sweet, mildly punky agave aroma lifting from the glass. It has a fruity smell but it is not a sharp citrus aroma. Rather it is a more of an earthy aroma resembling the scent of fresh cooked young zucchini. I get a few whispers of vanilla and oak with a very subtle scent of coffee and cream in the breezes as well…”

You may read the dull review here:

As well the review features a brand new cocktail playfully called, A Purple Place for Dying.

Please enjoy the review and my new cocktail!