Tequila Review: Herencia de Plata (Reposado)

The Tequila I am reviewing today is Herencia de Plata Tequila Reposado. A sample bottle was provided to me by Westway L. LTD., who is the importer of this spirit in my home province of Alberta. I met the Operations Manager of Westway at the Edmonton Food and Wine Festival and introduced him to my review blog. Two weeks later I was asked to review their Tequila on my site and I was happy to oblige.

Herencia is apparently related to the english word ‘heritage’. And the Herencia does indeed have an impressive heritage. The tequila has been served by Mexican President, Vicente Fox to Queen Elizabeth II; it has won awards internationally as you will see when you read the review; and it was originally produced to commemorate wedding of Juan Garcia, the son of the of the company founder, Manuel Garcia.

I should note that Herencia de Plata Reposado Tequila is also a true 100 % Agave Spirit.

But that s probably enough talk for now, let me include an excerpt from the review:

“…I never imagined tequila could be so clean and crisp as this spirit is.  The agave flavour,  orange and lime citrus  notes, and the hot pepper burst are all wonderfully mixed in a crisp, sharp, but very pleasing combination.  The agave is aggressive but not in the punky manner I am accustomed to.  This is fresher and sweeter than other tequila I have previously tasted.  A very light oil allows the flavours to dance on the palate providing a delightful marzipan which sits under the spicier pepper and citrus….”

Read the Full Review Here:

Please enjoy the review!

Howling Highlight: Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival

Thursday, November 5 through Saturday, November 7,  I was meeting and greeting the various spirits industry representatives at their various booths in Edmonton at the Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival.   The food was great, and the spirits were even better.   Much information was gleaned and a very many samples were consumed.  Thank heavens for designated drivers!

One of my favourite cognacs, Camus.

The show was not just spirits like whisky and Rum.  Cognac, Port Wine, Tequila, Vodka, Beer and Wine were all there too.

I traveled around handing out my Rum Howler Blog business card to whomever was interested and did a little self promotion as well as investigating.

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I sampled the entire Herencia Tequila range right up to the 11 year old bottle and was blown away by the true agave flavour and the fantastic lemon tequila slushies they were serving.

The eleven year old in particular really sent my taste buds reeling.  I hope these well aged Tequilas become a mainstay in the liquor stores throughout North America.

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Vodka was available in a huge variety of flavours and colours.   I sampled this cherry vodka, which is reputed to be the fastest growing brand in the US at this time.

The Organic Prairie Vodka, was an interesting corn Vodka.  It tasted very nice and the story behind its production and the efforts being made by its distiller to protect the environment and ensure sustainability were impressive.

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Van Gogh had some really interesting flavours, but my favourite was the Carmel Flavoured Vodka.  I found myself wondering “what will they come up with next”?  and then I saw the answer:

Adult Freeze Pops!

Made with Vodka and juice!

HUH!

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I met James Robertson, The International Sales Rep for Tullibardine.  I sampled his brand new four year old whisky, the first to be aged and bottled under the new ownership, and I was very pleased that I did.    We exchanged cards and he agreed to do an interview with me at a later date, as well as give me a free personal tour of his distillery when I finally  go to Scotland.

Awesome!!

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Here is another new and unique product I saw at the show.  Phillips Union whisky.  A hybrid whisky which is made from a blend of Canadian Whisky and American Bourbon.  It is a great whisky for anyone who wants to experience the best of both Canada and the United States.  A mild bourbon flavour laid underneath a rye platform.

The Cherry Whiskey was very nice to sip.

I would write about the rum as well but  I  promised the great guys at Rum Connection that I would do and exclusive story on their website for the Rum.    But what I can do is give you the links:

MY STORY FOR RUM CONNECTION PART  ONE

MY STORY FOR RUM CONNECTION PART  TWO

Tequila Review: Cabo Wabo Reposado

And now for something a little on the wild side.  This is a deviation into new territory for me and quite frankly I may get it completely wrong.  A Tequila review.  My knowledge of Tequila is scant, and my experience drinking tequila is even less promising.  So take a hefty dash of salt (and maybe a little lime) and enjoy this review, but please do not consider me an expert.

Cabo Wabo Tequila is made from 100 percent blue weber agave grown in the lowlands of the Mexican state of Jalisco.  Interestingly enough the founder of Cabo Wabo Tequila is rock musician Sammy Hagar.  The online advertising calls Cabo Wabo…. ‘Rock n Roll in a Bottle’.

An interesting slogan, we’ll see if it is true.  Here is an excerpt from my 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.  Its 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 tequilas I have tried. ……”

You may read the full review here: