Pairing fine sipping tequila with fine BL

[oc_in_fw]

I'm guessing that my Sauza Silver and a Pall Mall Red 100 won't cut it, so I'll go back to playing on the DE razor forum. I'm probably safer there.

As long as you know what LSMFT means (either the official version or more risqué one) then you can stick around


To the OP- I have ragged on Tequila in the past but I have never had a quality one. I used to hate bourbon until I had a good one.

 

[gunslinger249]

I wish you had bumped this thread an hour ago. I'm at the end of a bowl of the sweetest tobacco I've smoked in a long time (since I mostly smoke English) and it's really weak. Duly reminded I poured a little Espolon blanco and it's completely overpowering the little bit of smoke I'm getting.

Lol, sorry. I was "grocery shopping."

 

[captaincaveman]

To the OP- I have ragged on Tequila in the past but I have never had a quality one. I used to hate bourbon until I had a good one.

If you're interested, you might want to try entering the world of tequila via a good quality anejo, which is aged in used bourbon barrels for 1 to 3 years. You'll have some familiar flavor in addition to the new flavor.

The difference between a decent tequila and a low-quality mixto like Cuervo Gold is like the difference between an OTC aromatic and an artisanal English. It's not just the quality and nuances, but the actual base flavor. Further, you might have had some mezcal that wasn't tequila, in which case we're talking about the difference between an OTC cigar and an artisanal English pipe blend. Honestly, though, I think one is more likely to enjoy the OTC tobacco than the mixto...that's not to say that nobody enjoys the mixto, but I know I could enjoy some Captain Black or a Phillies much more easily than Cuervo Gold. (Perhaps that's 15 years of tequila experience vs. 6 months of quality tobacco though.)

 

[the_edski]

If you're interested, you might want to try entering the world of tequila via a good quality anejo, which is aged in used bourbon barrels for 1 to 3 years. You'll have some familiar flavor in addition to the new flavor.

The difference between a decent tequila and a low-quality mixto like Cuervo Gold is like the difference between an OTC aromatic and an artisanal English. It's not just the quality and nuances, but the actual base flavor. Further, you might have had some mezcal that wasn't tequila, in which case we're talking about the difference between an OTC cigar and an artisanal English pipe blend. Honestly, though, I think one is more likely to enjoy the OTC tobacco than the mixto...that's not to say that nobody enjoys the mixto, but I know I could enjoy some Captain Black or a Phillies much more easily than Cuervo Gold. (Perhaps that's 15 years of tequila experience vs. 6 months of quality tobacco though.)

Please continue our education...I'm taking notes.

 

[the_edski]

As long as you know what LSMFT means (either the official version or more risqué one) then you can stick around

I had to Google that, thank you Urban Dictionary...the risque one?

 

[oc_in_fw]

I had to Google that, thank you Urban Dictionary...the risque one?

My father had to remind me last month about the risqué one- Luckys weren't real popular in my teen years.

 

[captaincaveman]

Please continue our education...I'm taking notes.

I guess I could write a primer. This will be basic and I'm no expert, but it might help.

Blanco/silver: Un-aged or aged just for a short time. Color is clear.
Reposado: Aged up to a year in retired bourbon barrels. Color is somewhat golden.
Gold: Sometimes means reposado, sometimes (i.e. Cuervo and Sauza bottom-shelf offerings and I think Margaritaville too) means caramel color.
Anejo: As I posted above, aged 1-3 years in retired bourbon barrels. Color is dark golden/brown.

Mixto: A mixture, usually 49% cane/corn sugar spirits and 51% agave. Should not exist. The bottle never says "mixto". Actually I suspect that some kind of premium mixto exists but I've never seen one.
100% de agave: The only tequila anyone should drink. If the bottle doesn't say 100% de agave then it's probably a mixto. That's not to say that all 100% de agave tequilas are good; I've had some that were like paint thinner.

Blanco tequila starts out tasting kind of like a slightly sweet plain clear whiskey, but not sugary, rather a more natural sweetness in the same way virginia tobaccos are sweet rather than the way sugar-cased aromatics are. Aging in bourbon barrels gives it a significant tinge of smoky bourbon flavor and mellows out the alcohol bite. Some tequilas, especially cheap ones, can be very harsh with a strong alcohol bite when not aged; these need to be aged just to go down smooth.

Some cheap tequilas can be decent. Some are like paint thinner. While expense doesn't guarantee yum, top shelf tequilas are probably all decent.

Gran Centennario Azul is a brand of 100% de agave less expensive than Cuervo and demonstrates very effectively my points about decent cheap tequila and aging. GC Azul reposado is decent. It's a bit harsh, but for those like myself who enjoy a strong bite that's not a problem. The good flavor is all there and there's no paint thinnerness. Now, on the other hand, GC Azul silver is not good. Too much bite, too much paint thinnerness, not enough agave/bourbon/oak flavor.

No tequila has a worm. If there's a worm then it's a non-tequila mezcal (and the worm has been added as a marketing gimmick). Mezcal is a superset of tequila; all tequilas are mezcals but not all mezcals are tequilas. In practice, however, "mezcal" means it's not tequila. Tequila is made specifically of the blue weber agave and is from Jalisco. Mezcal can be made from other varieties of agave and can come from other parts of Mexico.

One appreciates fine tequila approximately the same way one appreciates fine whiskey (whether bourbon, Irish, scotch, rye, etc). It's supposed to go in something similar to a champagne flute though I find that any glass is fine. I enjoy it neat, either room temperature or chilled (but not on the rocks). Swirl, sniff, sip, taste, swallow, feel, etc...I'm not good at knowing all the stuff to do. I like to swish it around in my mouth and get all surfaces thoroughly coated, then take a nice deep breath through my mouth and almost choke on the fumes. I do the same with whiskey.

Whatever you do, don't ruin it with salt and a lime; that's what you do to choke down shots of Cuervo so you can get a hangover. If you want something more than neat tequila, put it in a mixed drink like a margarita. Margaritas, especially frozen slushy ones, can work with lower-quality tequila than you'd want to sip neat but are still not good with off-tasting mixtos.

Getting down to the nitty gritty, here's some brands worth trying without breaking the bank -- they taste good, feel good, and are priced very competitively:

Milagro - Delicious in blanco and anejo, I haven't tried the reposado. Price is low, flavor is exactly what it ought to be. Note that they have a few more expensive lines than their basic one that are probably excellent, but great flavor is found in their basic line in the tall skinny bottle.

1800 - made by the same folks as Cuervo, but made right. Price is usually decent. Blanco and reposado are both good, I haven't tried the anejo. Very available. There's also the 1800 Select 100 proof; more bite and more intoxication, flavor's still good (well I was pretty drunk by the time I tried it from an ice luge so my assessment may not have been fully coherent). The bottle includes an interesting stopper that you're supposed to use to measure servings by turning the bottle upside-down before removing the stopper. I don't bother with it.

Lunazul - decent, available, price is as good as it gets before you drop out of premium tequila. I think I only have tried the reposado.

Espolon - decent, available, price is as good as it gets before you drop out of premium tequila. I've tried the blanco and reposado, both good. Gotta love the interesting label.

Any questions?

Should I have posted this over at The Speakeasy and posted a link here instead?

 

[the_edski]

Should I have posted this over at The Speakeasy and posted a link here instead?

Bravo!

I'd say do it the other way around. Highjacking is the name of the game in the BL. Post it in the Speakeasy now and link about how it came from a discussion in the BL, drive more traffic over here.

 

[gunslinger249]

1800 - made by the same folks as Cuervo, but made right. Price is usually decent. Blanco and reposado are both good, I haven't tried the anejo.

I just purchased the añejo yesterday. I've had some añejos that some pretty complex bodies, but the 1800 añejo is pretty straight forward. Notes of wood and Mexican cinnamon (I could be wrong, but that's what it tastes like to me), but still very tequila. Not that straight forward tequila flavor is a bad thing, mind you.
My Ecuador wrapper hypothesis may not work here, as the last añejo I had prior to this had notes of vanilla and honey to it, which is what made me think of a mild cigar. To pair with the 1800, I'm going to try a Cameroon and see how that works.

 

[gunslinger249]

I just purchased the añejo yesterday. I've had some añejos that some pretty complex bodies, but the 1800 añejo is pretty straight forward. Notes of wood and Mexican cinnamon (I could be wrong, but that's what it tastes like to me), but still very tequila. Not that straight forward tequila flavor is a bad thing, mind you.
My Ecuador wrapper hypothesis may not work here, as the last añejo I had prior to this had notes of vanilla and honey to it, which is what made me think of a mild cigar. To pair with the 1800, I'm going to try a Cameroon and see how that works.

After a little over an hour of research, I certify the Rocky Vintage 2003 Cameroon as an adequate pairing to 1800 añejo.

 

[the_edski]

After a little over an hour of research, I certify the Rocky Vintage 2003 Cameroon as an adequate pairing to 1800 añejo.

Love that sort of research!

 

[Timelord]

As long as you know what LSMFT means (either the official version or more risqué one) then you can stick around


To the OP- I have ragged on Tequila in the past but I have never had a quality one. I used to hate bourbon until I had a good one.

Alas, I had to look it up. That was just a bit before my time. Probably a better slogan than "Wherever Particular People Congregate" (Pall Mall)

 

[paintflinger]

One appreciates fine tequila approximately the same way one appreciates fine whiskey (whether bourbon, Irish, scotch, rye, etc). It's supposed to go in something similar to a champagne flute though I find that any glass is fine. I enjoy it neat, either room temperature or chilled (but not on the rocks). Swirl, sniff, sip, taste, swallow, feel, etc...I'm not good at knowing all the stuff to do. I like to swish it around in my mouth and get all surfaces thoroughly coated, then take a nice deep breath through my mouth and almost choke on the fumes. I do the same with whiskey.
Milagro - Delicious in blanco and anejo, I haven't tried the reposado. Price is low, flavor is exactly what it ought to be. Note that they have a few more expensive lines than their basic one that are probably excellent, but great flavor is found in their basic line in the tall skinny bottle.

I own the milagro anejo and it is quite good for 30 something dollars. To your previous point though, enjoy your spirits however you enjoy them, be it on ice or room temp with a splash of water. People get far to caught up in how to "properly" enjoy something and forget that you can enjoy it even more in your own way.

 

[captaincaveman]

I own the milagro anejo and it is quite good for 30 something dollars. To your previous point though, enjoy your spirits however you enjoy them, be it on ice or room temp with a splash of water. People get far to caught up in how to "properly" enjoy something and forget that you can enjoy it even more in your own way.

Good point. My advice was about how I enjoy them and how I imagine that someone needing a primer might enjoy them, it may not even be proper, and it was specifically an attempt to break through the mindset of pounding shots at college parties and getting hangovers. That issue is the biggest problem facing premium tequila enjoyment. Absolutely enjoy however provides you the most joy once you've found out what works for you.

 

[Bluelon]

I like a sip or two from my bottle of Ambroso whenever I partake of a Bolivar. Don't tell SWMBO that I bought that bottle.

 

[gunslinger249]

Love that sort of research!

All in the name of science.