I’ll be honest – I had my hesitations. Tinny tequila did not sound appetizing. However, the company’s website assured me that a can was the perfect presentation for this tequila because it was easy to chill, easy to transport and recyclable. It also said that this repo is aged 6 to 8 months in American Oak, and is not only double distilled, but filtered!

Despite these assurances, I felt that my evaluation would be tainted by the can factor so I asked my brother Matt Pruitt, who is a member of the punk rock band The Have Nots, to help me assess it. Perhaps it wouldn’t meet my standards, but what about the standards of a touring, hard drinking, hard partying punk who can’t afford to spend $60 (or $30) on a nice bottle of tequila. At 5 shots for $5, maybe it would suffice.

You can see us tasting it for the first time (and our honest reactions) in this video:

We popped the top and I pour the fizzy beverage into my brandy sifter. The color, of a light golden beer, or “piss” as Matt said, was not exactly pleasing. Also, it was very cloudy due to the fizz.

It had a raw agave, mineral nose. The taste was astringent, alcohol, and not much else since we served it ice cold, as recommended on the side of the can.

The verdict: a definite thumbs down from me, a “well, maybe, if I was really desperate,” from Matt, who will drink just about anything.

So, punks, there you have it. If you ever find yourself touring Mexico and need a cheap, easy, tinny tequila option, La Gavilana may be for you. Or not.

-Scarlet

Tequila Semental, blanco, reposado, and añejo.

A couple weeks ago we went back to the States and discovered that the tequila fairies had sent us the full line of Tequila Semental. They came in attractive bottles that feature a picture window of a fierce bull, suggesting that the tequila might be “fuerte,” with strong or astringent characteristics.

Then we read that the tequila is triple distilled so we scrapped the thought—a third distillation typically smooths the tequila significantly.

Apparently, “Semental” refers to bulls that are considered the strongest and bravest of their kind, and so are used for mating. Or, they are bulls considered so brave and skilled in the bullring that they are spared from death.

Would this tequila prove to live up to its bold name? We sat down with our friend Mark Alberto Holt and did some sampling.

We started with the blanco, which has vegetal aromas, as well as olive, lemon, raw agave and a bit of honey. In the mouth it lightly coats the tongue with similar flavors and has a small tingling finish with some white pepper notes.

The reposado increases in spice, dried fruit and sweetness. Aged just two month in white American Oak with a medium toast, it is gently touched by the wood and carries a light golden hue.

But our favorite of the three was the añejo, which brought caramel, chocolate and honey flavors. In fact, Mark said the strong honey characteristics reminded him of Casa Noble reposado.

Tequila Semental's full line - from above.

The añejo is aged just over a year in hybrid French and American oak, but is deep in amber color. This made us think they might have added a little additive color and flavor to the mix, but we can’t be sure.

Semental is made in the same Amatitan distillery as El Ultimo Agave, Tazon and La Piñata, among others. Priced at $39 for the blanco, $48 for the repo and $59 for the añejo, this has to be some of the distillery’s top-line product.

However, we jut didn’t think it could hold up to these price points. For $60 you could buy a damn good, distinctive añejo, and while the Semental was pleasant and easy to drink, it lacks unique character.

After all, it has to be a really, really special bull if it manages to win the adulation of the crowd and be spared from the sharp sword of the matador.

-Taste Tequila

Camarena Reposado tequila - retail price only $15.99.

When we heard that winemaking behemoth E. & J. Gallo was getting into the tequila business, our interest was piqued. How would Gallo — best known for its omnipresent, lower-priced tipples approach the over-crowded tequila market? Well, they started on the right foot when they aligned themselves with the Camarena family, which has been making tequila in the highlands of Jalisco for six generations. This gave their brand clout, and they took it one step further by naming their tequila Familia Camarena.

Then they came up with the brilliant idea of sending a Camarena taco truck around to various cities, offering free tacos infused with their tequila. They knew they couldn’t give out free liquor samples, but they could give away liquored up Mexican fare.

Grover and I were in Mexico when the taco truck was launched, so unfortunately we missed it. But, we did drive by two very prominent Camarena billboards on Interstate 80 while driving to and from Lake Tahoe the other weekend.

Grover expressed concern when he saw that the billboards spelled out 100% (as in 100% agave) using a shot of Camarena as a “1” and a salt shaker top and lime as the “0”s.

“Uh-oh, they are advertising this tequila as something you should pound? That’s not a good sign.” he said.

Soon, a BevMo (Beverages & More – Gallo does have a great distribution network) appeared on the horizon and we swerved off the highway to pick up a bottle.

Within minutes we stood in the tequila aisle of BevMo, gaping at the price of the Familia Camarena blanco and reposado – $15.99 for each!

“Wow! They are really aiming to dominate the low end!’ I said. In my mind, I had imagined they’d shoot for the competitive $20-$30 range. After all, their tequila is made in the Highlands (known for sweeter agave and better soil) and has the Camarena name behind it.

We grabbed a bottle of the reposado and took it home to try. It’s a nice, simple bottle and the repo is a light honey color. It’s aged just 60 days in American oak.

The reposado has a pleasing nose of raw apple, butter and vanilla, and does not have the telltale alcohol fumes of some lower-priced tequilas we’ve tried. The taste was an intensification of the nose – slightly sweet, but with a definite burn that ended up in strange places, such as between my upper palate and throat.

Bottom line – it wasn’t something I would sip on, but it wasn’t nearly as unbalanced and astringent as many bargain tequilas. Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to make a mixed drink with it, but I imagine that it would be suitable for a margarita or paloma. If you’ve used it as a mixer, let us know how it went. Otherwise, the salt and lime they advertise may be necessary.

-Taste Tequila

Sounds pretty nerve racking, right? Well, this is exactly the situation tequila expert Miguel Cedeño faced earlier this year when he hosted U.S. President Barack Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderón and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a tequila tasting and primer.

However, Cedeño, being a well-recognized tequila expert, author, teacher, master distiller and scientist, managed to pull it off with apparent ease.

We sat down with Cedeño recently to talk to him about the experience and how he answered President Obama’s questions: “What’s your favorite tequila?”

He filled us in on the protocol of hobnobbing with presidents, which tequila President Calderón prefers, and where he sees the industry heading.

See our exclusive video here:

And guess what – you also have the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Cedeño in person at the upcoming World International Tequila Conference, held in Guadalajara, April 4-7, 2011. He will be speaking on production techniques and tequila trends, so don’t miss it!

For more information, go to TequilaConference.com

-Taste Tequila

The other day we visited David Yan, Marketing Director for Casa Noble tequila in Mexico, at his house in Guadalajara. Part of David’s job is to bring guests to the Casa Noble distillery, conduct tastings and delve into the fine points of how to really taste and enjoy tequila. When it comes to tequila tastings, David really knows his stuff.

During our visit, David showed us how to warm up our mouths for tastings. Yes! You need to warm up so don’t sprain anything. Okay, it’s actually to activate your taste sensors. (See the video on how to warm up your mouth.)

Once we were done with the warm up, he tapped into his collection of treasure bottles and let us sample a 11-12 year old Casa Noble Crystal, second release. This is Casa Noble blanco from another era entirely, and given how much I enjoy their current blanco I couldn’t wait to try it.

See the video of our first taste here:

The beautiful, iridescent bottle of Crystal did not disappoint. Upon smell, it had fresh agave, herbal and citrus aromas and not a lot of alcohol. Once we dove in, the taste was a bit sweeter than I expected, but balanced and completely pleasant, with a slight tingle at the back.

During our tasting, David pointed out what to look for as you smell the aromas of a tequila, and where you can find certain aromas in the glass. For example, when you smell with your nose at the bottom of the glass, you usually find agave and alcohol aromas. In the middle of the glass is where you’ll get more herbals and citrus. At the top of the glass you’ll be able to detect secondary aromas produced during the distillation process, such as florals and chemicals.

Of course, you don’t need a treasure bottle to start practicing your tasting skills, so grab a bottle of tequila, warm up your mouth and conduct a formal at-home tequila tasting. You might discover something entirely new!

-Scarlet