About a month ago, liquor stores in Guadalajara started prominently displaying a new innovation in tequila presentations – tequila in a can! Actually, a half can, like the new mini Cokes. Of course, we’ve already seen mixed drinks such as palomas in a (full-sized) can, but we’ve never seen straight 100% agave tequila artfully siphoned into an aluminum receptacle with a pop top for our drinking enjoyment. But this is just what the brand La Gavilana did, offering up its canned reposado for about $5 bucks. Needless to say, we had to give it a try.

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

Tequileño Gran Reserva - our personal favorite - is a reposado aged 11 1/2 months - that's 2 weeks shy of becoming an añejo, and is one of the reasons that it's a super smooth reposado.

Tequila lovers in the U.S. should think about clearing some space on their bars this month because El Tequileño is bringing their excellent — and affordable — 100% agave line to the United States.

The brand has been a staple in the Mexican market for over 50 years, but they just recently created a line aimed for export: Platino blanco, Gran Reserva reposado and Especial 50 Aniversario añejo.

El Tequileño Platino is a well-rounded sipper with herbal and floral notes and a medium mouth-coating body sure to please many blanco lovers. (In fact, it was unanimously admired in a blind tasting in my recent tequila tasting course.)

The Gran Reserva reposado (my personal favorite) is a force to be reckoned with. Aged 11 and a half months, it is nearly an añejo and carries all the rich caramel and vanilla flavors you’d expect from a well aged tequila while still retaining the agave. Both the Platino and the Gran Reserva are viscous and linger pleasantly in the mouth. And, at $25 for the blanco and $30 for the repo, you can’t beat the price.

It’s been a while since I’ve tried the Especial 50 Aniversario, but I remember it as a smoothed out version of the Gran Reserva with a deep barrel color. It’s also a pleaser and went rather quickly at several tequila events we held. It’s priced at $40 a bottle.

We always have the Platino and Gran Reserva stocked on our bar in Mexico because they are great everyday tequilas that you don’t have to save for special occasions.

El Tequileño is also an interesting brand in that they put a lot of environmentally friendly efforts into the making of their tequila. The manufacturing process creates a large amount of waste water and they’ve come up with a way to deal with it. By taking the dry agave fibers from the process, they pump all of their wastewater into the fibers, and treat the mixture as compost. As the sun evaporates the water, the rest of the material stays with the fibers and creates excellent fertilizer. They then use those nutrient-rich pellets in their agave fields – and no production waste water is ever released into the agave landscape.

Grover recently visited their distillery, camera in-hand, and gives the lowdown on their process in our video review, filmed at the Qunita Don Jose Boutique Hotel in Tlaquepaque, Mexico:

So, if you’re looking for a tasty and affordable everyday tequila, give Tequileño a try and let us know what you think. Here’s a list of the states where the line while be available: CA, TX, NV, CO, TN, IL, GA, NC, SC, FL, MD, ID, IA, MI, WI, AL, MO, PA, and HI.

-Scarlet

The other day our good friend Mark Alberto Holt, creator of the SFT Tequila Bar in Sayulita, Mexico, stopped by with a very special gift. He had managed to obtain a rare and much-coveted bottle of El Tesoro de Don Felipe 70th Anniversario extra añejo. This baby is aged 7 years in American white oak bourbon barrels and only 2007 cases were made. The Camarena family released it in 2007 to celebrate 70 years of tequila making.

After hearing Mark talk about the special properties of this tequila—including the fact that it contains juice from especially sweet agave that survived a freeze—we just had to try it.

This tequila has a pleasant nose of sweet agave, vanilla and cherry with a distinct note of molasses. Once it hits the mouth it is soft and smooth with hints of cherry, and honey. The agave “bite” at the back is extremely subtle, making this a great choice for drinkers who prefer rich, subtle flavors over more traditional tequila qualities.

In short, this is a must have extra añejo, if you can find it. Thanks, Mark!

-Scarlet

For two full months I had been mentally preparing myself for Mark’s visit to our new apartment in Tlaquepaque. Mark Alberto Holt is the mastermind behind the SFT Tequila Bar in Sayulita, Mexico. He’s a great friend, and Scarlet and I were really excited to have him at our house for a few days.

In a previous entry, Mark and Gabbi Villarrubia mentioned that Don Fernando’s TKO tequila is the best tequila to drink when you’re hang out with your buddies, so I made sure we had a bottle in the house in plenty of time for his arrival.

It was a good call.

Don Fernando TKO Silver is a special edition double-distilled 100-proof, 100% agave tequila that comes in a red bottle shaped like a boxing glove. The 50% alcohol volume makes it a strong contender as a fun party guest. It’s a really nice tequila to drink because it’s got a slightly pleasant, spicy sensation to it, yet it feels smooth at the same time. Even though it’s got some really high alcohol content, it’s still easy to drink.

I thing the TKO is the perfect tequila to break out when you’re ready to have a fun night. The TKO gets things off to a great start – filling you with energy and enthusiasm, anxious to celebrate life’s adventures. In this respect, the TKO did not disappoint, and the night was a fun adventurous way to welcome Mark into town.

This tequila is made for men. It is certainly strong stuff, and if you’re not careful, you could end up getting drunk really fast. Scarlet decided to leave the TKO for us, while she happily sipped on Tequileño Reposado.

Mark and I ended up killed 3/4 of the bottle that night, thinking that we were just going to hang out in the apartment all night – talking and catching up. But plans changed when we got a text message from our friend Clayton:

“At the Quinta Don Jose with Guillermo Sauza”

WHAT! The maker of one of our favorite tequilas in the world is hanging out inside of one of our favorite hotels in the world?!

We dropped everything and ran over to the hotel, and there was a nice happy crowd sitting in the back courtyard of the hotel – right where Scarlet and I were married. This is like sentimental ground zero for us. There were bottles of Los Abuelos (It’s available under the “Fortaleza” brand in the USA) all over the table, and people were busy chatting and drinking.

Guillermo Sauza is a modern day tequila rock star with huge family roots in the tequila world. He does his own thing, his own way, and – like the tequila he produces – is 100% unique and authentic. There’s nobody like Guillermo, and there’s no tequila like Fortaleza.

Hanging out with him is always a pleasure, and hours can slip by without notice as you listen to his stories. He is a fifth-generation descendant of the Sauza family – a family that has done really great things for the tequila industry.

It was a very fun night, and a fantastic way to welcome Mark into town. We barely slept at all.

The next day, as we were exhausted laying on the couch talking about the night, we decided to flip on the video camera and record our conversation. It was most definitely a great evening, and it all started with good friends and a bottle of TKO.

- Grover

There’s something about Siete Leguas blanco that serious tequila drinkers really love. It has a pleasant nose of agave and earth aromas and the taste is strong and traditional, yet smooth. Many think it is what a blanco should be — it carries a true agave flavor, with a medium spicy finish at the back that is memorable.

So imagine our surprise when we visited the Corrido distillery last week and some people in our group started comparing Corrido blanco with Siete Leguas blanco. Corrido has its differences, for sure. The nose is a little more pungent and fruitier, but it too is packed with agave flavor. The Corrido coats your mouth in a more viscous way than Siete Leguas and is smoother overall.

There was an obvious moral dilemma going on with a few of members of our group — they absolutely loved Siete Leguas blanco but now they were thinking that they may have found something better. However, at the distillery it was hard to say because we only had the Corrido and our fuzzy memories of Siete Leguas. So, we decided that we would compare them at home head-to-head.

We asked fellow Corrido tour members Ryan Kelley, The Tequila Examiner, and Clayton Szczech of Experience Tequila, to sit down with a glass of each of the blancos and tell us which they liked best.

See them, sitting on our porch, tasting the two blancos in this video:

As they repeatedly smelled and tasted each blanco we could tell it was a tough challenge. But when they came to their final decisions, a new standard in blancos was made. The winner: newcomer Corrido blanco!

The love of long-time favorite Siete Leguas was still present, as they qualified their choices – saying both were  exceptional blancos and could actually be enjoyed together.

“It’s a meal,” Ryan said. “Start off with Siete Leguas and finish it up with the punch of the Corrido.”

So although Siete Leguas still has a warm place in our hearts, it just goes to show that with a variety of tequila is that exist today it’s possible to find a new favorite, even if you’re not looking for one.

(See our review of Corrido’s full line.)

-Taste Tequila

It’s unusual for us to visit a distillery that makes a brand of tequila we’ve never heard of before, that turns out to be a real must-have. But that’s exactly what happened last week when we visited the PRASA distillery, which makes both Sol de Mexico (which we already reviewed) and a new line called Corrido.

Corrido (which takes it name from the narrative ballads typical in Mexico) is a bright and crisp line of tequila with solid agave taste and spice that tails off at the back, in true traditional style. But it is also packed with subtle and well-balanced flavors.

The blanco tastes of slightly sweet agave, citrus and a hint of grass. It has been medium nose of earth and agave flavors that preps the mouth for a similar taste.

The reposado, aged a little over eight months, has a delicious, floral and fruity bouquet with a hint of butter. Just the smell of it is enough to make you fall for this tequila.

The añejo, which spent 18 months in a barrel, resembles the reposado but with intensified flavors of vanilla and caramel. They also make an extra añejo, which we did not get a chance to try, but can only imagine is a real pleasure.

(All aging times are approximate since workers at the plant try the tequila over and over again to determine when it tastes just right. “The tequila tells us when it is ready,” said Operations Director Cesar Gonzalez.)

The PRASA distillery is located in the highlands of Jalisco, where the soil is fertile and red and the temperature is slightly cooler than is in the lowlands. This is also where the company grows the agave it uses in its tequila. This may account for the brightness of Corrido’s agave flavor.

With Corrido, the company uses a single barrel process, meaning that the tequila rests in one barrel at a time and there is no mixing of barrels. Corrido reposado and añejo are first rested in old bourbon barrels and then are switched to old whiskey barrels, giving them a rich flavor base.

As good as the aged tequilas are, some in our group immediately fell in love with the blanco, noting that it shares some characteristics with Siete Leguas blanco, another crisp and traditional tequila favorite. (This is the inspiration for our next video – “A Tale of Two Blancos,” where Corrido and Siete Leguas go head-to-head. )

Corrido is just starting out but we think it carries a catchy tune. If you live in California or Arizona, look for it on the shelves — replete with a guitar pick tied at the neck of the bottle.

Corrido is a must-have for any tequila bar. It’s that good.

-Scarlet y Grover

Something about the Sol de Mexico bottles gripped our imaginations and we couldn’t wait to try the golden spirits inside. The bottles have an artisan feel that made us think that the tequila was produced using a traditional process that rendered a classic product.

When we finally got a chance to sample their contents we discovered that we weren’t far off. That’s probably because this line of tequila has been produced in Mexico for decades and has just recently come to the States.

The blanco tastes of slight vanilla, cucumber and spice with a flair of a finish that is common in traditional tequilas. The repo was an intensification of the blanco but with butterscotch flavor added to the front. The añejo takes it one step further with more caramel and a long peppery finished.

The most remarkable thing about this line is that the flavors connect and build as the tequila is aged to create a distinctive family.

Each tequila is full of flavor that stays with you long after you’ve swallowed. It would be interesting to see how they pair with food—the añejo with dessert and the repo with something savory.

As far as we know, Sol de Mexico is only available in Arizona and California (at BevMo and select other locations) at this time, but if you see it on the shelves give it a try. It makes for an interesting sip and will certainly give you and your friends something to talk about.

-Taste Tequila

Maybe you’ve been there—you’re out on the town with friends or you’re hosting a party and everyone looks to you to pick the tequila because you’re the “tequila expert.”

The problem is that you don’t know what everyone will like. They may or may not like what you like, or they may not have any experience with tequila at all so what you pick better be good or else it could turn them off on the spirit altogether.

Have no fear—we have a solution for you! Here’s our list of tried and tested tequila crowd pleasers. All of the tequilas mentioned in this video have a special place in our hearts and have won over even the most stubborn cosmo drinkers with their agave charms.

Drum roll, please … Our list of crowd pleasers includes the full line of tequilas from Dos Lunas, the full line from Partida, Cielo (again, blanco, repo and añejo) and Don Julio 1942. We honestly feel that you can’t go wrong with these choices.

You may have to ask a few questions to determine which type of tequila your friends will like best. For instance, do they prefer strong spirits or something smoother and mellower? If they enjoy a drink to pack a bit of a punch, a blanco might be a great choice, but if they like cognac and whiskeys, go with the añejos. For the best of both worlds, choose one of the reposados.

For something really special, go with the Don Julio 1942 extra añejo.

So go out there and order with confidence! These picks will assure your place as the “tequila expert.”

-Taste Tequila

It’s always nice to have an Extra Añejo around the house, for special occasions or to give to friends who don’t know how far tequila has come. As you may know, “extra añejos” are aged over 3 years and usually have a complex, cognac-like flavor.

We have been collecting some really nice extra añejos on our bar but we had never tried them back-to-back, so we decided to have an Extra Añejo Smackdown!

The contenders: Herradura’s Seleccion Suprema, Gran Centenarrio’s Leyenda, and Cabo Wabo’s Cabo Uno.

There wasn’t a clear “winner,” but a tie for first between Seleccion Suprema and Leyenda. Both are excellent choices but, according to Grover, depending on your company, you might want to bring out Leyenda as a sure-fire winner “for the ladies,” since it is smooth and refined and can be sipped pleasurably all evening.

We found the Cabo Uno to be very intense and spicy – something that you would drink before going out to a dance club or an active party, which is very in-line with their rock-and-roll image. Grover said that this tequila would be good for “a group of guys who wanted to go out and get into to some trouble.”

Seleccion Suprema, the most expensive of the three with a price tag around $350/bottle in the U.S., was smooth like the Leyenda, and had some hints of spice as well a flavorful back, like the Cabo Uno. We felt that the Seleccion Suprema would be a good tequila for an evenly mixed crowd of males and females looking to celebrate a special occasion, or to serve as a great dessert tequila.

A few days ago we got our hands on the full line of El Gran Jubileo tequilas and we sat down with them over a couple of nights to sip and see what we would discover.

What we found is that overall it is a smooth and consistent line that is pleasant to drink.

The blanco is distilled three times so it’s mellow to drink but still retains a crisp agave flavor with notes of citrus. The reposado was my personal favorite because it is just as smooth as the blanco but carries more spice, thanks the 10 months it spends in American white oak barrels.

Their añejo is actually an extra añejo since it is aged for five years in American white oak barrels with a slightly heavier char than the repo barrels. The añejo is full of caramel and vanilla flavors. It is a complex, cognac-like tequila that would please drinkers who are looking for that distinct, aged flavor.

The line is currently available in Texas and Florida but is coming to San Francisco soon. If you get a chance, pick up a bottle and invite a few friends over for a pleasant evening of conversation and smooth sipping.

-Scarlet

Just in time for Valentines Day we go back to our wise tequila experts from Sayulita, Mexico: Mark Alberto Holt, and Gabbi Villarrubia. We asked them which tequila would be their choice when the goal is to impress a woman. Of course, they have answers to this.

Mark’s choice was the Suave 35, a tequila that is made by Herradura – designed especially for women. It is relatively new, and may not be available in all areas of the United States yet. We actually had the opportunity to try this last year when we were visiting the Herradura distillery.

Scarlet, who herself is a lady, wasn’t impressed. Doh! Oh well.

Gabbi’s suggestion was La Cofradia. He said that his wife “fell in love” with it, and as such, makes is a great tequila for women.

Any woman who enjoys any tequila is A+ in my book.

– Grover

We really love to taste tequila. So when we spot something on a menu or at a bar that we’ve never tried before, we get excited, and can’t wait to give it a try. Sometimes you find a great new tequila that’s destined to become a regular go-to bottle, and sometimes you don’t.

Don Modesto is a new tequila. We learned about it a few months ago through the TasteTequila Facebook page. It was founded in February, 2009 by Carmelo J. Ayala IV, and it will be available for sale in New Jersey this April. In May, people in Illinois will be able to find it in retail stores. Florida and New York are currently scheduled for June/July.

Their full line of tequila (blanco, reposado, and añejo) came in the mail the other day, and we didn’t waste any time. Within a few days we cracked open the bottles, which are hand-blown in Tonala, Mexico, and gave it a taste.

We actually enjoyed the whole line, but of them all, we thought the blanco was the best.

The blanco smells really delicious, with a very pleasant agave scent with a bit of fruit. There was a little bit of bite in the back, but not too much.

The reposado is aged 7 months, and has a vanilla nose. We felt it was smooth, yet contained a bit of spice – nicely done. It’s not over-aged, and contains all of the properties of a well balanced reposado with the agave flavor still present.

The añejo, aged 14 months, has more caramel added to the nose, and it retains all of the spice that the reposado has. The reposado and the añejo both have their own individual personalities, yet you can really taste that they came from the same family.

The only negative we found was that it’s not yet available in California. Hurry up guys!

-Taste Tequila

The cool folks at PaQuí actually sent us a bottle of their Silvera tequila in the mail, so we happily gave it a try. Our first impression: great bottle! Up until this point, we had never heard of this tequila – but since we love to try new things, especially tequila, we gave it a go.

The taste is spicy and fruity, but consistent and smooth, and overall very pleasant. It is made in small batches in the town of Tequila and there is also a reposado and an añejo in this line. I would definitely recommend that people give the Silvera a try. In the video you can see me searching for a good time/place to pull this out, and what popped into my head was “hanging out with the guys.” Scarlet also thought the Silvera would make a mean base for a margarita.

It’s a really flavorful, spicy tequila that retains its agave core, yet brings its own character to the table. We gave it a thumbs-up.

– Grover

We love tequila, but not all tequila. Case in point: Chaya Añejo. Both Scarlet and I found it rather unpleasant, although the bottle has a cool design. Unfortunately, a unique bottle doesn’t correct its unpleasant taste.

(This video of us tasting it should speak for itself.)

Chaya Añejo is said to have “earthy tones,” and I suppose that’s true. We smelled and tasted “cut grass” and “peat moss,” and not any agave at all. Honestly, we don’t want those kinds of tastes in our tequila.

We must assume that there are people in the world that like this stuff for the simple fact that BevMo makes it available on their store shelves. The bottle caught my attention, so I thought I would bring it home to Scarlet as a gift, since neither of us had ever tried it. I would love to hear from people who like this stuff – so leave a comment on this post if you do.

But, as for us, we won’t be buying this again.

– Grover