The good and the ugly

Comisario Anejo - we didn't like it. (picture taken with an iPhone of the bar mat, which boasted this particular tequila.)
Comisario Anejo - we didn't like it. (picture taken with an iPhone of the bar mat, which boasted this particular tequila.)

It’s a Sunday night, and Grover and I were craving a nice tequila after dinner. We decided to head to a Mexican place in our neighborhood that is virtually impenetrable on a Friday or Saturday night, but just might have two free stools on the Day of Rest. Turns out, it did.

We quickly scanned the bar and found two tequila brands we had never tried before – Comisario and Don Ramón. I’ve seen Comisario popping up on retail shelves lately, but had never tried it. Don Ramón was completely new to me; its beautifully etched bottle is replete with a diamond stopper that calls out “Drink me.” The bottle is so finely made it appears as though a genie might pop out, offering me three tequila wishes. I digress…

Grover ordered the Comisario Añejo and the nose was not very fragrant. It had a soft, caramel and buttercream odor. Once in the mouth, however, it was a train wreck of pungent flavors that ends with a long, peppery finish.  (According to its website, Comisario contains papaya, caramel custard, nougat, grilled pepper, mineral and mocha flavors). I was not a fan.

Fortunately, the bartender (whose name will go unmentioned, to protect his generosity) offered us a taste of the Don Ramón Añejo, which had just arrived in the establishment that day. The diamond stopper was tricky to get out, and Grover had to use a corkscrew to extract the plastic piece that was blocking us from the sweet agave. Fortunately, he managed to dislodge the plastic without injury and the bartender poured two generous shots, and one for him.

Don Ramón Añejo has a soft, sweet nose reminiscent of the natural honey flavor of the agave, with a spicy finish that retains the agave flavor and does not pick up too much from the barrel. It is balanced and a little more pungent than most añejos. Overall, we declared it a success—Grover said he would buy a bottle for home.

It seems that Sundays are a nice, relaxed day to sample some new tequilas. So, what are you drinking tonight?

-Scarlet