I Hate Don Julio Blanco With Every Fiber Of My Being!

So, there I was last night, playing a gig at a local watering hole and I looked behind the bar and my only tequila choices were: Cuervo Especial, Patron Silver, and yes, the despicable DJ Blanco. Ugh.

If you know me, you know I have tried DJ Blanco about every two years to see if I'll "like it this time" but no, I always dislike it intensely.

I'll say hate.

I hate it.

So again I go against my better judgement and order a shot of the DJ Blanco. It was even worse that I expected. Kerosene! It was so bad I wasn't going to drink it but instead I just bolted it down as quick as I could.

It's like I'm allergic to the stuff.

Horrid.

Drank Patron the rest of the night, happily.

¿Milagro, Si o No?

I am muy bonita, no?

Every freaking where I look all of a sudden, I see Milagro. Bars, restaurants, events, everywhere they're peddling Milagro. They must have some damn good marketing.
So, I've been trying it. First, I tried the blanco. Not terrible. I didn't hate it on ice. It's pretty smooth and I'd say it's as-good or better than Patrón Silver -- and a lot cheaper. The reposado and anejo, y'now, not great, not bad. The anejo I liked pretty well. It's oakey.

The whole thing is sort of, "pretty bottle -- pretty average tequila". For the money it's fine. There's nothing really NOT to like. I think it's a case of marketing to the new and growing taste for high-end tequila. It's un-adventurous, it's safe, and and it's less expensive than Patrón. So, the average Joe and Jane will know the names Cuervo, Patron, maybe Cabo Wabo, and now Milagro.

Then, astonishingly and out of the blue, a friend gifts me with a beautiful bottle of Milagro Reposado Select Barrel Resrva. Apparently the guy at the liquor store recommended it. Really nice bottle. The tequila inside is initially very strong on alcohol, probably due to the triple distilling. You have to let it decant for a while. Then you'll notice a pretty decent repo; not in my top-five, and not particularly outstanding in any way. But I like it on ice and the blown crystal bottle makes a very nice addition to the collection.

I certainly like it better than the standard repo, which was my least favorite of the basic three.

So far, the Milagro line-up isn't really poking me in the eye. I'm gonna have to hit this gift bottle a little harder. Until then, the jury is still out...

Here's the reserva review on Tequila.Net