The Curse of Pale Rider!

Posada knew how I feel right now...

I am truly cursed!

Talk about a grown man crying! Well, some of you already have been following my valiant attempts to get a bottle of Fortaleza Blanco from a store in California and a bottle of Don Valent Blanco from my sister. These were "birthday gifts" for my b-day on June 5th. Well, for some dark comic relief, here's how things stand as of today...

I, the Fortaleza: The first bottle that arrived was tainted due to rotten cork. Even Guillermo Sauza took an interest in the problem, but ultimately I sent the bottle back to Ramirez in LA. Once they recieved it, they sent me a replacement. This whole thing took more than a month. I finally got the replacement and guess what? Not as bad, but still a sour bottle of tequila. Cork looks dark and crappy, juice smells and tastes sour and metallic. At this point I'm not sure what to do. Maybe it's the actual shipping from west to east coast that's causing the problem.

II, the DV: It took about 5 weeks for my sister in Denton Texas to acquire a bottle, and it took the help of the local distributer there, Robert Sturdenvant. It was special-ordered through a store in Lake Dallas. Sis, a tequila lover herself, couldn't resist and opened the bottle for a taste. Next thing you know, she and a friend had consumed the whole thing! Happy birthday to me! So, she special orders ANOTHER bottle and two or three weeks later I get a Fedex saying it's been shipped. That was yesterday, Finally, I thought, I'll have some new juice by the weekend! Rejoice!

Then, tragedy! TODAY I get an email from Fedex saying the shipment will not be completed due to damaged contents. Yes! Can you believe it? The freakin' BOTTLE BROKE! Holy shit!

OK, well, I give up!

Fuck it!

Bad Cork!

El Corko Malo

Very sadly, my long-awaited bottle of Fortaleza/Los Abuelos Blanco is a bottle of agave-gone-bad. Yes! I don't drink wine, so I never knew the term "corked" before, but apparently this is a case of a tainted cork, which spoils the juice. I knew the minute I took my first sniff of the open bottle something was really wrong. The aroma was basically un-identifiable; a mixture of pure alcohol and sourness. I could not have told you it was tequila. The taste was nothing but hot alcohol and not a hint of agave. None.

Trying to resolve it with the vendor, but they had a disclaimer on their web-site that said I was ordering at my own risk, basically. So, maybe they'll help, maybe they wont.


Good-Cork, Bad-Cork