www.ranchotequila.net

A Tequila Blog by Drew "Pale Rider" Townson

"There's nothing better than good tequila, and there's nothing worse than bad tequila," Drew Townson
Showing posts with label new brands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new brands. Show all posts

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Rider Loves the New Brands!

The Rider of Great Paleness got to sip some mighty tasty new tequilas over the long, sweltering summer. They helped cool my palette and mellow me down in to those long mid-summer eves.
Here are four of my top finds:

Feeling Any Smarter? I sure am!

Calle 23 Reposado: Pale Rider savors this full-bodied repo, bursting with agave goodness! 4.8 PENCAS!
http://tastetequila.com/2011/a-pleasant-tequila-stroll-down-calle-23/
http://www.tequilawhisperer.com/?p=1868
http://tequilacalle23.com/

Hotel California Blanco: Made my summer both as a mixer and an ice-cold sipper. 4.5 PENCAS!
http://www.napacabs.com/Hotel-California-Tequila-Blanco-750ml-P8612.aspx
http://thecritico.net/hotel-california-tequila/
http://www.hotelcaliforniatequilausa.com/the-blanco.html?view=item

Pura Vida Anejo: As rich and smoky as the tone of Pearly Gates. 4.5 PENCAS!
http://www.tequila.net/tequila-reviews/anejos/pura-vida-tequila-anejo.html
http://www.tequilawhisperer.com/?p=2289
http://puravida.mx/tequila.html
Radio Pura Vida: http://puravida.mx/pura-vida-radio.html

Semental Reposado: A big, satisfying tequila.  4.5 PENCAS!
http://www.tequila.net/tequila-reviews/reposados/semental-tequila-reposado.html
http://tequila.findthebest.com/l/414/Semental-Reposado-Tequila
http://www.tequilasemental.com/

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Los Blancos Mas Finos!

Blanco, Silver, Plata, Platinum, call it what you will, we're talking today about the un-aged and un-altered clear distillation of the blue agave. Everybody knows Pale Rider is is a big blanco guy. (They don't call me "Pale" for nothin'!) At the recent Spirits of Mexico event in NYC, the new class of 2012 blancos were tasted
and rated. Click here to read all about the fresh crop!

Spirits of Mexico, sizzling new blancos...


Monday, July 2, 2012

Toro Toro! One Smooth Bull!


Semental Tequila: Get a Bull in Your Glass!

I recently read a great review of Semental Tequila on the web-site "For Tequila Lovers.com" and then, as if scripted, the very next day I was at ChiliHead BBQ and noticed they had Semental in their well-appointed tequila bar. Naturally I tried a shot - the reposado - and was VERY impressed. So then I went about getting a bottle for myself. Even with my discount through FTL, it was a pricey bottle. I later found that the price of Semental varies wildly from region to region, being as low as in the $20s in the Southwest and West, ranging to $50 up here in the distribution-challenged Northeast

I am MENTAL for SeMENTAL!

Clearly, I am not the only one that likes this Tequila. Here's what the San Francisco World Spirits Competition had to say:

Semental Silver (91 Points/Silver Medal ~ Exceptional): Clear, vibrant roasted pineapple, charred green pepper, floral talc, creamy vanilla, and white pepper aromas. A lively, silky entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity, glycerous medium body of roasted tropical fruits and peppers with a layer of vanilla bean and spice. Finishes with a long, sharp white pepper, oil, powdered sugar and dried flower fade. Impressively fruity and floral agave with a somewhat rustic finish.   

Semental Reposado (93 Points/ Double Gold Medal ~ Exceptional ): Yellow golden color. Creamy and spicy aromas of sandalwood, vanilla bean, dates, dried pineapple, and black pepper. A silky and supple entry leads to a dry-yet- fruity, glycerous medium-to-full body of creamy caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, grilled yellow pepper and nutmeg flavors. Finishes with a long, exotic blend of spices, creamy vanilla, and hot pink peppercorns. A delicious and veryflavorful reposado.   

Semental Añejo (94 Points/ Gold Medal ~ Exceptional): Brilliant amber color. Grilled pineapple, creamy white chocolate, floral honey, and delicate herb and spice aromas follow through to a silky, buoyant entry leads and a dry-yet-fruity medium-full body with accents of roasted yellow pepper, sandalwood, and exotic peppercorns. Finishes with a long delicious fade of crème Anglaise, baking spices, and cigar box. A lively and flavorful Añejo that artfully balances fruity agave and spicy, vanilla kissed oak.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pura Vida Añejo: How Sweet She Is!


Of course I want to like PuraVida, with it's Texican Rock 'n' Roll mystique and my guitar-hero Billy Gibbons as its figurehead. But there's hype and there's taste. Let's get down to the reality of this juice and see if it's a Lone Star Legend or a Tall Texas Tale. 
Tejana Mama!
I've always been leary of triple-distilled tequila. It's never been my favorite. Why? Because to me 3D often tastes overly sanitized; smoothed-out; homogenized. I feel - and I am by no means alone - it removes some of the agave color and character from the juice. After all, what are we making here? Vodka? So when I saw that the Pura Vida "Silver"/blanco, and "Gold"/reposado, are triple distilled, I have to admit it gave me pause. As it turns out, in only one case did this prove to be any issue at all. 

Pura Vida Tequila's line-up of the three expressions is the story of "Good, Better, Best."

The Good - Gold: This one pretty much validates why I'm not a huge fan of triple-distilled. It's a very nice mixing tequila, and even as a sipper I'm sure many will find it quite pleasing. With the blanco's bold punch of agave (see below) I expected more from the reposado. Here are my tasting notes: Smooth and lightly sweet but somewhat meek. Cinamon, pear, a bit of vanilla, hint of wood, light mouth feel, not enough agave. Mellow. Three Pencas. 


The Better - Silver: My triple-distilled worries dissolved when I tasted PV's blanco tequila. After a week or so of decanting, I determined that the PV Silver is great on rocks, with it's clean, peppery profile. Here are my tasting notes: Herbs, white and black pepper, agave, anise seed, mint, licorice, lemon-zest, green-pepper chili-pepper, medium heat, a little bite. Overall medium bodied with warm finish. Good pop of agave. (One wonders how good this blanco would be if twice-distilled) Four Pencas. 


The BEST! - Añejo:
And what do you know, the DOUBLE DISTILLED añejo is hands-down my favorite of the three, and one of the best añejos I've tried in recent memory. Aged in spent bourbon barrels, PuraVida añejo brings to fruition the promise of an artisan-crafted highland tequila. I'm not a big añejo guy, as most people know, but I could sip this juice all night long. Here are my notes:  Coffee, molasses, caramel, vanilla, cola-nut, toasted almonds, burnt sugar, wood, smoke, and bourbon - but thankfully not overly bourbon-y. Plenty of agave left to please a guy like me. Great balance. Borders on being too sweet, but does not cross that border (pun intended). The  añejo is la crema de PuraVida, with a TASTE AS BIG AS TEXAS! Five Pencas.

Pale Rider's buddy, The Tequila Whisperer, concurs! Here's his review:

The anejo was where this brand (and NOM 1414) really shines.  There is a lush and wonderfully balanced essence in the anejo which brings forth baskets of fruit, herbs, vanilla and even traces of coffee!  This fruity and grassy herbaceous mix is a complete satisfaction event, and the price (around $40) makes this anejo a must-have in your collection.  Nice work, Pura Vida!


** He said, "lush!"

Monday, June 18, 2012

Checking in to Hotel California.

My new discovery! Found this at a weird little store that had virtually no tequila at all except for this one. They had all three expressions of this new-to-me juice from Highland NOM 1529. I thought to myself, "Self, this stuff could be really bad, but I always loved the song, so I'll give the blanco a whirl." Guess what? I LIKE it! It's good! (Turns out they even have a couple medals to prove it!)

It has all the sweet vanilla and spice that I enjoy in a good highland blanco. Hotel Cali is smooth with virtually no alcohol burn. And like that famous Eagles song, it takes you on a trippy ride down the desert highway at night.

Warm smell of agave...


"There she stood in the doorway. I heard the mission bell. And I was thinkin' to myself this could be Heaven or this could be Hell...."

Website: http://tequilahotelcalifornia.com/

Press Release: http://www.tequilatown.net/news/hotel-california-tequila-launches-in-us/

Review: http://thecritico.net/hotel-california-tequila/

THE BLANCO: It is clear to see that Hotel California began with a high quality Blanco. In the aroma the Blanco had strong notes of sweet cooked agave that was also noted in the Reposado & Anejo. Visually the Blanco has excellent clarity and a very good body, the taste was well balanced with notes of cooked agave, with a light spicy-peppery warm finish. The Alcohol content was stronger in the aroma but not in the taste or finish.
Hotel California Blanco Tequila: RATED 90 Points




Monday, March 19, 2012

Pura Vida Power Ballad - Big Tejano Tequila is Ready to Rock!


Pearly and Purely - The Reverend Willie G with a bottle of the "good life." Have Mercy!

Anybody who knows me knows I love three things: Twang, Texas, and Tequila. They know that I have been looking for a boutique tequila brand to get behind; to sing the praises of; to evangelize; to totally rock out for! Well, along comes a new brand that brings together all my favorite things: Pura Vida (NOM 1414) 100% agave tequila - Born in Los Altos, Raised in South Texas, and Infused with the Spirit of Rock and Roll.

"Pura Vida" loosely translated, means "The Good Life." If there was ever a brand-image that hits a big power-chord with me, this is it. For starters, the label is partly owned by my all-time Texas guitar-hero, Billy Gibbons. I grew up idolizing his playing, digging his baddass style, and trying to steal every one of his licks! (You can still hear his influence in my playing). For me, ZZ Top didn't just play low-down Texas boogie, they exuded Texas cool. They WERE Texas! It's about big hats, big beards, loud guitars, loud clothes, hot girls and hot-rods. Few Power Trios have amped-up the Texican blues more mightily than that Little Ol' Band From Texas.

Tequila Pura Vida launched in 2011, not surprisingly with a handful of big fiestas and rock-shows. Manufactured at Highland NOM 1414, PV is a partnership between Texas businessman Stewart "El Guapo" Skloss, and Mexico's Viviano famly, who are fourth-generation agaveros. It is well-known that Feliciano Viviano serenades the distilling juice with music from a concert-hall sound-system. Appropriatey, Pura Vida is the first and only liquor company with its own radio station, Radio Pura Vida. Señor Gibbons himself has been the Blues-Man Ambassador of the label, front and center. The Rev has been workin' the room!

So the buzz has been full-throttle. Is this really "The World's Best Damn Tequila?" There have been some heavily hyped-tequilas that do not live up to the noise. Naturally, I am praying that I love this juice! Stay tuned to Radio Rancho Tequila for my review!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Coming Soon to a Rancho Review Near You...


Tequila PuraVida - Born in Mexico, Raised in Texas, and flavored with a touch of Rock 'n' Roll

Pura Vida - invested in and endorsed by my favorite Texas guitarist of all, Señor Billy F. Gibbons.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Muy Peligroso!


Didn't want to like you, but despite the hype, I DO! I do like you, you dangerous sunnofabitch!

I have a problem with overly-hyped tequilas that are owned by American rock-stars or businessmen who usually sell hair products or trade bonds on Wall Street. Yes, I'm talking about YOU Cabo, and especially YOU, Patrón!

I recently tried "Avión Silver," the tequila made popular on the TV show Entourage. It was pretty much what I expected; triple distilled, overly smoothed, and with that harmless flavor profile designed for people who wouldn't know a real Weber blue agave if it chased them around the yard. What's the difference between Avión and some fashionable Vodka-du-jour being posed-with by a Miami Supermodel? Nothing, that's what! It's all marketing hype. Meanwhile, the actual substance inside - the JUICE - is average at best.

With all of these prejudices in mind, today I walked in to the neighborhood BevMo store here in San Jose (where I am hanging for a few days) and proceded to hover around the well-appointed and very reasonably-priced tequila shelf. Just as I was deciding whether to get the new Don Julio 70 Joven tequila, or perhaps a bottle of Tonalá reposado, a couple of the store employees took notice of me and came over. They immediately started pitching me on this new tequila, which just coincidentally was on-sale, called "Peligroso." I know retail pretty well, and I know tequila better than both of the people at the store, and what I gathered was they were trying to "push" this new brand. They didn't know whether it was highlqands or lowlands and they kept saying something about citrus and spice and white pepper. It sounded a lot like a not-too-well-memorized "schpeel." BUT, since it was on sale for $30-something bucks and I always say everything starts with a good blanco, I bought a bottle of the blanco - sorry, I mean "Silver" - on their totally trustworthy recommendation. As I checked out, I actually said to the check-out guy, "This better be worth the hype, because I know a good blanco when I taste it."

I really did say that.

Upon returning to the bungalow I Googled "Peligroso" and found all the signs of the things I am wary of: A couple young American kids start up a tequila company in SoCal. It's rad. It's rock 'n' roll. It's surfing. It's naked girls. It's tatoos. It's party-time all-the-time, baby. It's tequila for kids with money to burn, dude! Peligroso-dangeroso tequila baby, woo-hoo! And it's a 42% alcohol/84-proof liquor, so hey, let's get wasted!

So I'm thinking, "Really? Here we go again. Give me a break. It's all about marketing and a slick web-site."


Logo, or Tramp-Stamp Tattoo?


At any rate, I wasn't going to wait one more minute to try the stuff. And as a serious tequila aficionado, I had low, low expectations.

Well, ba-low me down! It's GOOD! This Peligroso juice is good blanco. I think they got it right! They clearly went in to this knowing something about real tequila, or at least with a good pallette, and with the right attitude. Right off the bat I'll say it's a little sweet even for a highlands lover like me, but she's a spunky little blanco, with a touch of the spicy kick we like. Mostly, it's loaded, and I mean loaded with agave goodness. This tequila has flavor to spare. It tastes like someone squeezed agave nectar in to the bottle. There's a nice soft entry of caramelized agave, followed by a zesty mid-palette of hot ginger and sugar-cane, and ending with a very slight bite and alcohol burn. It's not as-if a thousand exotic chili-peppers just danced on my tongue, and there's no 'earthyness" to speak of either. I also did not get much in the way of citrus - maybe orange - even though other reviews mention it. But thank God they didn't try to remove the heart and soul of tequila like some of these other worthless posers. In other words, agave is NOT the secret ingredient in this tequila.


THEY GOT IT RIGHT! Agave is NOT the secret ingredient!

And yes, Peligroso DOES happen to be highland agave - my favorite. NOM 1107 is Tequila de Viejito, and although I've never had any of their other brands, their location is certainly good in my book. I'd say this to anyone serious enough about getting in to real tequila: If you don't like this, you don't like tequila, period. Run the other way and drink a Bombay Sapphire with Stevie Nicks. Peligroso COULD BE the real deal. I didn't taste a lot of this "white pepper" I'd been told about - but what do I know? What the hell does white-pepper taste like anyway? I certainly did get some sweet spice, like ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, along with honey. There's a "pop" in there, to be sure. As we all know, these are the marquee flavors of the famous Los Altos piña. It's the agave we call "Highlands". And with a high alcohol content, to-boot, the burn is tolerable, even sublime. Kind of astonishing.

This blanco goes down TOO easy.

They have a ways to go to be the next Siete Leguas, but Peligroso has made a tremendous rookie effort, certainly for their blanco. I mean, "silver."

And all this is coming from a blanco lover. As I always do, I say a good blanco bodes well for the rest of the line. Speaking of which, if I am reading the lit correctly, in the making of the reposado, Peligroso uses new American oak - not cured by bourbon. I have never been a fan of bourbon-barrel flavoring in tequila or scotch (because, well, I don't like bourbon), but I'm a BIG fan of virgin oak. So if this is the case, bring on the repo!

Would need free samples, though....... :-) Hint. Hello Peligroso....

Great bottle, too! Really artful bottle designs on the three expressions.

GO DANGEROUS, OR GO HOME!

Peligroso Tequila on Facebook

Tequila Whisperer show reviews Peligroso.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Inbound Tequilas! Coming Soon!

Acquiring some fresh bottles of highlands juice: Chamucos Reposado, Siembra Azul Repo, and Arette blanco suave.


So I look like a bottle of cooking wine from Target's store-brand section. Well y'know what? The money's on the INSIDE of this bottle baby! Now stop looking at my screw-top!

I also want to do a blanco shootout soon with Siete Leguas, Don Julio, and another player to be named later.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Day of The KAH!


Los Tres Muertos: Even the dead enjoy good tequila!

Apparently the word "kah" is Mayan for "Life", which is interesting because KAH tequila is presented in a bottle shaped like a skull. It speaks to a folkloric feature woven deeply in to the fabric of Mexican culture: Life celebrates death, and death celebrates life. Every year on Day of the Dead, family members visit the grave-sites of loved ones who have passed on, creating a fiesta atmosphere at the grave, often pouring tequila over the departed. They make sure to pour tequila in to their own living souls, to be sure. Tequila is the sangre de vida to Mexicans; the lifeblood of the people, just as as "uisce beatha" (whiskey baha) is to the Irish.

All of this cultura Mexicana is brought together in the new KAH tequila, whose four expressions (blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo) are presented in hand-made, hand painted day of the dead style skull bottles, with a different bottle for each age. The bottles are beautiful. Fortunately, the juice inside is pretty darn good, too. It has been well-reviewed, with the añejo garnering the most positive nods. I was planning to start in the middle of the lineup with the reposado, but after learning it was a blazing hot 55% alcohol brew, I decided to go with the añejo, largely based on the review of the notorious Tequila Whisperer, "Lippy". (The repo bottle has a red demon painted on its forehead -- and now I know why!). Añejo comes in the black skull - nice. I have to say that although it's not the most complex tequila I've had, KAH añejo is quite flavorful and enjoyable.

I will certainly collect all four bottles, eventually. In the meantime here are some other reviews and info on KAH.

SKOL! Er, I mean, SKULL!

Review by TasteTequila.com

Tequila Whisperer show on KAH

KAH on Facebook

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Family Legacy


Family Values!

First I must say it was a long cold winter of no tequila blogging for the Pale Rider. Got a new job December first and my nose has been firmly pressed against the grindstone for months. Plus, nothing really exciting came across my screen, tequila-wise. In fact, I had a real let down when I found Chinaco in a local store after years of it not being available around here. I bought a bottle and it was, well, awful. Undrinkable. I don't know if the juice had gone bad or they've changed it or what. I used to love Chinaco and this stuff I wouldn't use to make a margarita for Canadian tourists.

But I digress.

So last week, in my local store appeared the first new tequila offering they'e put on the shelf in ages: Familia Camarena "Silver"/Blanco and Reposado tequilas. Camarena comes in an incredibly handsome bottle with a just-as-attractive price. Again, we find a 100% agave offering in the $20 range, which seems to be a big trend in the last couple years. (I wonder if Patrón is getting nervous). I grabbed the blanco, because I always go for a blanco first. As you know I favor blancos, not to mention that if the blanco is good, it bodes well for the rest of the lineup. Plus, I thought, "Well, if it sucks, at least the bottle is pretty. It'll look good in my collection."

I tasted it chilled with a couple pieces of ice. The nose was just what I had hoped for - floral and fruity with a nice huff of agave and spice. Taste-wise, I found it pleasing on a number of levels. A couple of the reviews I've read accuse the blanco of not being a sipper, but I wouldn't totally agree. (If Patrón can be called a "sipper" then surely this offering is!) True, Camarena's mouth-feel is thin and light, but it has a flavorful body with agave, citrus, chili-pepper and earth. It has a peppery pop, a spicy spike! But there isn't a lot of bigness in the body, and there's no bottom end to speak of. It's not too hot or alcoholish, and on a smoothness scale I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. The most disappointing aspect is the finish, which leaves an ashy residue on the tongue. As a blanco enthusiast, I have come to expect an acrid finish, even from highly-rated tequilas. I "get" that wood-aging irons out some of the speedbumps in the flavor-profile, especially mellowing a bitey finish. Generally I'm saying this juice is pretty thin and one-dimensional.

I later made a basic margarita - or should I say "Cama-rita"? - with Camarena Blanco, and found that it stands up really well in the cocktail, imparting a nice tequila flavor. I'd agree the Cama Blanco is better as a mixer than on its own. It reminds me a little of what I like about Partida blanco, and what I dislike about Don Julio Silver, the former having a nice balance of agave and earth, the latter having too much "dirt".

Most reviews I have come across prefer the Camarena reposado to the blanco, so I look forward to sampling the repo soon.


Soy Muy Guapo!

More interesting than the reviews is the history of Familia Camarena - apparently one of the first-families of tequila for six-generations, and tangentially related to the Cuervos. The Camarenas came to Mexico from Spain in the 1780s and was one of the founding families of the town of Arandas in the Jalisco highlands, where the world's finest blue agave is cultivated. The family owns thousands of acres of plantation-land in the highest elevations (over 7000 feet), producing millions of weber blue agave plants. For generations the Camarenas provided agave for other bottlers, eventually going in to the tequila business themselves in the 1930s under the name Casco Viejo. The Casco Viejo distillery makes the well-regarded Don Agustin as well. The actual Familia Camarena tequila brand label did not exist until 2008, when E and J Gallo partnered with Casco to create Familia Camarena for the US market.

Clearly there is a nice marketing boost going on around the country (see "Taco Truck" campaign pic, below), and as always I am heartened to see other tequilas finding popularity and eroding the ground beneath the tyrant Patrón, while also pulling people away from God-awful mixtos like Cuervo. And while Camarena Silver isn't what I'd call an ulta-premium tequila, it'll find a place on my shelf. At $20 for a 100% agave juice, what's not to like?


Coming to your town: The Camarena "Taco Truck" dishin' out tacos y tequila

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Finally, it's T1 Time!



T1, Tequila Uno, the ultra-premium crafted by master-distiller Germán Gonzales, has finally been released in the USA. Here's the letter from Germán himself:

Dear friends and family of T1- Tequila Uno,

It is after a very long year that I can now say the T1- Tequila Uno is in the United States and ready for sale. I am very excited about bringing T1- Tequila Uno into the United States. This brand has been a passion of mine for many years and I have worked hard to create something of which my family and I are very proud.

We (the T1- Tequila Uno team) first introduced the brand at Dori Bryant’s SPIRITS OF MEXICO event in September 2009, as it is one of the pre-eminent tequila events in the United States. The brand did very well, winning awards for each item tasted.

As is normal, trials and tribulations come with any new product. And we did have our fair share of issues! The issues were not major, but, they had to be overcome nonetheless. The original plan was to introduce T1 – Tequila Uno into the United States in early 2010. After several months, we re-introduced our brand at the 2010 Spirits of Mexico event in September, and we are now ready to bring the brand to you. The brand is available in the United States and is already hitting market for this holiday.

The brand, (all types in 100% Blue Agave) is available in:
• Ultra Fino - a double distilled crystal clear Blanco: with hints of fruit and perfect for your favorite margarita or other cocktail.
• Excepcional – a Reposado: rested for just under a year for a light golden color and aroma of spiced citrus, apple, and agave flavor. It is best served neat, on the rocks or in your favorite mixed cocktail.
• Estelar – An Anejo: aged approximately 18 months in oak barrels for a deep golden color and contains the aroma of chocolate, for a velvety smoothness and flavor of the wood.

For you true tequila aficionados, T1 – Tequila Uno can be bought by the barrel. You will work closely with me, to determine the type of barrel – new v old, the type of char and with which product you want to start the process. You also get to pick the date to uncork the product. T1- Tequila Uno will then be packaged and personalized. A barrel contains approximately 37 cases of 750ml bottles packed 6 per case – the final number will depend on how much tequila ‘went to the angels”, (otherwise known as evaporation).

For more information, check out our website – www.t1tequila.com or our facebook page. We would love to hear from you. Please contact us with questions, comments or the name of your favorite retailer and we will get the brand to you. You can also call Kay Olsen at 860-404-1776 for more information. She is on the T1- Tequila Uno team. “From Friends to Friends”

Con un Fuerte Abraso
Germán


People know I am always searching for the absolute Holy Grail of blancos, and T1 might be it! Here's my review from last March:

http://ranchotequila.blogspot.com/2010/03/taste-test-t1-ultra-fino-el-blanco-mas.html

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

El Primero de Uno

T1 Tequila Uno to Launch This Month.

A very pretty bottle in a tequila-world of pretty bottles

A new ultra-premium 100% agave brand, T1 (Tequila Uno), crafted by German Gonzales, will make it's US debut September 10th thru 12th at San Diego's Spirits of Mexico Festival. It will be available in Texas and California only for the first several months, with northeast distribution set for early 2010. I for one, or should I say "for uno", will be anxious to taste this top-shelf offering.

T1 Tequila Uno

Thursday, June 11, 2009

The Ballad of El Grado...

New Ultra Premium Tequila Makes a Spirited Launch in to US Market

Here comes another new Tequila for the well-tuned palette and well-heeled wallet. El Grado calls itself "Tequila's Crown Jewel". Can't wait to taste it, although availability will be limited to Texas and California initially. (Y'know what's great? Having a sister in Texas who can send me bottles of Tequila!)

Tequila El Grado Press Release on Tequila.net

El Grado Spirits Main Site