Espolón is back! Or Is It?

Dia de Los Tequilas -- The new labels feature the famous skeltons of Mexican folk-art

Any one who knows me knows that one of my all-time favorite ultra-premium Tequilas is Espolón. It has been hard to find in the US for years now. And it was always pricey...$40 and up. Much to my amazement, today at the liquor store I discovered a new-look Espolón! We're talkin' new label, new bottle, and new VERY LOW PRICE -- $20.00!

Is this some kind of marketing trickery? The press-release issued by Skyy claims there is the exact same juice in these new hippified bottles. Is there, really? If so, why is the price less than half of what it was before? In fact, I paid MORE for Espolón in Mexico back in February -- $24 to be exact. Were we paying for the fancy bottle and its embossed metal label all that time?

Campari/Skyy, the same company that bought Cabo Wabo last year also now owns Espolón. The spirit conglomerate bought the Espolón distillery, NOM 1440, and actually now make Cabo there, too. Apparently, the MSRP for both blanco and repo is $25.95. That's also odd, don't you think?

Are they going to market the Wabo as the Ultra-Preem and the Espo as the down-priced bottle? That would be wierd to me, because Espo is WAY better tequila than Wabo. Way!

So is it the same tequila? My pallette says no.** I just did an A/B comparison between the bottle I bought of blanco in Mexico and a brand new bottle of the $20 blanco. The original tasted smoother, lighter and sweeter, not that Espo is particularly sweet. It has a big, flavorful taste with plenty of agave, spice, and a hint of licorice.**I later realized I was comparing a 38% (the Mexican bottle) with a 40% (the new US bottle), so there you have it! That explains the diff.

But the new one tasted a tiny bit harder, hotter and oilier. It is not as easy on the pallette. They ARE very similar, and maybe the difference could be the normal variation of batch-to-batch. But most would agree that my REAL Mexican juice tastes better than the new.

Read the full press-release here on Tequila.net


Espo Old and New from Drew's Stash

Taste Test: T1 Ultra Fino, El Blanco Mas Fino

¡Tequila Uno, Numero Uno!

As you know, I talk a lot about blancos. It's because a good tequila begins with a great blanco. The longer one drinks tequila the more one appreciates the fresh, un-aged first-pressing of the baked blue agave. I like repos and añejos as much as the next guy, but I am driven by a desire to find the sweetest, boldest, freshest, silky-smoothest, most perfect blanco of all. I find a lot of high-end tequila veterans like myself are also blanco lovers. A smooth añejo is perhaps easier on the novice tongue.

Another reason I love a killer blanco is that blancos are versatile; you can mix 'em, drink 'em cold with rocks, or sip 'em neat. I'm also a cheap bastard, so the price of blancos appeals to me. I have a price-sensitivity of about $50, and you can typically find a really good blanco, and even some decent reposados for at or below that point.

Having tried many a good blanco, I believe I have found the the ONE; T1, that is! It is certainly the best I have had to-date. My recent taste-test proved it. We're talkin' T1 (Tequila Uno) Blanco Ultra Fino, hand-crafted by master-distiller Germán Gonzales, whose clain-to-fame is creating the lovely Chinaco line-up in the '90s. The juice is absolutely fantastic! To my pallette, this is tequila perfection, which means it has a BIG BIG agave bang!

Two tequila-loving friends and I (one who worked for years in a NYC tequila bar), compared some top-end blancos, and the T1 was the hands-down winner. It not only had the sweetest taste, but also something special, intangible. T1 has spirit in the true sense.

The competition was between these blancos:
T1, Espolón, El Tesoro, Casa Noble, and Milagro (which I considered a stand-in for Patrón silver. To me, Milagro is Patrón at the right price!). Without going in to detailed tasting notes and descriptions, let's suffice it to say that the T1 even beat my beloved Espolón. The Esppolón is great, but was a little hotter and more peppery. The T1 was sweet, complex, with a great agave punch and a slky finish. It has an easy entry and a very full-bodied taste, encompassing citrus, vanilla, earth, nuts, smoke and pepper! All three of us agreed the T1 was the clear winner. It received smiles all-around!
Ultra Fino, indeed!

Here's How They Ranked:
1) Tequila Uno Ultra Fino: Big, perfectly balanced, smooth and sweet, Rating: 5-Pencas!
2) Espolón: Full-bodied, flavorful, a bit more heat/bite
3) El Tesoro: Mild and smooth -- not as big as expected but nice
4) Casa Noble: Earthy, big agave taste, ashy finish
5) Milagro: Most alcohol, not super flavorful but a great mixer

2010: Año de Agave?

¡Hola amigos y feliz año nuevo!

Your tio Drew had a very big and busy holiday season. Of course much good tequila was enjoyed.

We are looking forward to a trip to Mexico in a month. Bringing the fam to Cabo for a week. Little Drew will be turning 3 there on Feb 16th. A piñata birthday will be in order! On the beach! ¡Vámos a la playa!

Just heard from Ryan Hutchins of Tequila Uno, and he promises to get a sample my way soon. To refresh, T1 is the new ultra-premium tequila master-crafted by Germán Gonzalez, the man responsible for the highly regarded Chinaco Negro and other fine tequilas. Germán is from a renowned aristocratic family who owned the distillery Gonzaleña. His Great Grandfather was El Presidente de Mexico. This man has blue-agave running through his veins!


Dos del Uno

While I wait with baited breath for my sample, Ryan sent me a nice hi-res pic of the T1 blanco and repo in their crystal decanter-style bottles. Feast your eyes! Makes your mouth water, don't it?

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

Patron: The Perfect Poser?

Shall we Patron-ize? (BTW: What's with the Bee? Is it saying, "Drink me for the buzz?")

Patron Patron Patron....Love it? Hate it? Over-rated? Over priced? Is it real? fake? A poser? Liquid gold or Donkey Wizz?

Many -- I'd say MOST -- tequila aficionados are staunchly anti-Patron. While I have problems with Patron in-general, I'm not as vehement. I call it "tequila with training wheels". Why? Because it's designed to be smooth and ultra-drinkable for people who don't have an experienced tequila pallette. It's like the vodka/martini people who never had a shot until Grey Goose came along (when some were drinking Stoli in the '80s). For many, Patron's the first and only pure agave tequila they've had; it's the only name they know other than Jose Cuervo.

Due to very good marketing, Patron has positioned itself as the one and only ultra-premium, and has priced itself accordingly. They're using one of the oldest marketing ploys in the world - make it expensive so people think it's the best. The strategy has worked like a charm. People are paying $50 per bottle and up. Is it worth it? Well in my not-so-humble opinion, no. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad tequila. In fact I like the reposado quite a bit. Many of the so-called Patron lovers have never tried the repo. They're stuck on the silver (blanco) which is ok, but there are far superior blancos out there for a lot less money. I could name half-a-dozen right now (but I won't). In fact, I have talked to Patron-izers who actually don't know about the other types of tequila (reposado, anejo, etc.) or the difference between a mixto and a 100%. They are simply happy to pay $7-a-shot for the schtuff.

The truth is that Patron is an American company, based in Las Vegas, and owned buy a guy who has been successful in the industry of hair salon products (Paul Mitchell Systems).

As far as taste, I find Patron Silver one-dimensional. It's not rich and complex, like ultra premium tequila tends to be. The bigger problem I have with it is the price. A good, I mean really good, blanco should be $10 to $20 less. For really good reposado or anejo I might spend $50. In fact, the only blanco I would ever spend upwards of $50 for would be La Fortaleza, which pisses all over Patron and then won't call Patron in the morning...or ever again, for that matter.

Here's a great review of Patron that really hits the target: Patron The Peroxide Blonde

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