A New Generation of Down-priced 100% Agaves!

Casa Herradura's Retro Label.

The last year has seen the appearance of a few 100% agave tequilas in the $19 to $29 range. I've always liked a good value, which I define as getting a little more for the dollar. I've also always been willing to pay top dollar for something that is well worth it, while abhorring and avoiding things that are over-priced, like Patrón Tequila. But I'm happiest of all when I can get a big bang for the buck.

That's why I'm liking what I'm seeing on the shelves of my local package stores these days. As some of my favorite ultra-preems have disappeared, some very affordable non-mixtos have popped up. We're talkin' $20-ish. I like this trend. I think it's a good thing, for my wallet and yours, and good for the market in-general.

One might ask, how are the manufacturers doing this? How are 100% agave tequilas suddenly available at half of what they typically have been? One way they are doing this is using less-fancy, more mass-produced bottles. Makes you realize how much you pay for those beautiful hand-blown vessels.

Then there is distillation in a column still, as opposed to a pot-still, which decreases production costs.

I think the other thing, possibly the biggest thing, is marketing. Factors like competition, price-sensitivity, a growing interest in tequila in-general, increasing tequila knowledge and savvy-ness by the buyer, and more American and European ownership of the brands have led to better taste for less money. And there's money to be made in the growing tequila market, so brands are rushing to the table at all different price-points.

I think people are beginning to want something that's a step up from the Cuervo and Sauza junk, but it's a big jump from there to Patrón. Maybe it's too big a jump for some people, especially in today's market. Even Cabo Wabo, probably the other "familiar" brand name, is pricey. So the marketers are using cool, grabby-looking labels for shelf-appeal, making sure that the "100% de agave" is visible, and slapping on a price that says, "You can buy TWO of me for the price of that Patrón over there!"

One might ask, of these new down-priced labels, which is best? Are they all just good cocktail-mixers, or are any of them a good sipper, and a therefore real super-value?

My biggie of course has been the re-appearance of Espolón at $20 for both the blanco and repo. Mixable? You bet! Sippable? Indeed! I like the blanco a little better than the repo, and I take the blanco on the rocks.

Now there are more! Antiguo de Herradura is another. The local store that carries it has the blanco mis-priced at $29.95, so I didn't buy that, but the repo was $24, so I grabbed one. This one is a great mixer and I have made some nice cocktails with it. It stands up nicely. As a sipper, well, it was ok but was not as smooth as the Espo. The Antiguo has a bit of a burn. And that's ok if you're making 'ritas or Palomas!

Last year, one of the first one of these $20 bottles hit the shelves -- Tenampa Azúl by Centennario (a Cuervo product). This so far has been available as a repo only. Some people like Azúl as a sipper, but not me. Again it's a little hot and edgy for my pallette. But hey, with Azúl being $20, I'll never buy Tradicionál again, which has gone up, ridiculously, to $29. That's one of those overpriced things I'm talking about that just curdles my blood.


Notice the Plain Bottle...

Before that, El Jímador (by Herradura) was my mixer of choice, being among the first really affordable 100% agaves on the market. But then that became a mixto for a while, before returning to 100% again last year. El Jímador is still a pretty good deal at $30 for a big 2 liter jug of the reposado. I noticed when I was in Mexico back in February, Jímador blanco was the default standard for margaritas if you didn't specify the tequila.

I just noticed my local store has begun carrying Agavales, another 100% that I saw a lot of in Mexican stores. Price here locally? $11. I shall have to try it.

So far, however, nothing beats the Espo for quality and price. I mean, I was happy to pay $40 and up for it back when it was on US shelves between 2002 and 2008. So now, are you kidding me? I'm in agave heaven here!

And perhaps -- one can hope -- that the mixto itself may one day be a thing of the past!

Herradura brings Antiguo to US

Dia de Tequila - National Tequila Day!

Well, apparently July 24 is national tequila day. Here on the Rancho, EVERY day is tequila day, but what the heck! I'll buy in to the faux-holiday with an extra shot of the good stuff. I'm thinking Partida, and the perfect Margarita. I have made this one before, and blogged about it. But now my humble opinion has been validated by a so-called expert, who appreared on, of all things, Martha Stewart's blog, mixing this Partida-Rita. Hey if Martha thinks she's a tequila expert, then what does that make me? I'll tell you right up front, I don't know shit about nice curtains or how to host the perfect party on a yacht. So Martha, why don't you stick to baking really good pies, and I'll blog about tequila, whaddya say?

Cool It! Here's the Rita Sangre

Sweltering! 100 degrees in the shade! The doggiest dog days.

What's a tequilero to do?

Put the heat on ice with a tangy refresher, The Rita Sangre!

This one is easy:

Mix your favorite 100% agave mixing blanco -- Azul, Jimador, Antiguo -- in to a tall icy glass of Blood Orange Italian Soda (gettable from Whole Foods).

That's it!

You can squeeza a little lime on top or garnish with a wedge of orange.

Cool it baby!

Photo to come....

A Summer Refresher!

Where's the ice?

Ok, here's one that'll cool ya down! I'm gonna call it La Paloma Rosa...ain't that a purty name? She's totally simple: the 100% agave blanco or reposado tequila of your choice (I have used Cazadores repo) and Pink Grapefruit Italian Soda -- from Whole Foods! Pour it in a tall glass over lots of ice, and add only a squirt of lime juice and a quick drizzle of agave nectar for added sweetness.
For a more frothy version, crank up the ol' blender. That's what it's there for!

Quick Espo Update (of post below).

Taking a closer look at the label of the Mexican Espolón, I found that it's a 38% alcohol bottle. Doh! That would explain ultra-unusual short, round bottle I found there in Cabo. I mean, even in Mexico, Espo has always been in a tall bottle. So the shorty is a 38% release, as opposed to the typical 40%. And of course, here I am comparing the new Espo -- a 40% -- to the Mexican 38%. No fucking wonder the new American release tastes hotter and harder, as I decribed. Woops! Well there you have it!

Verdict: The "NEW" Espolón is the SAME tequila as before, with new bottle, label and marketing.

Whew!

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

New Margarita: The Cabo Sunset

Aaaaahhhhh!

With summer coming, it's time to start concocting those warm-weather tropi-cocktails! The Cabo Sunset is a wonderful new margarita invented by me and bartender Dana Perry at ChiliHead BBQ. Dana really did the work -- I just came up with the name. It was inspired by my recent trip to Los Cabos -- truly one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Here's the recipe:
2oz shot of your favorite reposado tequila*. Cabo Wabo? Why not?
1oz Margaritaville Tropical Tangerine Tequila
or
1oz Cuervo Oranjo Licor de Tequila
1/2oz Cointreau
1oz orange juice
2oz sour mix

Shake well with ice

Strain/pour in to glass over ice

Add some grenadine by pouring it down the side of the glass to create the sunset effect.

Garnish with a marachino cherry and dribble a little of the marachino syrup in to the cocktail.

* I use Tenampa Azul, Milagro, or Corralejo

Cabo Sun Setting Behind El Arco...

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

¡No Te Preocupes, it's Cabo San Lucas!

¡Paraiso de Tequila!

When we disembarked our flight in Los Cabos on Feb 13, we had a lot of plans for the upcoming week. Most of them involved putting on a fun birthday for little Drew, who would be turning three during our stay. A piñata had to be purchased and cake had to be baked. But I'm a tequila lover, and naturally my desire for tequila exploration (and consumption) bubbled just below the surface. Would I find a good selection? Would the prices be good? Would I fall in to a tourist trap? Answers were soon to come. We hailed a van and set out on our way to the resort.

CABO REÁL

Where Blue Agave Breezes Whisper Through the Swaying Palms...

Immediately upon our arrival at Melia Cabo Reál, my wife and I were presented with margaritas. Mmmm, tasty and refreshing. OK, I thought, we're on the right track. We paid an up-front all-inclusive fee, which included all food and booze, so I was determined to get our money's worth. I soon discovered that the the resort had a fairly limited selection of tequila, but it was everywhere you went. There are multiple bars and restaurants there, and they all offer a few choices. I soon found what would become my "house" tequilas for the week. For 'ritas it would be Jímador Blanco or Reposado, for icy shots by the pool it would be 100 Años Repo, and for a straight-up drink with dinner it would be Herradura Repo. Melia also had Don Julio, but I am not a fan of DJ.

I actually developed a taste for the Cién Años. It's by no means the best tequila I've ever had, but it was a smooth and drinkable 100% repo that beats Patrón by a mile. On ice it was nice. While I was enjoying these agave tequilas, I was noticing the many other Americans (it was about 75% Yanks and 25% Mexicans and other nationalities like Germans, Italians and Asians) ordering 'ritas with no preference. The bars were pouring not even Cuervo Gold in those...it was, I dunno, some well-liquor like El Toro or something. Ugh! Hangover in a bottle.

After a couple days I started drinking palomas instead of margaritas. In Mexico they have a kind of Fresca that I've never seen here. (I'd like to find it here -- any suggestions?). The MexiFresca comes in yellow cans and it is NOT diet. It actually tastes like a sweet grapefruit soda, instead of whatever indistinguishable flavor one finds in American Fresca. That, with Jimador Blanco, a squeeze of lime and salt on the rim and ... mmmm... Paloma en la playa paraisa!

(Speaking of "paradise", I learned a some Spanish I didn't know: The word for "paradise" is NOT "paradiso", it is "paraiso" with no "d". Just a little aside for ya).

IN TOWN
On day-three we took the free shuttle in to Cabo San Lucas, about 10-miles south of the resort. The bus dropped us at the Peurto Paraiso mall. As we walked in the main entrance, I was be-dazzled by the amount of tequila for sale, well, everywhere. Even shops that were not liquor stores had it. There was a souvenir shop with tequila. A drugstore; tequila. Deli; tequila. T-shirt shop; tequila. And there were at least three full-blown liquor stores, one called Hacienda de Tequila. Oh boy! Jackpot!


Cabo's Famous Arco, Where Pacific and Sea of Cortez Meet

Next of course I had to check selection and prices. The first bottle I looked at was a 750 of Corralejo repo, one of my everyday tequilas around here. At my local store I pay $39.99 plus tax -- about $43 bucks. In Cabo? $11 US dollars, no tax! Eee-Leven bucks! Wowza! And this was an American tourist mall, meaning better deals could be found off the beaten track. But since we weren't going off the beaten track (with wife and 3-year-old in-tow)these prices would have to do.

On that first trip, I scored a 750 of Siete Leguas repo for $23 and one of El Tesoro blanco for about the same. The Mexicans hold the ET in high esteem, I gathered. I also grabbed an $11 bottle of Corralejo. Did I mention it was only $11 bucks? Should have bought ten of those. I saw dozens of different labels -- Aha Toro, Centennario, Herradura, Partida, Los Abuelos, 100 Años, Cabo Wabo and more more more. Then I spied one of my all-time favorites, Chinaco! It became unavailable around here in about 2007. Bought a 750 of the repo. Such a beautiful gold color I have rarely seen. One thing I liked about these stores is that that all offer free tastes of tequila. I tasted the Los Abuelos repo, which was wonderful and I had them set me aside a bottle. At $40 that was pricey, and the bottle is a little big and heavy for travelling. Eventually I opted not to buy it. (Funny how things are relative; if I had seen the Abuelos here for $40 I'd buy it and look over my shoulder like a thief who had just stolen something!)

On our second trip in to town a couple days later, I only bought one more bottle. I love Espolón, especially the blanco, and I was hoping to find some. This proved to be harder than I expected. The first two places I tried didn't have it. Then I left the Americanized confines of the mall to a place across the street whose sign proclaimed the "Lowest Tequila Prices" would be found there. I perused the shelves and was about to give up when, on a bottom shelf in the back, I found TWO bottles of El Espolón blanco. One was the typical tall 750ml, and the other was, wow, this short, round 750 bottle. I had never ever seen even a picture of Espo in that bottle. According to the labels, the contents were identical, and so was the price, $300 pesos. That's about $25 USD. I pay over $40 for that here, and the only place that has it is running out. I bought it, choosing the little squat bottle just for the novelty of it. Thought it might be a little easier to pack also.

Interestingly, one tequila I hardly saw at all in Cabo was Patrón. A couple stores had it, a few didn't. None of the bars I went to offered it. One guy told me it was more expensive in Mexico than in the US. This reinforces what I already knew: Patrón is an American product.

So to total my score: I returned with one Corralejo repo, one Siete Leguas repo, one Chinaco repo, one EL Tesoro blanco and one Espolón blanco. It's a total of 3.75 liters, well under the duty-free limit for three travellers.


Then, upon my return, I found on our doorstep a just-delivered sample bottle of T1 Tequila Uno Blanco Ultra Fino. It's incredible. We're going to have a lot of fun tasting and comparing these nice tequilas. More on that later....!

As they like to say in Cabo, "¡No te preocupes!" which of course means, NO WORRIES!

Chinaco Repo Review on Tequila.net
El Tesoro Blanco Review on Tequila.net
Espolón Blanco Review on Tequila.net
7 Leguas Repo Review on Tequila.net