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!"

Drive...

Let's fly!

A music buddy of mine once said to me, years ago, "Whiskey sedates you; tequila DRIVES you." I agree. I like whiskey, especially Irish whiskey for it's medicinal properties, and the fact that it does, indeed, relax me. Barleycorn calms me. But tequila is a pick-me-up. It energizes me.

I tried Absinthe back in the day - lots of it - and it does this thing where you get in to this trippy ultra-clarity state. Heightened senses and all. I can see why artists got all creative while under the spell of the Green Fairy. But I hated the taste of it. Tequila does a lot of the same for me, while giving me a warm happy buzz, and I LOVE the taste of it. I'm under the spell of the Blue Agave. Love love love love. Me and my Muse Agave? True LOVE!

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

Tequila Don Diego Santa Añejo - rich and chocolaty!

From For Tequila Lovers.com

Skinny bottle, fat taste!

In 1943, the Santa family established a small tequila distillery in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since then this is where Tequila Don Diego Santa is produced, using a multiple distillation process and small batch pot distillation. The family grows their agaves at higher than normal altitudes for 8-10 years, until they acquire the desirable sugar that allows for maximum fermentation by natural yeasts that come from the same fields where the agave plants are grown. After harvesting and cooking the agaves, the nectar is then extracted and double distilled for absolute purity by slowly cooking the Blue Agave in small batches, one small batch at a time, in stainless steel pots. This is without question a more expensive and time consuming process, but the payoff is worth it...a truly wonderful tequila that is the spirit of Mexico. Don Diego Santa Anejo is aged fora minimum of twelve months and is blended with tequilas aged far longer in American Oak barrels. The final blend averages at least 18 months of aging. It is then bottled at 40%ABV and is certified as Kosher.

  Buy me!

TASTING NOTES - THE BEVERAGE TASTING INSTITUTE/ TASTINGS.COM

Brilliant old gold color. Vibrant roasted pecan pie, dark chocolate, baked fig and peppery spice aromas follow though on a round, oily entry to a dryish medium body with prominent cocoa and roasted nut elements supported by creamy vanilla and pepper. Finishes with pleasant cigar box, cola nut, and peppery spice fade. A nutty añejo treat.

Vida-Rita!

Livin' la Pura Vida!

Kudos for Corralejo!

Going back a few years, one of my first favorite "every day" tequilas was Corralejo reposado. I loved to mix margaritas with it, and I also loved it straight. Not the blanco, not the añejo; the repo in the tall blue bottle. Of course over the last few years I have found better, more "boutique" tequilas. Corralejo is mass-produced. I get that. In Mexico it's everywhere, at $11 a bottle. But around here (in New England), it has been mis-categorized as a "top-shelf" tequila, and it's overpriced. So instead of being $20 or $25 per bottle, it's nearly $40. So I don't buy it as a rule. But you know what? Just bought my first bottle of Corralejo repo in a couple years (paid $37 -ouch!), and here's the deal: I still REALLY like it. If it was $20 I'd never run out of it. Corralejo, mi corazón.

Cocktail Hour! The Silverano, a summer sipper.

It's only April and it's already hot. I was planning to publish this recipe later, but why wait?

First, gotta give credit where it's due. This drink is based largely on one called The Gibbons, designed by my man The Rev. Willie G of ZZ Top. I mean, I've been stealing his guitar licks my whole life, so why should this be any different?


El Gibbons: Engine-Coolant For Your Soul, Supercharged!

Secondly, why the name "Silverano," Pale Rider? It's the joining of the word silver, from the color of the drink, to the Spanish word "verano," which means summer. This baby is designed to be a refreshing summer coolerator (with a bite).

Start with a great blanco tequila. May I suggest one of my current favorites: Pura Vida or Siembra Azul. Pour a fat shot of it over lots of spring-water ice. Add in a couple ounces of Polar Lime Seltzer (or any other lime-tinged sparkling water), and here's the kicker: Drop in a ring or two of sliced jalapeño - you know, the ones that come in a jar. Pale Rider actually also adds-in a couple drops of the jal-juice from the jar. You may ask, "Why would I want a hot-spicy taste in my cooling cocktail?" And I'd reply, "Go ask the Mexicans. They live in the hottest climate in the western hemisphere, and eat blazingly spicy food every day," It's apparently an inverse theory; eating hot food makes the weather seem cooler to the body. I know from life-long personal experience, it works!

That being said, stir it all up real good, add a lime wedge to the edge and you're ready to enjoy a killin' coolin' cocktail - with a kick! The Silverano!

VARIATION: The SILVERANJO!
As above but use Orange Seltzer instead of the lime, and garnish the drink with an orange wheel.

Please Stand By....

Too busy to blog. While you wait, breathlessly no doubt, for my next pearls of blogdom, please enjoy Radio Pura Vida!

http://www.rfcmedia.com/radiopuravidaplayer.html

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!