Tequila Details

Name: Leyenda del Milagro Silver (Blanco)
NOM: 1420
Distillery: Industrializadora de Agave San Isidro, SA de CV
Location: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.milagrotequila.com

Review Notes

Milagro is crystal clear and the first thing that strikes me is the smokey pear aromas that are drifting from the glass. There is however something in the nose of this tequila that I don’t like, but I can’t decide what it is…it could just be that I’m not to keen on pears. There’s a strong alcohol aroma which I’m afraid to say is not helping those wonderful agave smell, why they have allowed that I’ll never know. It’s a very vegetal tequila and there is just a hint of vanilla there. As I coat the sides of my glass I notice that it’s thick and oily, it’s got slow tears and it doesn’t really want to bead. The agave, unlike in the nose, is however there in taste and just like appearances it has an oily texture, whilst at the same time having a sort of ‘watered down’ feel to it. Quite odd. There’s a very short burn to the tequila which hangs around just long enough to make your tongue go numb and then fades, I feel that has more to do with alcohol than agave. Mixed in between all of this is vanilla, it’s presence in taste is much greater than it was in the nose. As I inhale across my tongue I can vividly taste and smell the vanilla, regrettably I’m not enjoying it all that much as there is an incredibly strong bitter mint flavour  in the finish which is really not doing it for me. I find this blanco to be lackluster.

Even Milagro think you should be using their product for mixing

Now, I had expected much of this tequila and perhaps that’s not the best way to go into a tasting. This tequila has won numerous awards (albeit for cocktails) and perhaps I’m missing something…but I doubt it. I’ve drunk from this bottle three times to write this review and each time it’s the same story. Milagro I feel that you’ve let me down. You built up my hopes just to dash them as soon as we began. Quite how this tequila is picking up awards simply amazes me.

This is in no way a sipping tequila, it has no business being in a Riedel glass. All in all you’re going to have more enjoyment out of this tequila by using it as a mixer. Yes, yes it’s an relatively inexpensive tequila…but still! Perhaps the qualities that make is unsuitable as sipping tequila lend itself to the creation of cocktails?

I’m underwhelmed, disappointed…oh, and did I mention I’ve got a bottle of the Reposado here too?!

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Details

Name: Tequila Avión Silver
NOM: 1416
Distillery: Productos Finos de Agave, S.A. de C.V.
Location: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.tequilaavion.com

Review Notes

Tequila Avión is a highlands tequila and that’s obvious from the first sniff. The floral and sweet aromas typical of highlands tequila are there. We’ve sat on this review for quite a while now as we wanted to do it justice, Tequila Avión is an incredibly balanced high-end tequila. Now I’ve been drinking tequila for quite some time so I knew from the first sip that we had a contender on our hands, but it’s so balanced that I wanted to be sure that I was picking it all up and we’d do the brand justice. As I swirl the tequila in my Riedel glass I’m seeing quick legs and clear beading on the glass. The aroma is clean and crisp, the agave pepper is subtle with very little alcohol aroma coming off of it. The taste is sweet and light with the quality of the water used in the production of this tequila being very apparent. Avión themselves claim that there are clear mint aromas and flavours in the mix but I just couldn’t pick them out. The citrus flavours that are present are surprisingly of pineapple, which was a real pleasure, the finish is soft, smooth with a hint of agave. This is something that I think the current tequila market is going to lap up. We only have the blanco in our hands at the moment, but I can’t help but wonder what the wood is going to bring to it all. We’ll do our best to get back to you on that.

The creators of Avión tequila didn't have to pay a penny for all the priceless publicity the new booze brand has gotten on this season of "Entourage" -- all it took was 35 years of friendship

I think it’s worth mentioning that the stopper in this bottle is cork, a lot of brands are stepping over to synthetic materials (which is fine) but I feel the cork gives the bottle a bit more ‘class’ and ‘polish’. I’m finding myself asking whether we’ve got another el Patrón on our hands here, market-wise that is. Tequila Avión is coming out of the blocks with a very hard hitting marketing campaign. They’re all over the social networks and getting their product on to a hit show such as ‘Entourage’ is going to do nothing but rocket their profile. Tequila Avión is a very smooth well balanced tequila that is going to appeal to people new to tequila and aficionados alike.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Details

Name: Sauza Hornitos Reposado
NOM: 1102
Distillery: Tequila Sauza, S.A. de C.V.
Location: Lowlands – Central
Website: http://www.hornitostequila.com/

Review Notes

Hornitos reposado is pale yellow with a light agave nose. It has an intense floral smell, is lightly spiced and is somewhat earthy. The initial taste is sweet with a light alcohol effect, which isn’t the unpleasant burning sensation that you might be familiar with from the standard ‘mixto’ Sauza. There are hints of caramel and wood present with strong citrus fruit flavours, which is why I think it lends itself to making a great Margarita. The alcohol sticks around after swallowing, but not for an excessive amount of time, and leaves your tongue somewhat numb…but once again for only a short period.

Now, Hornitos is certainly not my first choice when I’m sipping tequila…but it definitely doesn’t offend me. If you’re new to the tequila scene and looking for a multi purpose bottle then you certainly could do far worse than picking up a bottle of Hornitos.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Details

Name: La Cava de Don Agustín Reposado
NOM: 1456
Distillery: Tequila Supremo, S.A. De C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://mexplaza.udg.mx/arandina (no longer active)

Review Notes

Light amber in colour this reposado has a moderate agave presence with a clear caramel nose. Additionally there are floral tones as well as an oaky aroma. It is sweet to the taste with that clear caramel smell coming through onto your tastebuds. I’m also sensing something nutty in the mix, perhaps hazelnuts. The finish is smooth, a little bitter, with a strong peppery aftertaste. This is a somewhat complex and powerful tequila offering some serious value for money.

Originally named La Arandina, after the town that houses the distillery, the company was founded in 1938 by Don Jose Agustín Camerena, a visionary man with an entrepeneur spirit who forged a family tradition based on one dream: to produce the best tequila, taking the best agave flavour from Los Altos of Jalisco, not only to Mexico, but to the rest of the world.

Tempted?

¡Salud y’all!

We headed out one afteroon to the ‘Gendarmenmarkt’ and after a bit of sightseeing I spotted a bar across the square with lines and lines of bottles of strong drink, surely they’d have tequila amongst it all. The bar is it happens was ‘Newton-Bar‘, highly regarded as one of the best bars in the world (they have a bottle of Dom Perignon on the menu for a cool €1.5M should you find yourself feeling flush whilst there). I browsed the menu and after drinking Milagro, Casa Noble, Don Julio and Espolón the barman and I got into a conversation about tequila and we of course got on to the point that price is not always a good representation of quality. He then grabbed a glass, reached for a bottle that had never been opened, poured a healthy measure and said “You’re the first person that’s been in this bar that understands tequila, you’d best tell us if this is any good”.

Tequila Details

Name: DeLeón Diamante
NOM: 1519
Distillery: Agroindustrias Casa Ramirez, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.deleontequila.com

Review Notes

Diamante is a crystal clear blanco with slow tears, a wonderfully sweet agave aroma (typical of Highland tequilas), with a gorgeous floral and honey nose. DeLeón accredit this all to the altitude at which the tequila is grown…and DeLeón grow theirs more than 7,500 feet above sea level. The smell is reflected in the taste of Diamante which is both wonderfully sweet with honey flavours and incredibly smooth. In the production of this tequila DeLeón use pure spring water from two exclusive natural spring wells, serving the family’s private distillery, and I can promise you that the quality of the water that has been used is very obvious. Diamante has a pleasant light pepper burn that resides on the middle of the tongue and the agave warms your throat for some time after you’ve swallowed.

This bottle really is something special, I thank all those at ‘Newton-Bar’ for their hospitality and for giving me the opportunity to try it. In answer to the barman’s question, it is indeed a fine bottle and should you ever have the opportunity (I understand it’s quite hard to get hold of due to limited production) then be sure to try it for yourself. Yes it’s a little pricey, but you will not regret it!

Oh, and I paid for the next measure!

¡Salud y’all!

Don Julio Anejo is 100% Blue Weber Agave , double distilled, and rested in charred American oak bourbon barrels for 18 months. Each agave is hand selected at maturity and only the heart of the distillation is used, as it is the purest part, free from most impurities.

Tequila Details

Name: Don Julio Añejo
NOM: 1449
Distillery: Tequila Don Julio, S.A. DE C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.donjulio.com

Review Notes

This añejo is light amber with a wonderful nose of citrus fruits, caramel and spice. It’s sweet to the taste with a mix of honey, butterscotch, spices and peppery agave. The finish is of  medium duration with a pleasing balance of  smoked oak (which comes from the charred barrels) and hot agave. There is no alcohol burn, it’s just smooth all the way down.

It’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Don Julio in general. When it comes to tequila Don Julio seriously know what they’re doing. If you’ve never drunk tequila before in your life then you should pick up a bottle of Don Julio (the entire range is fantastic) and see what you’ve been missing. This is premium tequila at a perfect price.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Notes

Brand: Herencia de Plata Reposado
NOM: 1124
Distillery: Tequilas del Señor, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Web Site: http://www.tequilasdelsenor.com.mx

Review Notes

This reposado is golden in colour with a caramel, oak and vanilla nose to it. You instantly taste the agave as well as spicy (cinnamon) flavour with a deep woody flavour. It is worth noting that this is a very sweet tequila that may not be to everyone’s tastes. The agave finish is hot but not unpleasant and your left with a delightful aftertaste of vanilla and fruit.

This is a great bottle of tequila for your money, and would be a great starting point for those beginning with tequila drinking.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Notes

Brand: Los Pilones Anejo
NOM: 1124
Distillery: Tequilas del Señor, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Web Site: http://www.tequilasdelsenor.com.mx

Review Notes

This añejo is a pale golden colour, with a buttery caramel, vanilla, and fruit nose. I’ve got this in a high stemmed glass and I’m sure that fruity aroma is banana. It’s definitely a sweet añejo and I’m really enjoying sticking my nose into the glass. I’m detecting a very strong agave body with a subtle mix of other spices. On my tongue the agave is warm and welcoming. There’s a heated yet sweet finish of medium duration with a lingering aftertaste of vanilla and agave. My nose is back in the glass, I really like how this smells.

This is a really enjoyable tequila and I’m definitely going to have to pick up a bottle of the blanco and reposado to see how they fare.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Notes

Brand: Herraduro Reposado
NOM: 1119
Distillery: Brown – Forman Tequila Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.
Region: Lowlands – Central
Web Site: http://www.herradura.com

Review Notes

This reposado is a light golden colour with a very strong floral nose. I’ve drunk this from both a caballito and a long stemmed glass and I’ve got to admit that I personally prefer it from a caballito as the long stemmed glass really intensifies that floral aroma. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just my that for me I’d prefer to smell the oaky caramel that’s advertised. Under the floral aroma the agave is clear and I also pick up earthy and fruity undertones, making me think of apples (almost reminiscent of calvados). This reposado is initially light on the tongue but is yet somewhat sweet and spicy (cinnamon) all at the same time. It has a relatively short finish with only the alcohol sensation choosing to go the distance.

Considering the bottle is waining it’s clear to say that I don’t dislike this tequila, but for the money you will most certainly find a better reposado for sipping.

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila Notes

Brand: Tres Generaciones Anejo
NOM: 1102
Distillery: Tequila Sauza, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Lowlands – Central
Web Site: http://www.sauzatequila.com

Review Notes

Upon first inspection it looks more the colour of a reposado than an añejo. The aroma is also a bit confusing, there’s a clear oak nose coming off of it with something else in the mix that makes me think more of whisky than tequila. The whiskyesque quality comes through in taste of this particular tequila too, it’s just too oakey is best how I can describe it and is no doubt a by product of being aged in old bourbon barrels. The agave bite just isn’t quite there for me, but the alcohol flavour is very clear and pronounced. This tequila have very different characteristics from other añejos that I’ve drunk, the pure alcohol flavour from it is just a bit more than I think an añejo should have.

It’s not a bad bottle, but it’s not a great bottle either. Sauza regard this as the crowning achievement of the Sauza family distillery, I actually prefer the blanco over this.

Oh…and I think the odd smell could be butterscotch…but I could be mistaken!

¡Salud y’all!