Our neighbors, Whit and Jan from Monterey, CA are tequila aficionados. This is to my great benefit because I know very little about the stuff except I like to sip it the odd time. The other night at Happy Hour Whit and Terrie, our other neighbor from Nova Scotia pulled out a couple of bottles that they had just bought at the local Soriana store to taste. They were both very good and one, Viva Agave, was outstanding for the price. It cannot legally be called tequila because it was not made in the Municipality of Tequila just northwest of Guadalajara. It is however, made from 100% agave plant and is Reposado (aged), the two things that make great tequila!
The price, you may ask? $46 pesos, or about $4.10 Canadian for a 750ml bottle. This stuff puts even the most expensive tequilas we can get in Canada to shame. It is very smooth and has none of the after bite Canadians are used to. It is reminiscent of a good Single Malt. This tequila does not reguire the sucking of a lime to get the taste out of your mouth! I bought some more expensive “real” tequilas in the town of Tequila that I will take home but this Viva Agave is every bit as good at a quarter the price!
I suggest you try:
ReplyDeleteGran Centenario - I prefer the Añejo, but they also have a reposado
Don Julio is another good one
Those are a little pricier and high end.
I keep a bottle of a good añejo in the freezer for sipping tequila
Have fun learning tequila!!
Thanks Ron. Gran Centenario is the one I bought in Tequila - it was recommended by a merchant there. Thanks for the freezer trick. I will try that.
ReplyDelete“It cannot legally be called tequila because it was not made in the Municipality of Tequila just northwest of Guadalajara.”
ReplyDeleteThis statement is not accurate. The deciding factor in what is or is not tequila is the variety of agave from which it is made. This is the definition per the tequila standards in Mexico. Taken from this web site http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/laws.htm which has EVERYTHING that you would want to know about tequila.
'The only species allowed for purposes of this NOM, is the tequilana weber blue variety, grown and harvested within the territory specified in the Declaration.'
All other distilled spirits made from an agave are called mezcal which can be very good and much cheaper – or they can be very BAD; know your mezcal.
BTW, my favorite is Herradura Tequila distilled in the Municipality of Amatitan, Jalisco, Mexico.
Another factor on its denomination is that it is 51% not 100% agave (49% sugar cane), which I suspect is what gives it its smoothness. I have some expensive tequilas but will put this alongside them for both mixing and drinking. In the end it's what you like, not the label.
ReplyDelete