Reply With QuoteI agree
I purchased a bottle of patron last year
It was smooth , you can drink it on its own
I'm no expert but would like to try more types of 100% agave
Andy
This is a drink that in the UK is associated with lemon, salt and Neurofen (of any variety!!) For anyone interested in a recommendation, I travel frequently to California and following a conversation with a Mexican friend, she suggested I try some high-end Tequila rather than the BBQ lighter stuff we get in the UK. There is a superb Mexican restaurant in Paso Robles, Fish Gaucho, with a large selection of Tequila and I tried most of the recommended types over a couple of evenings. The Casa Nobles Anejo is simply superb, very much like a smooth cognac with a tequila after-taste.
I may just be enjoying a small glass to celebrate my new (watch) arrival.
Last edited by Skier; 10th July 2016 at 10:29.
I agree
I purchased a bottle of patron last year
It was smooth , you can drink it on its own
I'm no expert but would like to try more types of 100% agave
Andy
Ive only tried a decent tequila once in germany at a posh bar. Never been able to find one like it over here. I sometimes buy sierra tequila and put strawberries in the bottle, chopped into quarters..it sucks all of the colour and flavour out and when they go pale after 3/4 days drink it served ice cold in a shot glass. Nice!
Tried the Casa Dragones in Miami the other month, was very interesting, I liked it, but the price made it the most expensive shots I have had the pleasure of consuming
I love tequila - one of the most underrated spirits in my opinion. It can get very expensive, very fast however.
Really? I always thought that, a bit like gin, you can get pretty good Tequila if you know what you are looking for, for relatively little money. But I have never tried any expensive tequila so maybe that is why. At uni my flatmate had loads of Mexican friends who always brought tequila around. I miss those days.Originally Posted by Beaunidle
I have some good Tequila in my drinks cabinet in the office, it's significantly better than the rubbish you get in pubs.
"A man of little significance"
For a more interesting (obviously IMO) tipple try some Mezcal. A really interesting drink with lots going on.
I'm a big fan of tequila, too. For something reasonably priced try Tapatio Blanco, cheap enough to use in cocktails and good enough to drink on its own. Herradura Anejo is great, too (as is the white Plata version).
On my third Margherita as I type !! 😝
What's the perfect margarita then ?
Not had one in a few weeks, we have been going for martini's but I love a good margherita, i do not use sugar or syrup though, substitute stevia.
Well here's a poor mans Margherita and it's fab and easy , crushed ice, squeezed quarter of lime , generous shot of Tequila , mixed with Tesco finest freshly squeezed still lemonade ( it's Tangy !! ) and salted rim ( oooer missis )
The Salty Chihuahua is my favourite tequila cocktail; 2 measures of Tequila, 1 of Triple Sec (or Cointreau), 4 measures of Pink Grapefruit juice, shake with ice in a cocktail mixer, drain and serve in a salt-rimmed glass.
I have an American friend who is a proper Tequila aficionado, he judges National Tequila tasting competitions. He has the most amazing Tequila collection I've ever seen, some of the bottles are works of art.
This is his bar at home and just some of his collection.
Anyway he came to stay with me last Xmas and bought me a bottle of Crotalo Tequila. It tastes like a really good malt Whiskey with a hint of something extra. Fine Tequila is amazing stuff, we are just very ignorant about Tequila in Europe as it's not popular here, it would be if you tried the better quality Anejo's. Amazing just drunk straight or with ice
Tequila is my wife's preferred tipple and good ones are thin on the ground in the UK but as mentioned above Patron and Herradura are decent and widely available. Herradura is the best value in our view. These two are only seen as mass market mid-range in Mexico though - the quality and choice available in the Americas is amazing. We're fortunate also in Edinburgh that there's a Mexican themed bar here with a huge imported selection (I believe the owner has family there).
Most people's only experience of Tequila is with brands that trigger the gag reflex on me.
Classic Margarita is
2 shots Tequila
1 shot Cointreau
1 shot fresh lime juice
Shaken over ice.
For a good alternative use 1 shot of Agave Syrup instead of Cointreau.
The latter is the recipe for a Tommy's Margarita.
If you are in Edinburgh it's worth checking out Lupe Pintos, they have a quite a few good Tequilas in stock and do regular tasting sessions (I've been to a few in their Glasgow store).
Tequila is my spirit of choice. Absolutely love the stuff. Patron is my favourite but I'm a bit of a heathen and drink it with orange juice. (And grenadine if I'm feeling fancy)!
The Paloma is a great drink:
2 measures tequila
(2 measures pink grapefruit)
1/2 measure lime
(1/4 agave)
Top up with Ting
I've seen recipes that leave out the juice and agave.
Iam a malt whiskey drinker and always associated tequila with a rough harsh taste washed down with salt and lemon. A friend bought me a glass of patron tequila platinum and it was fantastic to drink, smooth and pleasant to drink and filled with flavour, the equal of a good single malt. I decided to buy a bottle only to find out it was £185 a bottle. I bought a cheaper bottle I think it was silver and it was still a descent drink.
I had several shots of this at our work xmas party last week, very nice it was and has convinced me to have a bit more of a look at Tequila in general!
I am looking on here:
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/C-359.aspx
I enjoyed the Casa Noble but any other suggestions?
"she suggested I try some"
That is magic word. Go for it.
My best memories with tequila is that I bought first Gran Turismo for Playstation 1 with bottle of Tequila. I will always remember that I feld like shit even at 2200 next evening.
-OD
I was taught whilst in the US on holiday to have a tequila with an orange wedge instead of the lemon/salt. Works for me.
Fish
I'm generally a whiskey fan and thought all tequila a bit rough and sulphur tasting but I tried lots of nice ones out in Canada which changed my mind. My favourite was Cabo Wabo Reposado but unfortunately I can't see any for sale in the UK.
I've tried a wide range of Mescal and Tequila when in Texas, but this is by far the best I have ever had. I've not seen it outside of Texas though, so good luck finding it.
http://www.tequilareviews.com/anejo/riazul/
Thoroughly recommend this mix for Margarita - it's how they do it at Wahaca and is the business.
70 ml Tequila
50 ml Agave Syrup
30 ml Lime (freshly squeezed)
Shake very well and pour over crush ice. Try it, you'll not regret it.
That's a *very* sweet Tommy's Margarita (see post further back).
Likely to be half/half agave syrup and water.
I got a bottle of Cleo Rocos' Aqua Riva and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know that she was a Tequila aficionado.
My margarita recipe - equal measures tequila, Cointreau, roses lime juice and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.......
Half way through one now - should post on the "how much do I drink" thread.....
I like the Cabo Wabo, too - I brought a bottle back with me from the US a couple of years ago, it didn't last long....
I just bought a bottle of Ilegal Reposado Mezcal at the weekend - amazing smoky flavour, I highly recommend it! For those who don't know Tequila is a regional drink, basically Mezcal made in a certain part of Mexico, outside of that region the same drink is called Mezcal. The Mezcal name has something of a bad name with some really nasty stuff exported (the famous one with the Agave worm in the bottle), but good Mezcal can be excellent.
"Desperate for a good agave-based spirit to stock at his bar (Café No Sé) in Antigua, John Rexer began smuggling artisanal mezcal from Mexico to Guatemala using banditos, river rafts, bribes, disguises, and late night drop points. As word spread about Rexer's illegal mezcal, travelers and tourists, journalists and photographers and lawyers and businessmen began patronizing Rexer's bar and smuggling the mezcal from Guatemala back to the United States. Simply put, Ilegal Mezcal began as an illegal pursuit to stock Café No Sé with some of the finest spirits being distilled in Mexico.
Today, the journey of Ilegal Mezcal begins in the agave fields of Tlacolula, Mexico. There, under the watchful eye of master distiller Eric Hernandez, expert mezcaleros harvest agave plants that are nearly a decade old and have reached their peak of maturity. After the agave has been harvested, the hearts of the agave, or piñas, are transported to Hernandez's distillery.
At the distillery, the piñas are cooked in a pit oven for approximately five days. The oven is heated by a wood furnace dug below the pit, and kindled with oak, mesquite and eucalyptus (this gives the mezcal its signature, smoky flavor). After the piñas have been cooked, they are chopped into smaller pieces and finally crushed to a mash by a tahona, a stone mill drawn by a horse (Hernandez's horse is named Caballo Sin Nombre, which means "a horse with no name"). The mash is then fermented for up to two weeks by airborne yeasts before it is distilled twice, first through small, stainless steel alembic stills and then again through copper alembic stills.
Ilegal Mezcal Reposado is aged for four months in 200-liter, medium-charred American oak casks. It has notes of smoky agave, along with a touch of green apple, mesquite, and oak.
Each Ilegal Mezcal is certified by COMERCAM (Mexico's regulatory body for mezcal) as being produced naturally — the only ingredients in the mezcal are 100% wild espadín agave, Oaxacan sun, water and time.
"Mezcal is very small, very artisanal," says Rexer. "You can taste the difference from village to village, because of the water, because of whether the agave are processed in a clay pot or a copper pot. It's handcrafted.""
Good thread.
After a period of overindulgence when younger, I rather thought my tequila days were over, but then recently I was given a bottle of Legenda del Milagro Select Barrel Reserve.
This is a limited-edition 100% agave and comes in a spectacular bottle and packaging and I haven't yet been able to bring myself to open it.
I wonder if anyone knows this stuff and has any views on it and how best to enjoy it. I'm not a fan of orange based drinks or margaritas, and my previous experience is pretty much limited to slammers (with tonic), salt & lemon shots, and - ahem - snorting.
Last edited by DMC102; 14th July 2016 at 16:04.
You got me intrigued with this so I have ordered an Anejo variant - believe it or not via Amazon!I just bought a bottle of Ilegal Reposado Mezcal at the weekend - amazing smoky flavour, I highly recommend it! For those who don't know Tequila is a regional drink, basically Mezcal made in a certain part of Mexico, outside of that region the same drink is called Mezcal. The Mezcal name has something of a bad name with some really nasty stuff exported (the famous one with the Agave worm in the bottle), but good Mezcal can be excellent.
"Desperate for a good agave-based spirit to stock at his bar (Café No Sé) in Antigua, John Rexer began smuggling artisanal mezcal from Mexico to Guatemala using banditos, river rafts, bribes, disguises, and late night drop points. As word spread about Rexer's illegal mezcal, travelers and tourists, journalists and photographers and lawyers and businessmen began patronizing Rexer's bar and smuggling the mezcal from Guatemala back to the United States. Simply put, Ilegal Mezcal began as an illegal pursuit to stock Café No Sé with some of the finest spirits being distilled in Mexico.
Today, the journey of Ilegal Mezcal begins in the agave fields of Tlacolula, Mexico. There, under the watchful eye of master distiller Eric Hernandez, expert mezcaleros harvest agave plants that are nearly a decade old and have reached their peak of maturity. After the agave has been harvested, the hearts of the agave, or piñas, are transported to Hernandez's distillery.
At the distillery, the piñas are cooked in a pit oven for approximately five days. The oven is heated by a wood furnace dug below the pit, and kindled with oak, mesquite and eucalyptus (this gives the mezcal its signature, smoky flavor). After the piñas have been cooked, they are chopped into smaller pieces and finally crushed to a mash by a tahona, a stone mill drawn by a horse (Hernandez's horse is named Caballo Sin Nombre, which means "a horse with no name"). The mash is then fermented for up to two weeks by airborne yeasts before it is distilled twice, first through small, stainless steel alembic stills and then again through copper alembic stills.
Ilegal Mezcal Reposado is aged for four months in 200-liter, medium-charred American oak casks. It has notes of smoky agave, along with a touch of green apple, mesquite, and oak.
Each Ilegal Mezcal is certified by COMERCAM (Mexico's regulatory body for mezcal) as being produced naturally — the only ingredients in the mezcal are 100% wild espadín agave, Oaxacan sun, water and time.
"Mezcal is very small, very artisanal," says Rexer. "You can taste the difference from village to village, because of the water, because of whether the agave are processed in a clay pot or a copper pot. It's handcrafted.""
I was at a mescal tasting a couple of years back, and the chap from the brand had brought with him something that I'd never tasted before - pit-roasted agave leaves. The process for making mescal / tequila is relatively straightforward (as described further up), but you rarely get to try this part of the process. The leaf was a bit like nopales in texture, but with a smoky sweetness that was just incredible. Mesquite and other local woods must have been used (I can't find my tasting notes), and the sugars in the leaves form the basis of the liquid that gets distilled - an agave mash, I suppose. Anyway, I've never seen them again. If I ever visit Mexico, it's something I'll be sure to seek out.
I don't think you will be disappointed!
I think most of the juice comes from the Agave hearts or piña, these look quite a lot like pineapples. As far as I can tell the leaves aren't used in the production of the liquor.
Not a big tequila fan but my overly social Mexican friends have pumped me full of this stuff over the years.
Tequila liqour, tastes like sweets.
I'd assumed that, a bit like an artichoke, the leaves grow from the piña, tapering outwards. Therefore the bottom of the leaf is fleshy. Of course, it may just have been a slice of piña we tasted...
There's a photo embedded in this post http://365wholefoods.blogspot.co.uk/...americana.html
Put it in a tumbler and sip it like a fine Whisky/Cognac/Rum after a good meal. It doesn't need to be mixed with anything.
I like mine straight like this, but it is also nice on the rocks with a slice of lime. I find that you lose very little of the flavour that way.
One traditional way to drink it is with a glass of Sangrita alongside, you take alternate sips of the tequila and the Sangrita.
There are plenty of Sangrita recipes available on the net, I make a simple one with Orange Juice, Tomato Juice, Lime juice, grenadine and hot sauce.
I was recommended this by a barman in Scotland, its lovely IMO with or without ice. Already ordered another bottle.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Montelobos-...rds=montelobos
With the news that George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman have just sold their tequila business (Casamigos) for $1bn I thought it an appropriate time to add to the thread. The Casamigos Anejo is superb, very smooth and is up there with other favourites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40357768
Last edited by Skier; 25th June 2017 at 20:20.
Well, as they say.........
One tequila, Two tequila, Three tequila ......... floor.
Al
Spent an evening with a friend of mine recently, he'd brought back a couple of bottles of this after spending a week in Mexico with work. His kids(!) helped us make up some sangrita; we used fresh pomegranates, limes and oranges along with tabasco and black pepper to taste. The tequila itself was lovely on it's own, sweet and smooth with a warm kick finish however the sangrita really worked well, if you have a bottle of blanco then it's well worth making up your own.
Have also just treated myself to a bottle of this, considered the Casamigos Anejo as per a couple of posts above however a bottle of Dalmore 18 ordered at the same time meant that £40 was enough considering I'm a newbie to decent tequila!
Earlier in friends garden. Special gift from Mexican naval attache. Individually numbered bottle.
Not bad too.
I may just have a small glass of this on the go right now; it's very good.
[IMG][/IMG]
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