Tequila!

[sdnich]

52 minutes ago, KristyMisty14 said:

Thanks! Going there later in the year.... do you need to make a reservation for the tasting?

We’ve been there a couple of times and both times we went during the day when it is not busy. the bartender likes to talk about the tequila and we were able to try quite a few different varieties.I don’t know if they ever do a formal tasting we enjoyed the informality of it and the personal info it was  just a group of four of us.

[AquariusOne]

I was on Equinox in November last year. No bar on the ship had Anejo tequila. I had a Premium package for 2 reasons only. Single Malt Scotch or Blue Agave Anejo Tequila. I don’t like mixed or sweet drinks. However,  this was not the case in previous years on Celebrity, as we have only sailed Celebrity. I developed a taste of good tequila when I visited town of Tequila, near Guadalajara in Mexico. Did a tour of one of the oldest distillery That produces Tequila by name of HERRADURA. That is where I learned that Silver (or Blanco I think) is bottled right after production, Repssado (rested) is aged a bit longer and Anejo and extra Anejo are ‘old & extra old. We will be back on Celebrity again in the summer, hopefully we will find a bottle of single malt scotch or Extra Anejo Tequila. My last (3rd) choice was Red Dry wine. Drank that exclusively, In absence of Good sipping Tequila or Single Malt Tequila. 

[MEcruzr]

7 hours ago, boxkite said:

 

Here in Dallas Fortaleza has been well received and reviews have been great. Will buy a bottle at some point but need to finish some of my higher end Bourbon and Rum bottles first to make room in the bar!

 

My first thought was... you need a bigger bar. LOL

[AquariusOne]

Or drink more

[AquariusOne]

Just kidding 

[KristyMisty14]

58 minutes ago, AquariusOne said:

I was on Equinox in November last year. No bar on the ship had Anejo tequila. I had a Premium package for 2 reasons only. Single Malt Scotch or Blue Agave Anejo Tequila. I don’t like mixed or sweet drinks. However,  this was not the case in previous years on Celebrity, as we have only sailed Celebrity. I developed a taste of good tequila when I visited town of Tequila, near Guadalajara in Mexico. Did a tour of one of the oldest distillery That produces Tequila by name of HERRADURA. That is where I learned that Silver (or Blanco I think) is bottled right after production, Repssado (rested) is aged a bit longer and Anejo and extra Anejo are ‘old & extra old. We will be back on Celebrity again in the summer, hopefully we will find a bottle of single malt scotch or Extra Anejo Tequila. My last (3rd) choice was Red Dry wine. Drank that exclusively, In absence of Good sipping Tequila or Single Malt Tequila. 

Well fingers crossed for both of us that we can find some Anejo while on our cruises this summer.... you think with a premium package they would understand that their customers know what top shelf is and what it's not lol

[amunhbuu]

10 hours ago, KristyMisty14 said:

Well fingers crossed for both of us that we can find some Anejo while on our cruises this summer.... you think with a premium package they would understand that their customers know what top shelf is and what it's not lol

 

Rule of thumb with cruise lines... When they say premium, what they really mean is just above well.  😄

 

In my experience, the liquors rarely go for above $30 for 750ml and the wines rarely go above $15 for a bottle in the retail market.

[Altarose]

On 2/24/2020 at 2:01 PM, Bruin Steve said:

 

First, yeah, I'm a Tequila snob...It comes with having done many trips and cruises to Puerto Vallarta--the only region of Mexico where Tequila is made (Tequila, by law, must come from Jalisco State and some small areas in the adjacent states...the actual town of Tequila--where the drink originated--is in the hills between Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. The law is similar to how the French protect the name "Champagne")  and having toured several tequila factories and done many tastings...

 

That said, this list is actually quite disappointing.  First off, I NEVER drink ANY brand of "Silver" as a first choice.  Silver is, basically, what you use for mixed drinks--where you don't really care about the taste.

 

There are three types of Tequila:  Silver, Reposado and Anejo...Silver is what you get when you take the Tequila right out of the vat and bottle it--without any of the aging that gives better Tequilas their unique flavors (also leaves it with a harsher taste--yes, even Patron Silver--which is the reason for the need to suck the lime when drinking Silver.  Reposado is aged 6 months in a barrel...Some of the flavor of the wood gets into the Tequila and it acquires a light brown color...It is actually the most favored type of Tequila among Mexicans.  Anejo is aged in the barrel for not less than a full year--often a lot longer than that.  Anejo gets a richer, deeper brown color and a very rich flavor...really a prime sipping liquor--NOT something you'd mix with other ingredients in a cocktail...it's best sipped straight--like a high end Scotch.  Those of you ordering Margaritas and Tequila Sunrises and such, don't worry so much about "calling" your brand...The Juice or the Sweet and Sour mix is going to so overwhelm the Tequila that's in it that it really doesn't matter much...

 

If there's a big problem with this list, it's that there is no Anejo on the menu at all, even for the "premier" package...and, for the classic package, there isn't even a Reposado.  Now, I generally prefer a good Anejo (and no, that does not mean the over-hyped Patron)...Recently, I opened a bottle of Cazadores Reposado at home...it's not bad, but it really isn't that expensive either--I bought a liter at Costco here in SoCal, IIRC, for about $22...heck, I also have a liter of Cazadores Anejo which, IIRC, I still paid less than $30 for...At those sort of RETAIL prices, there's really no reason they shouldn't at least be on the "premium" menu--maybe even the Reposado on the classic menu!

Thank you for all the info on Tequila.  I've learned alot from your post.  I'm going to try some Reposado on my next cruise and I'll have it straight this time.  Sip, sip, sip, ahhhhhhh.

I just found a bottle of Pepe Zevodo (can't read the name exactly as it's in script) Anejo tequila.  Have you heard of it and is it good?  Haven't cracked it open yet.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Altarose
Addition

[markeb]

2 hours ago, Altarose said:

Thank you for all the info on Tequila.  I've learned alot from your post.  I'm going to try some Reposado on my next cruise and I'll have it straight this time.  Sip, sip, sip, ahhhhhhh.

I just found a bottle of Pepe Zevodo (can't read the name exactly as it's in script) Anejo tequila.  Have you heard of it and is it good?  Haven't cracked it open yet.

 

It sounds interesting. It's won some medals. Pepe Zevada is headquartered in Austin (Keep Austin Weird!), but of course the tequila is from Jalisco.

 

Anejo is kind of like Scotch. The wood, the cask, the aging, and time will all give it a different flavor profile. From caramel to vanilla and in between. Reposado "tends" to be more consistent, as the six months really smooths it out, and there are certainly different flavor profiles from one to another, but not generally as radical as there can be in Anejo or especially Extra Anejo or Super Anejo (aged well over a year). When you venture into Anejo, you're getting into the difference between a Highland single malt and a Islay single malt; they're both Scotch Whiskies, but there's very little similarity! I've had Anejo that you could (and I have) had as a dessert drink, for instance. The Z Tequila Anejo says it's aged 24 months (that's pretty long) and has notes of vanilla and maple. Sounds interesting. Haven't seen it in Virginia.

Edited February 26, 2020 by markeb

[PTC DAWG]

On 2/24/2020 at 4:49 PM, Cruizen Susan said:

Me thinks some are taking the fun out of my drinking preference. 😜

There’s always that guy.  

[hawk/hornfan]

On 2/25/2020 at 12:58 PM, KristyMisty14 said:

Thanks! Going there later in the year.... do you need to make a reservation for the tasting?

Yes you do. It is well worth the time and money. Also have lunch/dinner there before, the food is good.

[hawk/hornfan]

It has been 9 years since i have been to Cabo and Pancho's. At the end of our tasting our host not only invited us to his daughter wedding the following May (we were there in January) but gave us a sample of jose-cuervo-reserva-de-la-familia. Oh my was that smooth tequila! That is expensive stuff.

[KristyMisty14]

14 hours ago, hawk/hornfan said:

It has been 9 years since i have been to Cabo and Pancho's. At the end of our tasting our host not only invited us to his daughter wedding the following May (we were there in January) but gave us a sample of jose-cuervo-reserva-de-la-familia. Oh my was that smooth tequila! That is expensive stuff.

That's awesome!  I love Cabo!  We will go there for sure.  The good stuff is very smooooooth!

[boxkite]

On 2/25/2020 at 8:04 PM, MEcruzr said:

 

My first thought was... you need a bigger bar. LOL

 

Well yes, a bigger bar would be nice but DW would have something to say about that!

[AquariusOne]

21 hours ago, markeb said:

 

It sounds interesting. It's won some medals. Pepe Zevada is headquartered in Austin (Keep Austin Weird!), but of course the tequila is from Jalisco.

 

Anejo is kind of like Scotch. The wood, the cask, the aging, and time will all give it a different flavor profile. From caramel to vanilla and in between. Reposado "tends" to be more consistent, as the six months really smooths it out, and there are certainly different flavor profiles from one to another, but not generally as radical as there can be in Anejo or especially Extra Anejo or Super Anejo (aged well over a year). When you venture into Anejo, you're getting into the difference between a Highland single malt and a Islay single malt; they're both Scotch Whiskies, but there's very little similarity! I've had Anejo that you could (and I have) had as a dessert drink, for instance. The Z Tequila Anejo says it's aged 24 months (that's pretty long) and has notes of vanilla and maple. Sounds interesting. Haven't seen it in Virginia.

 

Anejo is kind of like Scotch - I agree. A good Anejo is a pleasure to sip, like Single Malt Scotch. These are two of my favourite drinks, plus Red Wine. A lot of people don't like Tequila, for that matter, Scotch also. But once you get over the 'mixed' suggery drinks, you really appreciate the true taste of these two spirits. 

 

[MEcruzr]

3 hours ago, boxkite said:

 

Well yes, a bigger bar would be nice but DW would have something to say about that!

 

LOL I'm the DW here... and I'm always saying we need more room in our bar. 🙂

[dara90210]

I always look at the menu and pick the most expensive one I can get with the drink package.  Usually it's Patron Silver (at least on Princess which is the line my last several cruises have been on), some times one bar will stock Patron Reposado.  Ordered over ice with a couple limes and I'm a happy camper!

[AquariusOne]

So, Siliver would be the lowest interms of againg. Here is some more information on Tequila Grades, from another website:

 

Blanco 

Other Aliases: Silver, Plata, White

Blanco tequila never sees the inside of an oak barrel. Without the influence of the wood, blanco tequila provides the purest expression of the agave’s natural flavors and clearly captures the terroir of the region where the blue agave was grown. Some producers choose to rest the tequila in steel tanks for less than two months to let the flavors settle a bit across batches before distributing it into individual bottles. But even this slight delay leaves most of the vivid, young, fiery flavors intact. 

Blanco tequila is often hotter than its mellowed, aged peers and blasts the palate with raw vegetal agave, grassy herbal notes, various types of citrus, black pepper and other spices, and even some natural sweetness from the agave itself (think agave nectar). This strong profile makes blanco tequila great in cocktails as the bold flavor can go toe to toe with any mixer you throw at it. By the same token, blanco can be a bit harsh for some palates. If you’re considering straight shots,  like Los Azulejos Silver (which layers on a smoky aroma) or Don Julio Blanco (full of citrusy grapefruit notes) for a complex taste without the harsh burn.

 

Reposado 

Other Aliases: Rested, Aged

After pounding shots of blanco tequila on your, you still have a few lessons to learn in the ways of agave. Patiently waiting for good things to come is the first of those lessons, which is immediately evident when sipping a reposado tequila. To make reposado, distillers take blanco tequila fresh from the still and store it in American or French oak barrels. Legally, reposado sits between blanco and añejo on the aging spectrum and must rest in the barrel for between two months and one year, which gives it just enough time to develop a unique flavor profile without losing younger notes from the original agave juice. 

During its time in the barrel, the tequila darkens to a subtle gold hue as it pulls tannins from the wood to create the warm flavors of caramel and honey. The tequila’s natural citrus and spice flavors don’t decrease but tend to round out as the tequila ages, which creates complex notes of dry chocolate, chilies, vanilla and cinnamon. Some producers opt for used barrels that previously housed or wine, which contribute even more flavors to the tequila’s evolution. Some reposados are hardy enough to support cocktails while subtler expressions are best sipped neat or over ice.

 

Añejo 

Other Aliases: Extra Aged, Vintage

If you leave tequila in the barrel for longer than a reposado, it becomes an añejo. Aged one to three years, añejo tequila takes on even more character from the wood, proving that true distinction comes with age. The size for añejo tequila is limited to 600 liters, so every drop gets a decent amount of interaction with the wood. 

That extra time intensifies the colors and notes of a reposado, darkens the tequila even further and produces a richer taste. Often, añejos move beyond the intense—and occasionally harsh—bite of young tequila when acidic tones are replaced with sugary, caramelized ones. That’s not to say añejo can’t have some edge. For example, we love  with Riazul Añejo because of its distinct funky notes of nuts, coffee and honey.

 

Extra Añejo 

Other Aliases: Ultra Aged

If the producers leave tequila in the barrel a day more than three years, it qualifies as extra añejo. This ultra aged spirit category was established in 2006, making it a relative newcomer in the. Extra añejo must be cut with water to temper the proof, which smoothes out the final product even more. While the extensive aging and occasional peatiness elicits comparisons to well-aged scotch, no age statement is required on extra-aged agave. Given the added prestige that comes with longer barrel time, many extra añejos fetch top dollar.  

 

Joven 

Other Aliases: Gold, Oro

This smaller category of tequila can be tricky to navigate in your local liquor store. Gold tequila often refers to mixto tequila, which is made by adding sugar, colorings, flavorings, oak extracts or glycerin in order to emulate aged reposados and añejos. Because these tequilas aren’t made with 100 percent agave, the entire category tends to demand lower prices than honestly aged tequila. 

On the other hand, is made by blending a majority of blanco with a smaller cut of aged tequila without the added sugars and flavorings commonly found in Gold. Combining several types of tequila produces a nuanced product reminiscent of blended scotch. Joven is particularly adept in cocktails as it provides the bright citrus of blanco and the vibrant character of rested tequila all in one neat package. Give joven a try if you happen upon a bottle, but chances are slim that your local corner shop will stock this relatively rare variety.

 

 

[KristyMisty14]

27 minutes ago, AquariusOne said:

So, Siliver would be the lowest interms of againg. Here is some more information on Tequila Grades, from another website:

 

Annnnd Silver makes me puke in my mouth a little ... 🤪  (kidding kinda)