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Mixto Is for LosersHere’s what else you need to know about good tequila |
For too many people, the word tequila conjures up memories of college drunk fests and the nasty hangovers that followed. This reputation is undeserved. A well-made tequila can be as delicate and nuanced as a Grand Cru, smooth and sweet enough to sip plain, even for folks who usually prefer their spirits mixed. A margarita made with fresh lime and good, young tequila tastes nothing like the cloyingly sweet concoction served in most bars. With flavors that vary widely from bright and citrusy to aged and smoky, tequila is fun to taste-test, to discover which you like best. But there are a few things you should know before you get started.
Read the Fine Print
Reject any bottle that doesn’t read “100% Agave.” All tequila is distilled from the spiky-leaved agave plant, specifically the Weber blue agave, in the Mexican state of Jalisco. After maturing to maximum sweetness for 6 to 10 years, the plant’s heart, or piña, is pulled up and stripped of its leaves. Weighing as much as 200 pounds, the piña is roasted, mashed, and milked of its sweet juice. That liquid is fermented, distilled, and, if it’s being made into aged tequila, stored in oak barrels.
Anything that doesn’t say “100% agave” is what’s called a mixto. That is, it’s a bastardized version of the real deal: a mix of fermented agave juice and up to 49 percent “neutral cane spirit”: fermented sugarcane with its flavor stripped out. Mixing the two is a cheaper way to make tequila, but the resulting flavor is less complex. Its yellow color will more than likely be artificial, only there to imitate the natural infusion of wood that aged tequila gets.
Anything that says “oro” or gold, is a mixto. So what’s that Cuervo Gold you’ve got in the back of the cabinet? The headache maker? Now that you know how to read the label, you know the answer. Get rid of it.
The Three Tequilas
There are three styles of tequila made with 100 percent agave. Just as you will get more out of wine tasting if you know the difference between a Syrah, a cabernet, and a merlot, so you should know your three tequilas.
Blanco
Meaning white or silver tequila, this style is not aged. Clear in color, it tastes strongly herbal and vegetal, like the agave plant it was made from. Flavor notes include pepper, citrus, sea salt, and floral. The concept of terroir (that the soil the product comes from influences its taste) applies to tequila. Tequilas made from agave fields in the mountains, referred to as “highland tequilas,” have a gentler, sweeter, and more flowery flavor; you might find them more approachable. Lowland tequilas have a more pungent flavor: The agave is stronger, which leads to a richer, rounder, earthier taste. Use an affordable Blanco in a top-shelf margarita. The bright, fruity notes will complement the orange liqueur and fresh lime juice.
The Good Stuff
Highland: El Tesoro Platinum, Siete Leguas Blanco, Corzo Silver.
Lowland: Cabo Wabo Blanco, Hacienda del Cristero, Partida Blanco
Less expensive for margaritas: Herradura Blanco, Don Julio Blanco
Reposado
Meaning “rested,” this style has been aged from two months to just under one year in oak barrels. It has a golden color and a mellow, smoky flavor. However, Reposado is still young enough to allow the agave flavor to shine through. If your tastes in other spirits run to the smoky, oaky, wooden flavors, you may prefer this style. Although some people like to use Reposado in margaritas, the more traditional way to drink it is to sip it at room temperature, neat.
The Good Stuff
Highland: Don Julio Reposado, Siete Leguas Reposado, Pueblo Viejo Reposado
Lowland: Herradura Reposado, Gran Centenario Reposado, Arette Seleccion Suave Reposado
Añejo
Translated as “aged,” this style sits from one to just under three years in oak barrels. Anything more is “extra Añejo,” which is gilding the lily. The smoky, woody flavor is more evident in Añejo tequila than in Reposado, and the agave taste is nearly imperceptible. In fact, the flavor can be very much like that of a light cognac. This is a sipping tequila, at room temperature, neat. It’s also the most expensive. If you use this in a margarita, you’ll be throwing your money away; its complexity will be lost in a cocktail.
The Good Stuff
Highland: El Tesoro, El Charro, Pura Sangre
Lowland: Los Abuelos, Normal Arette Añejo, Partida Añejo
I'm not a tequila snob yet, but I found the Don Julio reposado to be gob-smacking good. I've also got a bottle of Corralejo reposado to sample-- can't wait!
Hey Curly--Care to share it with me... please?
i am a big tequila fan, and two of the best tequila's i have had in a long time are don julio 1942($120/bottle-and worth every penny), and clasa azul. unfortunatley, i only found clasa azul in mexico. it has a sweet finish because it is aged in cherry wood barrels-AMAZING. you can buy it online for around $90-another one that is worth every penny. this will turn anyone into a tequila lover.
Not sure if it is widely (or at at all) available here, but I recently had an anjeo in mexio that was wonderful, called Tapatio. It's very fresh and not smoky or too woody tasting yet with a very nice aged smoothness. I think tequila novices will be totally shocked by this stuff and it could lead to more exploration.
El Tesoro reposado neat, margarita or martini.
Three things I noticed that are in the article that should be looked at
Plants are steam cooked not roasted
Mixto is used as a reference term in US but the 51% / 49% is called just Tequila not Mixto. People may look for this word in the bottle and will not find it, they will find only Tequila or for 100% Tequilas they will find
Tequila 100% de Agave or
Tequila 100% Puro de Agave or
Tequila 100% Agave Azul or
Tequila 100% Puro de Agave Azul
Terms which are outhorized by the NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana)
According to NOM Joven or Oro, translation Gold… but you almost never see Oro used in Mexico so if someone is buying tequila in MX if they see Joven now they know what it is.
Some others I like that you don’t mention and are incredible tequilas are Casa Noble, Chinaco, Centinela and Fina Estampa you may want to try them some day :)
Agavemark, I wander where they got their information...
I believe Tapatio is bottled under the brand El Tesoro de Don Felipe for the US market. Good stuff.
I find it odd that Patron got no mention at all. It's 100% and pretty ubiquitous.
Great article; I really enjoyed it.
Corazón, Centinela (3 años is amazing), Don Felipe, Don Agustín... all good stuff
I'm particularly fond of Tequila from the town of Arandas.
Clase Azul is amazing. Worth the trip to TJ :)
>> mc_michael said,
>> I find it odd that Patron got no mention at all. It's 100% and pretty ubiquitous.
As a tequila fan, I can tell you it's because Patron is vastly overrated. The tequila snobs won't even touch it, not because it's "too cheap", but because it's so harsh and low quality especially for the amount they charge for it.
Personally I recommend Don Julio, it's the same price but the quality is MUCH higher. I also have a fondness for Cabo Wabo as it started me interested in tequila but I know the snobs aren't very fond of it as they point out it has a more chemical taste than most tequilas.
I haven't jumped into the ultra premium market yet, it's bad enough spending ~$50 per 750ml bottle so I can't comment on that market.
Personally, I'd rather drink 1800 than Patron, same low quality, but 1/3rd the price.
Clase Azul can be purchased online and on the shelfs at Beverages and More. www.bevmo.com
It is also available at the Jug Shop and John Walker in San Francisco, CA.