Libations

[Too Tall]

Let's start with Tequila. Apparently we are Neanderthals, such is the obvious. Our house favorite is Casamigos blanco or Resposido neat or with a squeeze of lime served from a traditional ceramic Mescal cup.

Looking to up the game, I'm a little upset to find that the brand is not favored by the Tequila intelligentsia.

As a certified knuckle dragging Neanderthal who is grudgingly moved in any direction I've been looking into more traditional Tequila brands and quite frankly don't know who to believe.

Ocho is supposed to be terrific and does not stray from traditional methods???

On a side note I've got a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 yr. 750ml I found when cleaning out a cabinet. Anyone have a running Porsche they would like to trade?

[bigbill]

I like rum and we have a distillery about twenty miles from our AZ place. Desert Diamond Distillery that makes a great rum. The desert environment has big fluctuations in temperature which speeds up the aging process with the expansion and contraction of the barrels. Good stuff. I like their Vodka and I'm not a Vodka guy. I tried their initial batch of whiskey and had to apologize to my liver. I heard it's better now.

https://destinationdistillery.com/spirits/

In Wyoming, we live about 20 miles from Wyoming Whiskey and they acknowledged that their initial offering was not good. I have a bottle of that batch and it only gets used as a mixer. I tried their latest this summer and it was pretty good.

[Bob Ross]

Somewhat germane: The missus and I attended a Mezcal tasting party last week. Half a dozen different small-batch craft-distilled Mezcals ranging from $35/bottle to $150/bottle. Our biggest takeaway from the evening? We apparently don't like Mezcal!

But we do like tequila! If I'm going to actually sip it neat, or in a cocktail with so few other ingredients that I'm going to actually taste the tequila, then our favorite is 1800® Cristalino Anejo.

However, if it's going into margaritas -- or, perhaps surprisingly, if we're doing shots -- then our preference is for the relatively lowbrow but impressively drinkable Pepe Lopez Silver

[Too Tall]

Thanks Bob, I'll see if our ABC store has that.

[Tom]

If you like peaty Scotch whisky you probably like Mezcal. I don't. But I'm no help because any halfway decent tequila tastes pretty good to me.

[Ras72]

Spent 6 years in MX and like Bob, I learned I don't like Mezcal.
For sipping and cigars, the locals brought Don Julio 70 or another variation Don Julio to our gatherings. Make it chilled. But good at any temp.

[bcm119]

I like El Tesoro anejo for sipping. In margs, any decent blanco like Herradura or Patron. I don't think you have to spend a lot for good tequila.

[Too Tall]

Those are some brands I'm not yet aware of. I'll write a memo to my liver.

[Too Tall]

My local ABC store had Ocho in stock and it is spectacular. Most assuredly a waste in mixed drinks, this has some character.

[Dave Thompson]

As one who lived in Mexico for a number of years and who has many friends there, I found that El Jimador (brand of Tequila) was heartily welcomed when I came visiting. Jimador is a very blue collar Tequila that exhibits the smokey agave flavor I like, PLUS it’s quite inexpensive and commonly available in the U.S.

[bigbill]

On my last deployment, we made a port call in Hong Kong. Our favorite drinking spot, The Canny Man, always offered a shot of tequila when you walked in the door. It was plastic jug tequila, whatever was cheap. The irony was the wall behind the bar contained several dozen different brands of scotch. I worked my way across the wall as best I could. I asked why they offered tequila, the bartender said it was the owner's idea since most customers were expats and locals who would otherwise not drink it. On the second day, we were offered Monkey Shoulder neat, and my love affair with scotch began.

[robin3mj]

I am not a tequila sipper but have appreciated a good ranch water in recent years. And even more so, a mezcal rather than tequila.

Del Maguey is good, but their next level up, or La Creyente are my choices for a solid mezcal and soda.

[false_aesthetic]

Check this out: https://www.elpintortequila.com/

[sk_tle]

First of all, what do you tend to prefer in tequilas?

Living with a mexican women and getting back from my second long trip to Mexico the only thing I can assure you is you can ask 2 mexican and they will give you different favorite ones, both among distilleries name but also type of tequilas (blanco, joven, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo). It makes finding one you actually like very much a trial and error affair. And some like me and my partner are more in the Mezcal club. There is also so much variety of agaves used for Mezcal that I don't even comprehend the I don't like Mezcal sentence. A young mezcal made from Espadin maguey tastes very differently from an añejo made with Tobala.

I came back 2 weeks ago with a few bottles that I have yet to open so I may have different opinions in a while but I can tell you that I have no idea of the name of the best mezcal I have tried, because it was served in a 5 liters stickerless glass bottle (unlicensed one?). Only thing I knew is it was a gift from best friend of my mother in law when he returned from his last trip in Oaxaca. Having said that among those "easy to find online" I like a young Ojo de Tigre and among those I can find in store in my town in Spain I would favor the young Espadín from 400 conejos.

Going back to tequilas, among the relatively easy to source, I would say the Maestro Dobel Diamante. Among the affordable ones the ones from Espolón are much better than the terrible ones like the José Cuervo. I think I remember trying some Tequilas from Casa Dragones and Herradura that were quite good.

Having said that, I am still a novice in tequilas and Mezcal, having started dating 2 mexican women (not at the same time!) since covid time and spent only 2 month long trips to mexico. Luggage space is limited and there are so many stuff to visit and so many food to try that you can't spend all your time sipping tequila and mezcal. Before meeting my first mexican gf and actually been introduced to good ones, my experience with tequilas was limited to the terrible ones you find in europe and drink in shots to get drunk quickly, so I didn't have a real taste for them.

[Too Tall]

Thomas, I'm appreciating reposado that is only briefly aged in oak barrels. Espalon is pretty good and I've given the reposado from Casa Dragones a shot (wink) however it was nothing special.

Ocho reposado is by far the best or say my favorite Tequilla thus far. We take it neat with a squeeze of lime.

Honestly, I've never knowingly tried Mescal!!!

[sk_tle]