Tequila in $100 range or so ( or better).

Brought a bottle of Don Julio 1942 to a friends and he broke out the shot glasses.

I said "NO" and told him to break out a 'sniffer' glass and he was a deer in headlights.

My goal was to "enjoy" the drink much like drinking Scotch not to get drunk at a high price.

Was I wrong?

Neat, room temperature, brandy snifter or champagne flute. If it burns, it ain't good tequila.

My version of expensive tequila is Patron Silver. I like it with a couple ice cubes and sip it.

Expensive anything should be savored, not shot. Can you? Sure, but shots are for cheap liquor and people who haven't grown up yet.

Snifter for me.

I put the money towards good scotch.

I have not found a tequila I really like (including Don Julio 1942). The ones I have had just seem kind of bland and one-dimensional to me.

I have, however, really been enjoying good mezcal recently. Current favorites are Del Maguey Chichicapa and Del Maguey Tobalo. Mezcal Koch Madrecuiche is pretty good, too. All of those are somewhere around the $80-120 range.

Del Maguey Vida is surprisingly good for $33 a bottle where I shop.

None of the ones I have listed here are smoke bombs, but (of course) they do all have some smoke.

I would make a margarita with Vida, but it's still good enough to drink neat. The others I only drink neat, usually out of a Glencairn whiskey glass.

Also, if you make margaritas, do yourself a favor and buy a bottle of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. It is made the traditional way by steeping bitter orange peels in brandy and tastes FANTASTIC, not like the orange popsicle garbage that is most Curacao/Triple Sec. I think it's better than Cointreau and Grand Marnier, too.

I agree with neat and room temp... if you have to one cub of ice... but for sure that stuff is not for shooting or slamming but sipping.

the interesting thing I can't figure out is why high end tequila like you mentioned spends 3 years getting just right when bourbon and scotch take 12 or more.

I actually belong to a group that meets once a year at a convention that is called "friends of Don" and we usually pick a night and sit around and sample Don Julio. Really really good tequila you can drink straight.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
the interesting thing I can't figure out is why high end tequila like you mentioned spends 3 years getting just right when bourbon and scotch take 12 or more.

Most bourbons, except the super-high-end, are aged much less than 12 years.

I think the biggest reason Scotch takes longer is that the barrels are almost always already used.

To be bourbon, a spirit has to be aged in a new, toasted oak barrel.

Scotch is mostly aged in once-used American bourbon barrels (although there is a fair amount of experimentation with used barrels from other sources, frequently various wine barrels).

Neat. Last night was Montelobos enjoyed neat.

Don Julio 1942 is for sipping neat, or with a couple of drops of water. You don’t put 1942 in a margarita, unless money is no object to you!

A good anejo or extra anejo tequila is like a good whisky or bourbon. Just sip and savor the flavors.

I’m going to imagine that for most of you, “good tequila” means añejo and smschulz’s OP about $100 “or more” tequila would seem to add credence to that belief. I consider myself a tequila aficionado, and have been for many years. I don’t drink añejos at all because tequila aged in bourbon barrels doesn’t taste like tequila to me. I keep reposado around because I think it makes a slightly better margarita than blanco.

I drink blancos because I like the taste of agave. There are lots of great ones and I don’t like to pay more than $50 because there’s no need to. I drink them at room temp in either a caballito or a Riedel stemless.

Jack, that Clase Azul is dreamy stuff! I’ve had some of the reposado.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
I’m going to imagine that for most of you, “good tequila” means añejo and smschulz’s OP about $100 “or more” tequila would seem to add credence to that belief. I consider myself a tequila aficionado, and have been for many years. I don’t drink añejos at all because tequila aged in bourbon barrels doesn’t taste like tequila to me. I keep reposado around because I think it makes a slightly better margarita than blanco.

I drink blancos because I like the taste of agave. There are lots of great ones and I don’t like to pay more than $50 because there’s no need to. I drink them at room temp in either a caballito or a Riedel stemless.

My experience exactly. I prefer a good reposado any day.

I truly enjoy Sauza Hornitos Resposado. Room temp or over Ice equally- depending on mood.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
the interesting thing I can't figure out is why high end tequila like you mentioned spends 3 years getting just right when bourbon and scotch take 12 or more.

Most bourbons, except the super-high-end, are aged much less than 12 years.

I think the biggest reason Scotch takes longer is that the barrels are almost always already used.

To be bourbon, a spirit has to be aged in a new, toasted oak barrel.

Scotch is mostly aged in once-used American bourbon barrels (although there is a fair amount of experimentation with used barrels from other sources, frequently various wine barrels).

Ambient air temps in Scotland are much lower than in Kentucky as well - lower temp changes and lower frequency of them means fewer cycles of the whisky moving in and out of the wood per year in Scotland compared to Kentucky. At least that’s what I was told on my Scotch tour a few years ago and made scientific sense to me.

I enjoy silver tequila as a Martini. Shaken with a dash of good orange liqueur. Served up with a lime wedge.

Neat. Snifter.

I just received this today. Neat, snifter.

quote:

Good Tequila - How do you drink it?

I have heard the answer to that is:

“Eventually, naked”