Wine, Scotch, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, and the like

[willeyeam]

Well dickie I'd like to thank you for my purchase on the way home from work today

[Tomas]

A couple months ago one of my brother in laws brought a decent bottle of tequila to a family function. It has now become a tradition for the 3 of us to rotate buying bottles of middle to top shelf tequila and drinking the fifth. Here’s what we’ve had so far ranked. All silver tequilas.

***i have no idea what a tequila should taste like so obviously take the rankings with a grain of salt.***

1. Cabo-Wabo - for only $36 this has been the best taste and most smooth when shooting. Sammy Hagar did something right.
.
2. Maestro Dobel Diamante - interchangeable with Casamigos. Both are just tasty whether you want to sip or shoot.
.
3. Casamigos - Clooney did a fine job here. A little more peppery at the end but still very smooth.
.
4. Olmeca Altos - cost effective and easy to drink.
.
5. Avión - peppery without being too much. Really get it in the after-taste.
.
6. Milagro - Again very smooth, very little burn
.
7. Herreadura - can a tequila be yummy? Really tasty.
.
8. Teremana - Dwayne the Rock Johnson made a tequila that is very okay to me. A little too much pepper for my liking.
.
9. Epolon - not my thing. But if a burn and not a great after taste. $27 bottle
.
10. Hussongs - after enjoying smooth and a little more fruity this one was a bit of a shock. I may not enjoy “flavorful” and “robust” tequilas.

I don't know if you need to stay with silver (blanco) tequilas, but if you are willing to branch out - Casamigos Reposado and Casamigos Anejo are COMPLETELY different (and IMO vastly better tasting) than Casamigos Blanco. Reposado has a nice vanilla taste (and is much smoother than Blanco). Anejo tastes after caramel - and is super-smooth (clearly my personal choice for ice-less sipping). Not that much differently priced than Blanco. If I remember well, $36, $41, and $43 in our local Sam's Club.

I feel like I responded to a post of yours about Casamigos a couple months ago (and to PB's list), but I can't find either, so to summarize what I remember posting but apparently didn't....

Like most liquor, tequila has complicated and varying laws regarding what allows it to be considered tequila. The biggest one is of course that the bottle only has to be 51% tequila. That's how you end up with people who say they hate tequila because it makes them crazy and gives them a terrible hangover; they're drinking bottom shelf **** that is 49% something else that the producer doesn't have to disclose (looking at your Cuervo Especial). ALWAYS get something that says "100% Agave". That's the first step.

The next big thing is additives. Despite the "100% Agave" label, that bottle is allowed to contain up to 1% of additives (sugar syrup, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color) that can be used to change the color and flavor of the tequila. This is something that was started so that producers could create a more consistent taste and appearance for a product line. The reality with any type of liquor is that every batch is going to taste and look somewhat different, which can often be off-putting to consumers. The problem is that additives are now much stronger than when this rule was first added. What this means is that a dark Reposado with strong hints of vanilla that used to sit in oak barrels for a year to gain that color and flavoring is now spending the minimum two months required for labeling with the color and flavor being manipulated with additives. It's a common practice and one that drives tequila enthusiasts insane.

This is why my Casamigos preference is their Reposado. There is something excessively dark and smooth about their Anjelo, especially versus the price point, that makes me believe it is being manipulated by additives. It looks like a three year, tastes like a three year, and is priced like a one year. While I'll obviously acknowledge that if they're **** with their Anjeo they can just as easily **** with their Reposado, the Reposado still tastes more natural and is priced more appropriately.

The final tequila bugaboo is how it is made. The traditional method is to roast and steam the mature agave pinas in an oven (clay or stainless steel), then mill and squeeze the cooked plant to extract juice that is fermented. This is a slow process that makes it difficult to keep up with the booming tequila brand. Because of this, enter the diffuser. Tequila makers that use diffusers are despised by tequila enthusiasts. It's a giant ass machine that can be used on younger agave pinas to extract the inulin from plant using blasts of high-pressured water. Sometimes the inulin is cooked, other times it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath to chemically covert the inulin to fermentable sugar. What comes out of the diffuser is cheap and tastes nothing like traditional tequila, but it doesn't have to thanks to the over-powered additives.

https://tequilamatchmaker.com/ has been my go to for identifying how different tequilas are made and if they are known to use additives.

Fantastic! [BTW I don't think I have posted about tequila before, so I'm glad you (re)posted this.]

Frankly, I was somehow uneasy about Casamigos prices already. Anejo tastes so much smoother and costs only $2 more? That's either the best deal ever or a scam...

So that I save on research time - what do you think is the cheapest "real" Anejo out there that tastes good?

[mikey]

With a bunch more money from not going to bars most nights, I've started to branch out in what I keep stocked...I had a winner this weekend...I just kind of throw some stuff together sometimes and eyeball it, so YMMV...it was like 2 parts Vermouth, 2 parts gin, aromatic bitters, and 3 parts orange juice...seem to get a nice rise out of the small gathering of folks I had over this weekend...

[Dickie Dunn]

A couple months ago one of my brother in laws brought a decent bottle of tequila to a family function. It has now become a tradition for the 3 of us to rotate buying bottles of middle to top shelf tequila and drinking the fifth. Here’s what we’ve had so far ranked. All silver tequilas.

***i have no idea what a tequila should taste like so obviously take the rankings with a grain of salt.***

1. Cabo-Wabo - for only $36 this has been the best taste and most smooth when shooting. Sammy Hagar did something right.
.
2. Maestro Dobel Diamante - interchangeable with Casamigos. Both are just tasty whether you want to sip or shoot.
.
3. Casamigos - Clooney did a fine job here. A little more peppery at the end but still very smooth.
.
4. Olmeca Altos - cost effective and easy to drink.
.
5. Avión - peppery without being too much. Really get it in the after-taste.
.
6. Milagro - Again very smooth, very little burn
.
7. Herreadura - can a tequila be yummy? Really tasty.
.
8. Teremana - Dwayne the Rock Johnson made a tequila that is very okay to me. A little too much pepper for my liking.
.
9. Epolon - not my thing. But if a burn and not a great after taste. $27 bottle
.
10. Hussongs - after enjoying smooth and a little more fruity this one was a bit of a shock. I may not enjoy “flavorful” and “robust” tequilas.

I don't know if you need to stay with silver (blanco) tequilas, but if you are willing to branch out - Casamigos Reposado and Casamigos Anejo are COMPLETELY different (and IMO vastly better tasting) than Casamigos Blanco. Reposado has a nice vanilla taste (and is much smoother than Blanco). Anejo tastes after caramel - and is super-smooth (clearly my personal choice for ice-less sipping). Not that much differently priced than Blanco. If I remember well, $36, $41, and $43 in our local Sam's Club.

I feel like I responded to a post of yours about Casamigos a couple months ago (and to PB's list), but I can't find either, so to summarize what I remember posting but apparently didn't....

Like most liquor, tequila has complicated and varying laws regarding what allows it to be considered tequila. The biggest one is of course that the bottle only has to be 51% tequila. That's how you end up with people who say they hate tequila because it makes them crazy and gives them a terrible hangover; they're drinking bottom shelf **** that is 49% something else that the producer doesn't have to disclose (looking at your Cuervo Especial). ALWAYS get something that says "100% Agave". That's the first step.

The next big thing is additives. Despite the "100% Agave" label, that bottle is allowed to contain up to 1% of additives (sugar syrup, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color) that can be used to change the color and flavor of the tequila. This is something that was started so that producers could create a more consistent taste and appearance for a product line. The reality with any type of liquor is that every batch is going to taste and look somewhat different, which can often be off-putting to consumers. The problem is that additives are now much stronger than when this rule was first added. What this means is that a dark Reposado with strong hints of vanilla that used to sit in oak barrels for a year to gain that color and flavoring is now spending the minimum two months required for labeling with the color and flavor being manipulated with additives. It's a common practice and one that drives tequila enthusiasts insane.

This is why my Casamigos preference is their Reposado. There is something excessively dark and smooth about their Anjelo, especially versus the price point, that makes me believe it is being manipulated by additives. It looks like a three year, tastes like a three year, and is priced like a one year. While I'll obviously acknowledge that if they're **** with their Anjeo they can just as easily **** with their Reposado, the Reposado still tastes more natural and is priced more appropriately.

The final tequila bugaboo is how it is made. The traditional method is to roast and steam the mature agave pinas in an oven (clay or stainless steel), then mill and squeeze the cooked plant to extract juice that is fermented. This is a slow process that makes it difficult to keep up with the booming tequila brand. Because of this, enter the diffuser. Tequila makers that use diffusers are despised by tequila enthusiasts. It's a giant ass machine that can be used on younger agave pinas to extract the inulin from plant using blasts of high-pressured water. Sometimes the inulin is cooked, other times it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath to chemically covert the inulin to fermentable sugar. What comes out of the diffuser is cheap and tastes nothing like traditional tequila, but it doesn't have to thanks to the over-powered additives.

https://tequilamatchmaker.com/ has been my go to for identifying how different tequilas are made and if they are known to use additives.

Fantastic! [BTW I don't think I have posted about tequila before, so I'm glad you (re)posted this.]

Frankly, I was somehow uneasy about Casamigos prices already. Anejo tastes so much smoother and costs only $2 more? That's either the best deal ever or a scam...

So that I save on research time - what do you think is the cheapest "real" Anejo out there that tastes good?

That’s the million dollar question based on how you define “real”. Milagro is a good “best of both worlds”, lower-end Añejo that is cooked in stone ovens and made without additives; lower price point comes from less aging. Gran Centanario is another budget option. Espolón is a similar price point, no additives, but cooked in an autoclave instead of stone ovens.

Herradura is usually my go-to Añejo. Mid-range price from a historic tequila name that was sold to Brown-Forman and mass-produced with a diffuser into oblivion. Sales suffered, so BF course corrected and went back to using stone ovens but definitely adds caramel coloring for consistency, but is aged longer than the lower price options. Similar price point to Casamigos but is less sweet and has a thinner mouthfeel (glycerin makes things feel rounder), which for me helps reinforce my beliefs about Casamigos Añejo.

If you want to splurge, Fortaleza at about $80 per bottle is a truly excellent and one of the best representations of a real añejo that you can find.

[Tomas]

A couple months ago one of my brother in laws brought a decent bottle of tequila to a family function. It has now become a tradition for the 3 of us to rotate buying bottles of middle to top shelf tequila and drinking the fifth. Here’s what we’ve had so far ranked. All silver tequilas.

***i have no idea what a tequila should taste like so obviously take the rankings with a grain of salt.***

1. Cabo-Wabo - for only $36 this has been the best taste and most smooth when shooting. Sammy Hagar did something right.
.
2. Maestro Dobel Diamante - interchangeable with Casamigos. Both are just tasty whether you want to sip or shoot.
.
3. Casamigos - Clooney did a fine job here. A little more peppery at the end but still very smooth.
.
4. Olmeca Altos - cost effective and easy to drink.
.
5. Avión - peppery without being too much. Really get it in the after-taste.
.
6. Milagro - Again very smooth, very little burn
.
7. Herreadura - can a tequila be yummy? Really tasty.
.
8. Teremana - Dwayne the Rock Johnson made a tequila that is very okay to me. A little too much pepper for my liking.
.
9. Epolon - not my thing. But if a burn and not a great after taste. $27 bottle
.
10. Hussongs - after enjoying smooth and a little more fruity this one was a bit of a shock. I may not enjoy “flavorful” and “robust” tequilas.

I don't know if you need to stay with silver (blanco) tequilas, but if you are willing to branch out - Casamigos Reposado and Casamigos Anejo are COMPLETELY different (and IMO vastly better tasting) than Casamigos Blanco. Reposado has a nice vanilla taste (and is much smoother than Blanco). Anejo tastes after caramel - and is super-smooth (clearly my personal choice for ice-less sipping). Not that much differently priced than Blanco. If I remember well, $36, $41, and $43 in our local Sam's Club.

I feel like I responded to a post of yours about Casamigos a couple months ago (and to PB's list), but I can't find either, so to summarize what I remember posting but apparently didn't....

Like most liquor, tequila has complicated and varying laws regarding what allows it to be considered tequila. The biggest one is of course that the bottle only has to be 51% tequila. That's how you end up with people who say they hate tequila because it makes them crazy and gives them a terrible hangover; they're drinking bottom shelf **** that is 49% something else that the producer doesn't have to disclose (looking at your Cuervo Especial). ALWAYS get something that says "100% Agave". That's the first step.

The next big thing is additives. Despite the "100% Agave" label, that bottle is allowed to contain up to 1% of additives (sugar syrup, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color) that can be used to change the color and flavor of the tequila. This is something that was started so that producers could create a more consistent taste and appearance for a product line. The reality with any type of liquor is that every batch is going to taste and look somewhat different, which can often be off-putting to consumers. The problem is that additives are now much stronger than when this rule was first added. What this means is that a dark Reposado with strong hints of vanilla that used to sit in oak barrels for a year to gain that color and flavoring is now spending the minimum two months required for labeling with the color and flavor being manipulated with additives. It's a common practice and one that drives tequila enthusiasts insane.

This is why my Casamigos preference is their Reposado. There is something excessively dark and smooth about their Anjelo, especially versus the price point, that makes me believe it is being manipulated by additives. It looks like a three year, tastes like a three year, and is priced like a one year. While I'll obviously acknowledge that if they're **** with their Anjeo they can just as easily **** with their Reposado, the Reposado still tastes more natural and is priced more appropriately.

The final tequila bugaboo is how it is made. The traditional method is to roast and steam the mature agave pinas in an oven (clay or stainless steel), then mill and squeeze the cooked plant to extract juice that is fermented. This is a slow process that makes it difficult to keep up with the booming tequila brand. Because of this, enter the diffuser. Tequila makers that use diffusers are despised by tequila enthusiasts. It's a giant ass machine that can be used on younger agave pinas to extract the inulin from plant using blasts of high-pressured water. Sometimes the inulin is cooked, other times it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath to chemically covert the inulin to fermentable sugar. What comes out of the diffuser is cheap and tastes nothing like traditional tequila, but it doesn't have to thanks to the over-powered additives.

https://tequilamatchmaker.com/ has been my go to for identifying how different tequilas are made and if they are known to use additives.

Fantastic! [BTW I don't think I have posted about tequila before, so I'm glad you (re)posted this.]

Frankly, I was somehow uneasy about Casamigos prices already. Anejo tastes so much smoother and costs only $2 more? That's either the best deal ever or a scam...

So that I save on research time - what do you think is the cheapest "real" Anejo out there that tastes good?

That’s the million dollar question based on how you define “real”. Milagro is a good “best of both worlds”, lower-end Añejo that is cooked in stone ovens and made without additives; lower price point comes from less aging. Gran Centanario is another budget option. Espolón is a similar price point, no additives, but cooked in an autoclave instead of stone ovens.

Herradura is usually my go-to Añejo. Mid-range price from a historic tequila name that was sold to Brown-Forman and mass-produced with a diffuser into oblivion. Sales suffered, so BF course corrected and went back to using stone ovens but definitely adds caramel coloring for consistency, but is aged longer than the lower price options. Similar price point to Casamigos but is less sweet and has a thinner mouthfeel (glycerin makes things feel rounder), which for me helps reinforce my beliefs about Casamigos Añejo.

If you want to splurge, Fortaleza at about $80 per bottle is a truly excellent and one of the best representations of a real añejo that you can find.

Great!! Interestingly, as a cross-reference:

Our go-to vacation place in Mexico is Fairmont Mayakoba. We picked it as the high(est?)-end place that still offers some form of all-inclusive (which was important for us because we have small kids). As a result, Fairmont Mayakoba is a pretty poshy place with stuck-up people and expensive-looking restaurants (just 3, but still). Interestingly, during our last visit, I talked to a bartender about what he considered the "best value" tequila (in terms of quality for reasonable price) - and his answer was Herradura!

[mikey]

Probably tif-related, maybe someone else will know...if I had a certain champagne, or knew the characteristics of a certain champagne...could find another one that might be of similar taste/quality...? Is there like a database for this...? I'm crushing the stonk market and all, but $200 a bottle is a little much for me haha

[eddy]

Maybe check out the vivino app?

[eddy]

I had a Weller 12 bottle in my cart today and when I went to checkout it said not available and site crashed. The PA fine spirits website is a huge piece of ****.

[mikey]

Maybe check out the vivino app?

[eddy]

Maybe check out the vivino app?

Also may want to check this site. They don't have champs all the time, but you usually get some really good bottles when you purchase a case

https://www.undergroundcellar.com/

[mikey]

Excellent, thanks bud

[iamjs]

I thought I posted this last night but can't seem to find it.

[tifosi77]

Probably tif-related, maybe someone else will know...if I had a certain champagne, or knew the characteristics of a certain champagne...could find another one that might be of similar taste/quality...? Is there like a database for this...? I'm crushing the stonk market and all, but $200 a bottle is a little much for me haha

I wish you had tagged me in this, I didn't see this post until today.

Yes, this isn't that hard to do. In fact, this is one of the things Mrs Tif and I do after a nice meal out; we always write down the wines we like with our dinners out, when we splurge and get a bit spendy, and then track down something in a similar vein at a weeknight dinner price point.

If you have a halfway decent wine shop near you, they should be able to help you get sorted. Or even try Wine Spectator's website. There are also apps (like Vivino) that allow you to upload a photo of the label (or you can manually enter the name of the producer/variety) and you'll be served with a "if you like that, try this" list.

[mikey]

Probably tif-related, maybe someone else will know...if I had a certain champagne, or knew the characteristics of a certain champagne...could find another one that might be of similar taste/quality...? Is there like a database for this...? I'm crushing the stonk market and all, but $200 a bottle is a little much for me haha

I wish you had tagged me in this, I didn't see this post until today.

Yes, this isn't that hard to do. In fact, this is one of the things Mrs Tif and I do after a nice meal out; we always write down the wines we like with our dinners out, when we splurge and get a bit spendy, and then track down something in a similar vein at a weeknight dinner price point.

If you have a halfway decent wine shop near you, they should be able to help you get sorted. Or even try Wine Spectator's website. There are also apps (like Vivino) that allow you to upload a photo of the label (or you can manually enter the name of the producer/variety) and you'll be served with a "if you like that, try this" list.

Cheers

I had a very strong sense you and the missus we're all over this game haha

[tifosi77]

We have a 29-bottle wine fridge that currently only has one open rack space, and another 20 or so bottles in non-refrigerated storage.

So..... yeah. lol

[Tomas]

A couple months ago one of my brother in laws brought a decent bottle of tequila to a family function. It has now become a tradition for the 3 of us to rotate buying bottles of middle to top shelf tequila and drinking the fifth. Here’s what we’ve had so far ranked. All silver tequilas.

***i have no idea what a tequila should taste like so obviously take the rankings with a grain of salt.***

1. Cabo-Wabo - for only $36 this has been the best taste and most smooth when shooting. Sammy Hagar did something right.
.
2. Maestro Dobel Diamante - interchangeable with Casamigos. Both are just tasty whether you want to sip or shoot.
.
3. Casamigos - Clooney did a fine job here. A little more peppery at the end but still very smooth.
.
4. Olmeca Altos - cost effective and easy to drink.
.
5. Avión - peppery without being too much. Really get it in the after-taste.
.
6. Milagro - Again very smooth, very little burn
.
7. Herreadura - can a tequila be yummy? Really tasty.
.
8. Teremana - Dwayne the Rock Johnson made a tequila that is very okay to me. A little too much pepper for my liking.
.
9. Epolon - not my thing. But if a burn and not a great after taste. $27 bottle
.
10. Hussongs - after enjoying smooth and a little more fruity this one was a bit of a shock. I may not enjoy “flavorful” and “robust” tequilas.

I don't know if you need to stay with silver (blanco) tequilas, but if you are willing to branch out - Casamigos Reposado and Casamigos Anejo are COMPLETELY different (and IMO vastly better tasting) than Casamigos Blanco. Reposado has a nice vanilla taste (and is much smoother than Blanco). Anejo tastes after caramel - and is super-smooth (clearly my personal choice for ice-less sipping). Not that much differently priced than Blanco. If I remember well, $36, $41, and $43 in our local Sam's Club.

I feel like I responded to a post of yours about Casamigos a couple months ago (and to PB's list), but I can't find either, so to summarize what I remember posting but apparently didn't....

Like most liquor, tequila has complicated and varying laws regarding what allows it to be considered tequila. The biggest one is of course that the bottle only has to be 51% tequila. That's how you end up with people who say they hate tequila because it makes them crazy and gives them a terrible hangover; they're drinking bottom shelf **** that is 49% something else that the producer doesn't have to disclose (looking at your Cuervo Especial). ALWAYS get something that says "100% Agave". That's the first step.

The next big thing is additives. Despite the "100% Agave" label, that bottle is allowed to contain up to 1% of additives (sugar syrup, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color) that can be used to change the color and flavor of the tequila. This is something that was started so that producers could create a more consistent taste and appearance for a product line. The reality with any type of liquor is that every batch is going to taste and look somewhat different, which can often be off-putting to consumers. The problem is that additives are now much stronger than when this rule was first added. What this means is that a dark Reposado with strong hints of vanilla that used to sit in oak barrels for a year to gain that color and flavoring is now spending the minimum two months required for labeling with the color and flavor being manipulated with additives. It's a common practice and one that drives tequila enthusiasts insane.

This is why my Casamigos preference is their Reposado. There is something excessively dark and smooth about their Anjelo, especially versus the price point, that makes me believe it is being manipulated by additives. It looks like a three year, tastes like a three year, and is priced like a one year. While I'll obviously acknowledge that if they're **** with their Anjeo they can just as easily **** with their Reposado, the Reposado still tastes more natural and is priced more appropriately.

The final tequila bugaboo is how it is made. The traditional method is to roast and steam the mature agave pinas in an oven (clay or stainless steel), then mill and squeeze the cooked plant to extract juice that is fermented. This is a slow process that makes it difficult to keep up with the booming tequila brand. Because of this, enter the diffuser. Tequila makers that use diffusers are despised by tequila enthusiasts. It's a giant ass machine that can be used on younger agave pinas to extract the inulin from plant using blasts of high-pressured water. Sometimes the inulin is cooked, other times it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath to chemically covert the inulin to fermentable sugar. What comes out of the diffuser is cheap and tastes nothing like traditional tequila, but it doesn't have to thanks to the over-powered additives.

https://tequilamatchmaker.com/ has been my go to for identifying how different tequilas are made and if they are known to use additives.

Fantastic! [BTW I don't think I have posted about tequila before, so I'm glad you (re)posted this.]

Frankly, I was somehow uneasy about Casamigos prices already. Anejo tastes so much smoother and costs only $2 more? That's either the best deal ever or a scam...

So that I save on research time - what do you think is the cheapest "real" Anejo out there that tastes good?

That’s the million dollar question based on how you define “real”. Milagro is a good “best of both worlds”, lower-end Añejo that is cooked in stone ovens and made without additives; lower price point comes from less aging. Gran Centanario is another budget option. Espolón is a similar price point, no additives, but cooked in an autoclave instead of stone ovens.

Herradura is usually my go-to Añejo. Mid-range price from a historic tequila name that was sold to Brown-Forman and mass-produced with a diffuser into oblivion. Sales suffered, so BF course corrected and went back to using stone ovens but definitely adds caramel coloring for consistency, but is aged longer than the lower price options. Similar price point to Casamigos but is less sweet and has a thinner mouthfeel (glycerin makes things feel rounder), which for me helps reinforce my beliefs about Casamigos Añejo.

If you want to splurge, Fortaleza at about $80 per bottle is a truly excellent and one of the best representations of a real añejo that you can find.

Finally opened the bottle of Herradura Anejo that I bought based on your recommendation. Very good - and strangely enough COMPLETELY different taste from Casamigos Anejo. Thanks!!

Incidentally - what's your opinion about Don Julio Anejo? I am thinking about trying it next - mainly because I am cheap, and Don Julio in our local Sam's Club, and I found out that the Sam's prices are at least $10 cheaper than what I can get in the local liquor stores....

[LITT]

mrs litt got me a bottle lagavulin 16 for valentines day mmmmmmmmmmm

[count2infinity]

Congrats... enjoy it.

[Dickie Dunn]

I don't know if you need to stay with silver (blanco) tequilas, but if you are willing to branch out - Casamigos Reposado and Casamigos Anejo are COMPLETELY different (and IMO vastly better tasting) than Casamigos Blanco. Reposado has a nice vanilla taste (and is much smoother than Blanco). Anejo tastes after caramel - and is super-smooth (clearly my personal choice for ice-less sipping). Not that much differently priced than Blanco. If I remember well, $36, $41, and $43 in our local Sam's Club.

I feel like I responded to a post of yours about Casamigos a couple months ago (and to PB's list), but I can't find either, so to summarize what I remember posting but apparently didn't....

Like most liquor, tequila has complicated and varying laws regarding what allows it to be considered tequila. The biggest one is of course that the bottle only has to be 51% tequila. That's how you end up with people who say they hate tequila because it makes them crazy and gives them a terrible hangover; they're drinking bottom shelf **** that is 49% something else that the producer doesn't have to disclose (looking at your Cuervo Especial). ALWAYS get something that says "100% Agave". That's the first step.

The next big thing is additives. Despite the "100% Agave" label, that bottle is allowed to contain up to 1% of additives (sugar syrup, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color) that can be used to change the color and flavor of the tequila. This is something that was started so that producers could create a more consistent taste and appearance for a product line. The reality with any type of liquor is that every batch is going to taste and look somewhat different, which can often be off-putting to consumers. The problem is that additives are now much stronger than when this rule was first added. What this means is that a dark Reposado with strong hints of vanilla that used to sit in oak barrels for a year to gain that color and flavoring is now spending the minimum two months required for labeling with the color and flavor being manipulated with additives. It's a common practice and one that drives tequila enthusiasts insane.

This is why my Casamigos preference is their Reposado. There is something excessively dark and smooth about their Anjelo, especially versus the price point, that makes me believe it is being manipulated by additives. It looks like a three year, tastes like a three year, and is priced like a one year. While I'll obviously acknowledge that if they're **** with their Anjeo they can just as easily **** with their Reposado, the Reposado still tastes more natural and is priced more appropriately.

The final tequila bugaboo is how it is made. The traditional method is to roast and steam the mature agave pinas in an oven (clay or stainless steel), then mill and squeeze the cooked plant to extract juice that is fermented. This is a slow process that makes it difficult to keep up with the booming tequila brand. Because of this, enter the diffuser. Tequila makers that use diffusers are despised by tequila enthusiasts. It's a giant ass machine that can be used on younger agave pinas to extract the inulin from plant using blasts of high-pressured water. Sometimes the inulin is cooked, other times it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath to chemically covert the inulin to fermentable sugar. What comes out of the diffuser is cheap and tastes nothing like traditional tequila, but it doesn't have to thanks to the over-powered additives.

https://tequilamatchmaker.com/ has been my go to for identifying how different tequilas are made and if they are known to use additives.

Fantastic! [BTW I don't think I have posted about tequila before, so I'm glad you (re)posted this.]

Frankly, I was somehow uneasy about Casamigos prices already. Anejo tastes so much smoother and costs only $2 more? That's either the best deal ever or a scam...

So that I save on research time - what do you think is the cheapest "real" Anejo out there that tastes good?

That’s the million dollar question based on how you define “real”. Milagro is a good “best of both worlds”, lower-end Añejo that is cooked in stone ovens and made without additives; lower price point comes from less aging. Gran Centanario is another budget option. Espolón is a similar price point, no additives, but cooked in an autoclave instead of stone ovens.

Herradura is usually my go-to Añejo. Mid-range price from a historic tequila name that was sold to Brown-Forman and mass-produced with a diffuser into oblivion. Sales suffered, so BF course corrected and went back to using stone ovens but definitely adds caramel coloring for consistency, but is aged longer than the lower price options. Similar price point to Casamigos but is less sweet and has a thinner mouthfeel (glycerin makes things feel rounder), which for me helps reinforce my beliefs about Casamigos Añejo.

If you want to splurge, Fortaleza at about $80 per bottle is a truly excellent and one of the best representations of a real añejo that you can find.

Finally opened the bottle of Herradura Anejo that I bought based on your recommendation. Very good - and strangely enough COMPLETELY different taste from Casamigos Anejo. Thanks!!

Incidentally - what's your opinion about Don Julio Anejo? I am thinking about trying it next - mainly because I am cheap, and Don Julio in our local Sam's Club, and I found out that the Sam's prices are at least $10 cheaper than what I can get in the local liquor stores....

Big fan of Don Julio Añejo. I think they use additives for color consistency, but most brands do so whatever. Old school cooking, extracting, and distilling methods. The agave used by Don Julio are mature (7 to 10 years) and grown in the Jalisco highlands, which are known for producing a fruitier flavor.

[Shyster]

Never got into tequila. I wouldn't say I dislike it, but I'd just rather drink other stuff. That is a different than my view of vodka, which is an active dislike. There hasn't been a vodka made that wouldn't have been improved by being put into a nice wooden barrel and aged for 10 years or so.

[Dickie Dunn]

Vodka is an ingredient, not a drink.

[Pavel Bure]

Love the tequila talk. We’re going to have to start branching away bed from the silvers and try some other options.

We did do the Casamigos reposado which was super tasty.

Love the Herreadura talk.

@Dickie Dunn whats your opinion of Cabo Wabo?

[Dickie Dunn]

Love the tequila talk. We’re going to have to start branching away bed from the silvers and try some other options.

We did do the Casamigos reposado which was super tasty.

Love the Herreadura talk.

@Dickie Dunn whats your opinion of Cabo Wabo?

I think there are better tequilas in the price range, but in general I think Cabo Wabo is pretty good. Añejo is their best, but Blanco is better than the Reposado, which seems to be aged just long enough to muddy the color and increase the price.

[LITT]

bought two big bottles of kirland anejo that i am eager to try

[RonnieFranchise]

So I picked up a bottle of Pernod and realized I have no idea what to do with it.

Advice on drinking absinthe?

I have only had it once, in a cocktail in Vegas after arriving on a late flight at about 5 AM Eastern Time... so I don't really remember much about it.