I’m a huge fan of the añejo and XA world, today I was feeling adventurous! I will frequent some great repos and some blancos here and there but today something in my brain said “High proof blanco!” I stocked up on some Suerte Anejo and some Arette Anejo as usual.. then I grabbed me this bAd BoY!! Arete Blanco Fuerte 101! Wow have I been missing out or what??! I never expected a high proof blanco to be so beautifully done, cooked agave, soft pepper, and a throat pleaser!(pause). For those that don’t think a high proof blanco can be tasty… grab it, go for it, thank me later. Cheers! (Don’t mind the cutest bulldog in the world in the background)

I am manager of a spot in Southern California. Most of our business is done with Southern. I like to think I’ll do a pretty good job of bringing it in some pretty good tequilas.

We do carry Casamigos. I just don’t put it on the shelf like that.

I’m not sure if you can tell, but by the top we do use a lot of patron as well.

I know I could never have them all, but what do you think I’m missing in my little collection of tequila?

I’m in the Chicago area for work. Ran across this place near where I’m staying in Oak Brook/Oak Brook Terrace. I’m not sure how the neighborhood breakdown works to be honest. But I found this spot with an amazing tequila collection, and I may have had way too much to drink. The bartender, Edgar, who is an absolute sweetheart by the way, asked if I’d write a google review. And I’m trying to do something better than just a google review. Amazing spot. Amazing selection. People of the Chicago area, go forth, to Terrace Cantina, and enjoy.

Shoutout to SipTequila in Stuart, FL. Me and a buddy who are getting into the weirder tequilas (after he got a siempre vivo at a random abc) and it was about an hour trip to the middle of nowhere, but they let us try a bunch of stuff which was awesome. Would love some more high proof recs because I’ve only been “into into” tequilas for about a year now. Tried a bunch of the ones I got and also was able to try for the first time - Rey Sol, Don Fulano 20, Siempre Muerte, some Tesoro’s, and the La Pulga in Still Austin barrels. Will definitely be enjoying these!

I took this photo around 2017 when I was studying in Nova Scotia, Canada. It was my absolute favorite among all the tequilas back then. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it since I left Canada, and I've completely forgotten the brand and name.

I remember buying it at a local NSLC store. The bottle had a prominent metal logo, and it was available in both Gold and Silver."

Looking to book some tours in Mexico, of course I plan on doing Fortaleza and Cascahuin. Are there any other distilleries worth trying? I have to imagine most of the dialogue is the same so I’m looking for experiences and/or stores on sight that make others stand out from the rest. Hoping to test the limits on bottles I can bring back to add to my stash while I’m there. Also wondering if there are recommendations on store on puerto Vallarta area that have a good selection. TIA

Here in Utah, it’s so hard to find good tequilas but yesterday I was able to find El Tequileño Platinum and Reposado. I tried both and I actually liked the taste of the platinum way more. The repo was pretty decent too but nowhere near my favorite.

What are your thoughts?

Been trying to find a good and completely Mexican owned agave syrup brand if anyone knows of any! I really want to make sure I support Mexican owned brands considering how much American and other non-Mexican brand companies tend to really own alot of the tequila/mezcal/agave products that are mainstream. Tyyy

So I recently acquired this don julio nineteen forty 21 hundred percent day agave assool tequila, anejo addition limitada. I would love to find out more about this particular tequila. I know it's made from a legendary man. Julio gonzalez, looks like the name is what I can read. It comes in a beautiful blue box, and the bottle is unopened with a plastic seal around a wooden stopper. Anybody who could give me further information on this would be greatly appreciated. Also, I'm curious what the value is of this product, and if I was going to sell it, where would I take it to. I don't know if there's auction houses or collectors, but i'm curious as to how to find those people or houses. I am a tequila drinker, but probably this is for somebody who truly collects it or can really appreciate all of its speciality. Any help would be greatly appreciated

I’ve seen the silver bottle Komos Reposado Cristalino in shops while traveling but never had the opportunity to buy one until today due to the fact I couldn’t travel to my prior destinations with alcohol.

Now I finally have the opportunity to try it here in St. Thomas where it’s for sale $30 under MSRP ($99 tax free! Seems like an absolute steal)

Regardless of reviews and what not I am going to walk with one so I can give it a test drive, but my curiosity has me searching for reviews anyways so I can see how others felt about it. Problem is NOT ONE REVIEW EXISTS ABOUT THIS BOTTLE ANYWHERE. No videos, no Reddit posts, no online forums. Nothing.

Has anybody out there had the chance to try this? What did you think? How does it compare to the añejo Cristalino? Cheers

Hey guys, I hope this is allowed here. If anyone is in Chicago, the Binnys in Logan Square is having a Mezcal event for $5 on the 19th.

It's September again. The sound of school children on recess is in the background and my wife is decorating for the Independence day celebration in a couple of weeks.

I have a few minutes between clients today so here's a quick review of El Ateo añejo French Oak tequila recently released this year.

El Ateo already has a stronger than average lineup out of NOM1635 with the full range of blanco, still strength, reposado, añejo and antimateria extra añejo which stands as one of my top 3 extra añejos of all time.

They have a distinct look and flavor profile and if you haven't had it, it's a strong recommend.

Let's see, stone/brick oven, tahona, deep well water... double distillation, stainless steel pot and copper coil. Typical solid quality work.

My long held suspicion is they are doing something fancy with the fermentation. I don't have any proof but I am in the camp that believes they're using a blend that includes champagne yeast. Aeration is something that I do know they do and from my limited understanding, there are several ways to do it that may also contribute to the excellent product. These would explain the delicious flavor and unique profile a lot but I can't be sure. No fibers in this one.

Aged in French Oak Barrels

I've been a fan of El Ateo since they first released their blanco. I got a sneak preview of their extra añejo one night at El Beso cantina in Tequila very early before it hit the market and was religiously dedicated to getting it as soon as possible. I have all their line up so it was a given I'd pick this one up. I was.... strangely non-plussed.

This didn't speak to me the way the other bottles did. "Maybe it's the French Oak?" I thought. Never mind, I've been too busy to really sit with the glass and really give it a chance til today. This is my sixth or so sip since it came out a few months ago. This time in a proper glass and no distractions. I'll say this one had to breathe. The first pours were strongly ethanol. Now I'm getting exactly what I wanted in the glass. Exactly what I have come to expect from this stellar brand.

LOOK
Nice amber color in the glass, the bottle is the typical El Ateo Añejo but with a blue neck sticker and a medallion that proclaims French Oak Barrel. Same heavy topper that has been a signature for this brand.

NOSE
Agave forward, both a sweet cooked and fragile and delicate kind. Vanilla and grapes with some sweet pasas as we call them here (cherries). Chocolate orange.

TASTE
Again, the pasas (I just happen to have had some nuts and pasas for breakfast so it's on my mind), oak, chocolate and cooked agave sweetness. A hint of nuttiness and cinnamon. A taste that reminds me of armagnac from many years ago when I lived in France. Finishing with a low level of white pepper that persists with the sweetness and honey.

ABV 40% (80-proof)

Price 1,600 MXN here in Mexico

Rating I wasn't crazy about this at first but I'm quite pleased with it now that it's been open for a few months. My score: 88 (Initially 84)

For those who are not a huge fan of the brand or are not fans of añejo, certainly it isn't a must buy but I personally am happy to have it with its sisters on my shelf. I'll come back to it in a few more months to see where it's at. Thanks for reading.

The price is reasonable. It is available in my ABC store.

Picked this up yesterday in South Jersey. Curious if the price has gone up or if they’re gouging.. I’m new to this, BTW. It was about $82.00 tax included.

Recently I started getting the taste for tequila as I’ve been ordering margs with patron blanco. I went down a rabbit hole on YouTube and decided to try this. It’s fantastic. But all of the YouTubers said it would be around $50. Any suggestions or direction for a new tequila enjoyer would be greatly appreciated!

Was going to buy Espolon blanco to make the signature drink golden margarita with.

However, at the store San Matias Legado was way cheaper and the salesman assured me it is additive free.

He knew the big names this sub loves, Ocho, G4, fortazela (told me I needed to try that and he’d save me a bottle), Don Fulano etc

So I thought I could trust him, but I have never tried Legado - was his advice legit or should I change tequilas?

Thank you!

I posted earlier in the week about this and here is the photo of the cloudy tequila I got. I’ve never tried this before and to give a quick background to the story, I bought this from TW this come from NOM 1414 and it’s in an aluminum bottle. Taste is fine, smell is fine, it’s just a bit cloudy. Has anybody experienced this? Any thoughts? After reading all the previous comments I haven’t tried it again until last night and it’s still a bit cloudy. I store it in room temp 70 degrees.

Hola Amigos!

We are looking for help finding anything related to vintage 4 Copas (shot glasses, old bottles, etc.), even if they are empty.

If anyone has ANY we would love to connect, as we are looking to build a collection of our history.

Please let us know!

Also feel free to reach out via instagram 4CopasTequila or RaphaelAgave

I've been following this little distillery for a while and this one really caught my attention. 100% Blue Agave Spirit, finished in an octave barrel previously used for wild rose wine.

Not something you come across every day.

I've been wanting to try Wild Common and Lost Lore based off of the reviews here so I stopped at a local store to see what they had. Found both and grabbed a bottle of Tapatio as I haven't had it either. Miramar Wine & Liquor for my San Diego peeps. They have 3 long isles of Tequila and a lot of them are excellent bottles. I could have bought at least 5 more. Cheers.

INTRODUCTION
After 8 years, Sophie Decobecq has finally released this follow up to her masterful Criollo tequila in 2018. This one is dedicated to her second son which explains the ("Agave you my heart") message on the art work.

I think I can safely say with no arguments that the first Criollo from Calle 23 has reached legendary status. Like a Sophomore album from an artist who whit impossible heights, where do you go from there? Well, here, Criollo Dos.

This began as a gift dedicated to Sophie's second son, designed to be a reposado but over time and experimentation, the thing evolved into something even more special.

SPECIAL NOTE
What's a criollo? They're wild grown agave, not the rows and rows you see covering the hillsides of Jalisco. They're typically much slower to mature and the piña is smaller. They also tend to produce higher sugar content I'm told. I can only say that the Siete Leguas Siete Décadas limited edition that came out recently has similar notes.

PROCESS
Reposados are notoriously difficult to get right and whenever you leave tequila in the barrel for any length of time, you're inviting barrel notes into the final product. For those who love Tears of Llorona or Tapatio Excelencia or Rey Sol extra añejo or or Arte Nom 1146 (affectionately known as "Baby Tears"), barrel notes are not necessarily a bad thing. But it is a voluntary act of magic. Alchemy to be precise. And Sophie has transmutated something that was already precious into a treasure with instant legendary status.

Calle 23, El Criollo "Dos" ("two") Reposado, is more of a blend than the name implies. After the Reposado was ready, Sophie changed the plan and decided to continue the aging to see where it would lead. Eventually she mixed the Añejo and Reposado to a precise balance. But she didn't stop there, aging continued and she eventually blended Extra Añejo to the mix and had to reformulate the balance. Very tricky to get just right but this is what we have now in this bottle. Mostly Añejo, then Reposado, then Extra Añejo but for reasons.... sigh, we have to call it a Reposado.

This is a work out of Ciénega, Jalisco using a low pressure autoclave, roller mill extraction and deep well water. Fermentation, unless it was changed since 8 years ago (and it could be) is stainless steel open-air fermentation and distillation with stainless steel/copper coil. I have no information on the yeast or the barels.

ART and DESIGN
Hand-drawn art on the label, paper wrapper and wooden box are done by Rose Guerrero who I'm 99.9% sure did the original art (it's precisely the same style). This time there's a catrina with long hair and tattoos that features a corona around her head of what might be mistaken for hair but are the pencas of an agave plant.

I have to mention the wooden box and wrapper again because it really is a special release and deserves this level of prestige packaging. It is definitely something meant to be admired. Around the neck of the bottle is a little black and gold tag that reads:

Front:
"Calle 23 Criollo Blanco - el Dos" - comenzó su camino el mismo día que nació mi segundo hijo.

Lo que siguó fue un viaje largo y profundo, llleno de pruebas, dudas catas... y búsqueda interior — muy parecido al viaje de cualquiera que persigue un sueño.

Esta mezcla compleja, tejida con tequilas reposado, añejo y extra añejo estaba destinada de nacer.

Sophie Decobecq
Tequila Calle 23

Back
'Criollo, el Dos'
una creación única.

Nacida de una visión íntima y apasionada: crear una mezcla que marque un antes y un después.

Una invitación a seguir el camino guiado por la intuición y el corazón.

It's quite a lot for a tequila bottle but Sophie is French so I can forgive her waxing poetic about something so personal to her and a gift not only to her son, but to the world of tequila lovers. Now on to what you're likely much more interested in:

NOSE
Cooked agave, citrus, light minerality, stone, earth, grass, fruity, white soft floral bouquet sweetness

TASTE
It's so difficult to really give a full account of this tequila. Not because I'm a stranger to tequila or that this is particularly impossible to describe, but because I know that it will change over time. I let it breathe in a Glencairn for a half hour and sipped on and off from the initial pour. That alone marked a few subtle differences so I'm sure that as the bottle breathes more, it'll transform the flavors even further. That said, here's what I am tasting:

Very agave forward. As noted, similar to the Siete Décadas Siete Leguas limited edition but richer, fuller, more complex. Although certainly familiar to that stock. That happens to be my favorite Siete Leguas bottle so I'm quite pleased with the taste here. Earthy, soft white pepper (light), citrus, minerality, floral, soft grass, a hint of sweetness, fruit, slight whisper of anise, caramel and vanilla at the tail end.

This is a delight. Truly delicious as I'm sure surprises no one. The cooked agave is so well-balanced it's easy to overlook. It's just a treasure in the mouth. Good viscosity (it does coat the glass very nicely too), creamy, silky smooth. It's a nice persistent heat with a lingering peppery finish. I tend to dislike overly peppery tequila but this doesn't go that far, staying very nicely controlled against the fruity plum/pear flavors. Just the rumor a smoke at the very tail end. A bigger sip helped me find some baking spices, some cinnamon. It's very complex, deceptively so. It keeps revealing itself with every sip.

This is my second taste, I had a sip from a fresh pour with my friends when it showed up yesterday and it's great to find the extra special flavors today but even the neck pour was something special yesterday.

46.7% ABV/93.4% Proof

Limited Edition 3932 bottles

Price. yeah..... this is the rough part. Here in Mexico I paid a shocking amount for it. More than I've paid for any bottle ever but I'm not the least bit regretful for it. $8570 pesos. You can do the math.

Rating: No rating elsewhere yet as it was just released a few days ago (August 23 technically but I got it on the 29th). I am giving it a 96 which is probably even dishonest and only a reflection of the price. Otherwise, it's the perfect reposado (100).

FINAL THOUGHTS
This is charming and coquettish and romantic. It's everything you would hope and imagine from a follow up to the first bottle. Did they outdo themselves? You'll have to decide, I've only had a sip of the first bottle many years ago and I just remember it was delicious. I can say though, this is absolutely worth every cent for me. It's certainly now in my top 3 bottles. Very different from the things classically called "añejo" and "extra anejo." This is a mixed reposado with love notes to añejo lovers and blanco lovers will find a new level agave sexiness and romance that they didn't know they craved in a blanco. Just gorgeous and more gorgeous. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Thanks for reading.

These are the bottles I picked up at the Twin Liquors sale the last few days.

Thanks to the folks who mentioned Wild Common on the other thread, it’s incredible. I’m surprised the tequila YouTube channels I watch don’t talk about it.

What’re your thoughts on these?
Anything I should be sure to try sooner than later?
We tried a bunch of the blancos in some mini glencairns last night, those are SOOO worth it. You can do half a pour and still smell and taste it as opposed to a full size glencairn glass. Definitely recommend them.

Twin Liquors has a big sale going on called Dollar Days. It's a dumb name, but they are discounting anywhere from $50-$10 on a lot of their inventory.

Decided to drive to my second furthest away Twin Liquors to look for some Charanda. Unfortunately they had none, but decided to enjoy their free AC and walked every aisle and found this lone beauty.

For $25 its the biggest deal I have found in the wild. I asked if they had more of any of their lineup, but no luck. I own the 110 bottle and looking forward to try the 40 proof.

So if you have a a TwinL near you it might be worth checking out today.

They just made the coolest bottle on the shelf just look like an ocho knockoff. Should we boycott?

New to tequila — finally picked up three bottles I’ve been looking forward to trying

I’m still pretty new to tequila. I’ve been collecting and drinking whiskey for a while, but lately I’ve really started getting interested in tequila and learning more about the different producers, agaves, production methods, and how much those things can change what ends up in the bottle.

These three have been on my list for a while: G4 Blanco, Fortaleza Blanco, and Cascahuín Plata 48.

I actually went into the store and bought the G4 and Cascahuín first. They were already paid for and I was literally walking out when I happened to look behind the counter and saw the Fortaleza sitting there. I turned right back around and basically said, “One of those too, please.” 😂 Definitely wasn't planning on buying three bottles when I walked in, but I wasn’t leaving that one behind.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed as I’ve started exploring tequila is trying the blanco first. Coming from whiskey, I’m used to the barrel having such a huge influence on the finished product. With tequila, I like the idea of tasting a producer’s blanco first and getting a better feel for the agave and what that distillery is all about before moving into their reposados, añejos, or other expressions.

I haven’t opened these yet, so this isn’t a review—just three bottles I’ve been really looking forward to getting my hands on.

For those of you who have had all three, which would you open first? And if you were doing a side-by-side tasting, what differences should a newer tequila drinker be looking for between G4, Fortaleza, and Cascahuín 48?

And Stagg is always a weak spot for me😁.