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1.) DParker - 02/19/2014
After having not tasted tequila for 20 years, or even being able to smell it without becoming violently ill (let's just say that I threw my best friend's bachelor party in the '80s, you can figure out the rest), when I took my family to Cabo San Lucas for a vacation in 2007 I forced myself to try tasting some at a local liquor store that was giving out samples. My previous experience had been with nothing other than cheap "Gold" versions (standard Cuervo and the like), so I was pleasantly surprised when we began tasting their selection of Reposados and I learned how delicate the aromas and flavors of a premium tequila can be. We took home a bottle of what we thought was the best of the bunch, [I]Agave Dos Mil Tequila Reposado[/I]...
Unfortunately, after returning home and draining that bottle a week later I learned that my new favorite sipping liquor is only imported by one distributor in the U.S., and they're in Chicago...and TX doesn't get any from them. So, from time-to-time since then I've made a stab here and there at finding a replacement, but never really got serious about it, with results that matched that lack of effort. So today, remembering that my bottle of Blanton's Single Barrel is about empty I made a note to make a booze run to the most excellent liquor mega market that recently opened in Plano. I further decided to use it as an opportunity to renew my search for a top-notch sipping tequila. After doing a quick read of some reviews from a tequila enthusiast's website and cross-referencing their top picks with the liquor mart's online inventory I arrived at a short list of what to look for when I got there. They actually had two of the bottlings on my list, with both rated equal by the tequila buffs...so I did a mental coin-flip and came away with a [I]Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Añejo[/I]...
When I got home, and while waiting for dinner to be ready, I decided to pop the bottle open and try a taste. I was taken completely by surprise, as it wasn't anything like I expected a tequila to be...and I mean that in a positive way. The aroma reminded me of caramel and vanilla (somewhat expected, as the Añejo is aged for 2 years in new French white oak barrels), with a hint of coffee. All of that was present in the flavor too, as well as a buttery taste and some spices that I can only identify as hints of cinnamon and cloves. The finish was incredibly smooth, with only a slight alcohol burn. At only 76 proof I wasn't expecting harshness, but this was even smoother than I thought it would be. This is good stuff, made all the more enjoyable by the unexpected character. So I hopped online to do a little reading about my new acquisition, and here's the "learning something new" part: This stuff isn't actually "tequila", even though it's sold with the tequilas, and is generally treated like one in tequila appreciation circles.
It turns out that, although made in Chihuahua - like tequila - and processed similarly to tequila, it isn't tequila because it isn't made from blue agave. It's made from a related plant from a different genus and species (though there seems to be some disagreement among botanists whether or not it belongs in the same family as agave). It's commonly known in English as "Desert Spoon", but in Mexico it goes by the Spanish name "Sotol". Well, duh...it's right there on the bottle. I just didn't know it referred to something other than a geographical designation, or something similar The plant takes 15 years to mature before it can be used for this purpose. Sotol is the state drink of Chihuahua and highly prized there, but is relatively little known in the U.S. In fact there are very few commercially made sotols, with only two that I'm aware of being available in the U.S. And the best part? It's a premium booze that only set me back a modest $26.99.
So if you feel adventurous and have a liquor monger who stocks one of the two sotols that can be had here I highly recommend giving it a try. But don't even think of mixing it. Using it for margaritas and the like would be a waste. This is sipping booze, so pour a little in a brandy snifter, sit in your easy chair and enjoy it with some Texas blues. Good times.
Oh, and yeah...the bottle is pretty cool too.
Unfortunately, after returning home and draining that bottle a week later I learned that my new favorite sipping liquor is only imported by one distributor in the U.S., and they're in Chicago...and TX doesn't get any from them. So, from time-to-time since then I've made a stab here and there at finding a replacement, but never really got serious about it, with results that matched that lack of effort. So today, remembering that my bottle of Blanton's Single Barrel is about empty I made a note to make a booze run to the most excellent liquor mega market that recently opened in Plano. I further decided to use it as an opportunity to renew my search for a top-notch sipping tequila. After doing a quick read of some reviews from a tequila enthusiast's website and cross-referencing their top picks with the liquor mart's online inventory I arrived at a short list of what to look for when I got there. They actually had two of the bottlings on my list, with both rated equal by the tequila buffs...so I did a mental coin-flip and came away with a [I]Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Añejo[/I]...
When I got home, and while waiting for dinner to be ready, I decided to pop the bottle open and try a taste. I was taken completely by surprise, as it wasn't anything like I expected a tequila to be...and I mean that in a positive way. The aroma reminded me of caramel and vanilla (somewhat expected, as the Añejo is aged for 2 years in new French white oak barrels), with a hint of coffee. All of that was present in the flavor too, as well as a buttery taste and some spices that I can only identify as hints of cinnamon and cloves. The finish was incredibly smooth, with only a slight alcohol burn. At only 76 proof I wasn't expecting harshness, but this was even smoother than I thought it would be. This is good stuff, made all the more enjoyable by the unexpected character. So I hopped online to do a little reading about my new acquisition, and here's the "learning something new" part: This stuff isn't actually "tequila", even though it's sold with the tequilas, and is generally treated like one in tequila appreciation circles.
It turns out that, although made in Chihuahua - like tequila - and processed similarly to tequila, it isn't tequila because it isn't made from blue agave. It's made from a related plant from a different genus and species (though there seems to be some disagreement among botanists whether or not it belongs in the same family as agave). It's commonly known in English as "Desert Spoon", but in Mexico it goes by the Spanish name "Sotol". Well, duh...it's right there on the bottle. I just didn't know it referred to something other than a geographical designation, or something similar The plant takes 15 years to mature before it can be used for this purpose. Sotol is the state drink of Chihuahua and highly prized there, but is relatively little known in the U.S. In fact there are very few commercially made sotols, with only two that I'm aware of being available in the U.S. And the best part? It's a premium booze that only set me back a modest $26.99.
So if you feel adventurous and have a liquor monger who stocks one of the two sotols that can be had here I highly recommend giving it a try. But don't even think of mixing it. Using it for margaritas and the like would be a waste. This is sipping booze, so pour a little in a brandy snifter, sit in your easy chair and enjoy it with some Texas blues. Good times.
Oh, and yeah...the bottle is pretty cool too.
2.) NEBigAl - 02/19/2014
Did you leave out the part where you say something nasty to your mother in law and throw up?
3.) DParker - 02/19/2014
[QUOTE=NEBigAl;16845]Did you leave out the part where you say something nasty to your mother in law and throw up?[/QUOTE]
Nah. I haven't had that much...and I actually get along with my mother-in-law. :-)
Nah. I haven't had that much...and I actually get along with my mother-in-law. :-)
4.) Tom-Wisconsin - 02/19/2014
[COLOR="#EE82EE"]Yep, had a bad experience in 1977 at my bachelor party. Have not had any since. But now it may have been long enough that I may try some sophisticated Tequila. [/COLOR]
5.) DParker - 02/19/2014
Oops. Correction: Tequila is from Jalisco, not Chihuahua.
6.) Deerminator - 02/19/2014
Nice...:grin:
I new some party girls that loved Tequila.:grin:
I new some party girls that loved Tequila.:grin:
7.) DParker - 02/19/2014
[QUOTE=Deerminator;16853]Nice...:grin:
I new some party girls that loved Tequila.:grin:[/QUOTE]
I did too. That's why I couldn't drink it again for 20 years. :wink
I new some party girls that loved Tequila.:grin:[/QUOTE]
I did too. That's why I couldn't drink it again for 20 years. :wink
8.) Floyd - 02/19/2014
Keep your clothes on........Cue tequila music....
[video=youtube;Nj2700em-JQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2700em-JQ&feature=share&list=PLE4BF020A29D0747F[/video]
[video=youtube;Nj2700em-JQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2700em-JQ&feature=share&list=PLE4BF020A29D0747F[/video]
9.) Floyd - 02/19/2014
How does the Patrón verities stack up? I here this brand thrown around a lot.
10.) DParker - 02/19/2014
I haven't had any Patrón beyond the cheap (relatively speaking) lines. I do know it's an enormously popular brand, and they do have upper-shelf bottlings (Reposado, Añejo and "Extra Añejo") that receive very good reviews on tequila enthusiast sites. But even their more pedestrian bottlings (blanco/silver, etc) rank significantly higher than the equivalent lines from distillers like Jose Cuervo.
11.) Floyd - 02/19/2014
I've had tequila incidence in my youth as well. Fortunately, the Flashbacks are all gone now.
12.) Deerminator - 02/20/2014
....
13.) Swamp Fox - 02/20/2014
[QUOTE=Floyd;16857]How does the Patrón verities stack up? I here this brand thrown around a lot.[/QUOTE]
Patron is an important tell, and that is where its real value lies. When a girl orders Patron (or Grey Goose vodka or G'vine gin) the proper procedure is to back away slowly as soon as possible, especially if the young lady is under a certain age, which we might call the Age of Desperation.
Not that such women [I]at or beyond[/I] the Age of Desperation should not be avoided as well, but at least with them there is some small possibility that they have a motivation for their drink choices other than to leave you penniless in the gutter with your heart ripped out. They might actually have come to prefer those brands from experience, which I can't blame them for. It's a free country.
On the other hand, it's a jungle out there, and you will need all your SERE training to come through the top-shelf bar scene in as few pieces as possible. So when you hear a girl order Patron, keep the wall at your back and identify the exits.
Patron is an important tell, and that is where its real value lies. When a girl orders Patron (or Grey Goose vodka or G'vine gin) the proper procedure is to back away slowly as soon as possible, especially if the young lady is under a certain age, which we might call the Age of Desperation.
Not that such women [I]at or beyond[/I] the Age of Desperation should not be avoided as well, but at least with them there is some small possibility that they have a motivation for their drink choices other than to leave you penniless in the gutter with your heart ripped out. They might actually have come to prefer those brands from experience, which I can't blame them for. It's a free country.
On the other hand, it's a jungle out there, and you will need all your SERE training to come through the top-shelf bar scene in as few pieces as possible. So when you hear a girl order Patron, keep the wall at your back and identify the exits.
14.) Jon - 02/20/2014
Wait, wait, wait..........Swampy giving advice about choices in women? that right there is priceless!
15.) Floyd - 02/20/2014
Hart ripped out? Tell?
No free rides swampy. Some rides cost more. Pay to play.
I don't think you're doing something right Swampy.
No free rides swampy. Some rides cost more. Pay to play.
I don't think you're doing something right Swampy.
16.) DParker - 02/20/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16884]...but at least with them there is some small possibility that they have a motivation for their drink choices other than to [B][COLOR="#B22222"]leave you penniless in the gutter with your heart ripped out[/COLOR][/B].[/QUOTE]
In my much younger, far more single days that was actually kind of my goal for weekends.
In my much younger, far more single days that was actually kind of my goal for weekends.
17.) Floyd - 02/20/2014
Should be something along the lines of..... penniless in the gutter with a smile on your face and your e-ticket for the ride has a phone number on it.
18.) Deerminator - 02/20/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16884]
Not that such women [I]at or beyond[/I] the Age of Desperation should not be avoided as well, but at least with them there is some small possibility that they have a motivation for their drink choices other than to leave you penniless in the gutter with your heart ripped out.
QUOTE]
Usually the girls were left in the gutter, penniless. That is unless they had some special talents that would keep them around for a day or so.:-)
Just say'n:-)
Not that such women [I]at or beyond[/I] the Age of Desperation should not be avoided as well, but at least with them there is some small possibility that they have a motivation for their drink choices other than to leave you penniless in the gutter with your heart ripped out.
QUOTE]
Usually the girls were left in the gutter, penniless. That is unless they had some special talents that would keep them around for a day or so.:-)
Just say'n:-)
19.) Floyd - 02/20/2014
Swamp Fox is an anomaly.
Or, pick one of these related words from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Or, add your own.
aberration, abnormality, exception, oddity, oddment, rarity, curiosity, peculiarity, singularity; accident, bizarrerie, phenomenon, quirk, vagary; distortion, kink, mutation, variation; difference, disparity, inconsistence, inconsistency; error, mistake; contradiction, paradox
:-)
Or, pick one of these related words from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Or, add your own.
aberration, abnormality, exception, oddity, oddment, rarity, curiosity, peculiarity, singularity; accident, bizarrerie, phenomenon, quirk, vagary; distortion, kink, mutation, variation; difference, disparity, inconsistence, inconsistency; error, mistake; contradiction, paradox
:-)
20.) Deerminator - 02/20/2014
unique or unik
21.) Swamp Fox - 02/20/2014
I'm just tryin' to help a brother out...