Life Beyond Patron 2

Well here we go! Last month we talked about “Life After Patron”, the reason for these reviews and introductions to the different types of Tequila, how they are classified and the aging process (you can go to our website, pull up the February issue and catch up if you like). This month we start reviewing different Tequilas that we think are worth taking the time to sip.

The CASA NOBLE tri-fecta.
From the lowlands of La Cofradia. This is one distillery that got all three (Silver, Repo and Anejo) right. I won’t even get into their single barrel reposado and anejo let alone their 5 year anejo (if you can find them) other than to say that they are awesome. We will just cover the basic three. On a side note: In July 2011, Casa Noble Tequila announced that music icon Carlos Santana has joined the Board and is now one of the owners of the brand. This new organizational change will allow Santana to be involved in the continued development of Casa Noble Tequila.

BLANCO – Casa Noble Crystal
They say that if you can make a good blanco (un-aged, right out of the still) that producing the aged tequilas are easy. Well, Casa Noble did it for me with their “Crystal”. Let it sit in the glass for a few minutes and you will be met with a complex and unique nose that is sweet with clove, ginger, and ginseng and an overall deep musky agave note. There is nothing boring about this blanco. Aroma, taste, and finish come alive in this true agave spirit. First taste is peppery, citrus, young and green. The mouth feel is smooth and silky with immediate legs on the glass. A mellow agave taste heavy and oily on the tongue. Sweet creamy flavor midway that quickly fades into a fair amount of bitterness in the aftertaste with heat developing on the end. Casa Noble Crystal from beginning to end is definitely a most unique experience. If you don’t want to sip it, this is also a good blanco to make a tasty margarita, with simple good ingredients only!

REPOSADO – Casa Noble Crystal
I am a fan of a good reposado and feel it can be the best representation of a fine sipping spirit if you have a good balance between the wood from the aging and the raw spicy flavor of agave plant. Casa Noble has done wonderful job of providing that balance. This tequila is matured in French white oak barrels for three hundred sixty four days, the longest possible time for it to still be classified as a reposada. That’s why you will find this reposado to be more woody than most but still retain more agave flavor than a lot of anejos. Smooth, sensuous and full bodied. It is the perfect marriage of the agave plant and the oak flavor from the barrel aging. The nose is mostly that of cooked agave with nuances of caramel and a light smokiness. The first sip reveals an up front agave flavor profile, with a touch of vanilla and a light dose of smoke. This is a nicely balanced with very little alcohol burn. A few more sips bring out lot’s of agave flavor with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. The mouth feel is creamy and silky at the same time. The finish was fairly long, mostly agave, with a hint of spice and a whiff of smokiness. This is a very drinkable reposado, and my favorite!

ANEJO
This is a superb anejo. If you like Partida’s anejo you’ll love this – it’s got the nice buttery, vanilla, agave sweetness but with a much smoother delivery and less alcohol presence. Bright and luscious golden copper color with long thick legs. I love the nose on this – nice agave presence with a delicate blend of vanilla butter and apple. The aroma carries through to the first taste, which to me was just the right combination of almost rich butter, vanilla, but sweet with the agave, and just a little smoky wood flavor. Body is deep and full, offering more of the dark herbaceous agave The body was indeed thick and warm, but not syrupy and offers more of the dark herbaceous agave. Outstanding!

JOSE CUERVO RESERVA DE LA FAMALIA
Last issue’s discussion about getting your introduction and sometimes finish to tequila drinking Jose Cuervo got me thinking about tequilas I find myself enjoying, because of it’s wide spread availability. If an establishment has at least a slight hint of wanting a tequila assortment, they most likely will carry at least one higher end anejo. That spot will often be occupied by Jose Cuervo Reservo de La Famalia. I don’t really associate it with my younger day experience with the well known label, but they do put out a good Anejo This is the Cuervo family’s finest Tequila as The story goes that for over 10 generations it was a family secret only shared with the closest of friends. In 1995, the family decided to share this blend of its special Tequila. Aged in oak barrels for an average of 3 years and then blended with Tequila from reserves aged over 30 years this anejo is vibrant, with a full mellow flavor, combining floral, agave, vanilla and Cognac-like flavors. This anejo lacks the strong agave flavor most tequila snobs desire, but to a whiskey drinker it has the drink-ability of a fine 18 year old scotch.

The tequila is golden brown in color and has intense earth, caramel, and floral aromas. Once you get past the intensity of the nose, you can smell moderate notes of vanilla and spice. On the tip of this tongue the tequila is mellow and soft, while feeling oily in the mouth. While the tequila is sweet, it is actually has low amount of bitterness. The flavor has intense floral and chemical attributes which are followed by moderate fruit, agave, and earth. The tequila also has mild vanilla and caramel. The tequilas finish is a medium – to long duration of flavor followed by a slightly numbing and tingly alcohol feeling. Overall a nice treat.