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PHBeerman wrote:

FFishstick wrote:As stated, I take it as a compliment. If ever in Northern California, a stool is reserved for you at the backyard Tiki Bar, 200sq.ft. of drinking and eating paradise. Thanks again, I had not seen that website in my journey for the world's best tequila.

Why the hell would anyone in their right mind go to Northern Califsocialist?

Damn you made me laugh so hard I almost choked on my tequila. There are a few "reds" sprinkled in among this "blue" state. Living here in NorCal, now you know why I drink so much tequila, keeps me sane, and also keeps me from sitting on my front porch shooting liberal socialists. Do they have a hunting license for that yet?

Herradura is my favorite. Very smooth.

FFishstick wrote:

PHBeerman wrote:

FFishstick wrote:As stated, I take it as a compliment. If ever in Northern California, a stool is reserved for you at the backyard Tiki Bar, 200sq.ft. of drinking and eating paradise. Thanks again, I had not seen that website in my journey for the world's best tequila.

Why the hell would anyone in their right mind go to Northern Califsocialist?

Damn you made me laugh so hard I almost choked on my tequila. There are a few "reds" sprinkled in among this "blue" state. Living here in NorCal, now you know why I drink so much tequila, keeps me sane, and also keeps me from sitting on my front porch shooting liberal socialists. Do they have a hunting license for that yet?

Good to hear. Next time I have to go to our corporate office I will have to look you up for a drink.

Article I just saw tonight on our local newspapers website Orange County Register. The only reason I'm posting the story instead of the link is because you would have to register to the site to access the story. I like Antigua Cruz Reserva Anejo.

Margaritaville, USA In the hills near Temecula, one man is producing high-end tequila, trying to break into a market dominated by Mexican brands.

By DAISY NGUYEN
The Associated Press


TEMECULA – J.B. Wagoner initially planted blue agave around his 25-acre property to solve a landscaping dilemma. The low-maintenance plants were a cheaper alternative than the water-loving citrus or avocado groves that dot the hills of this Riverside County town.

After years of research and experiments, he's now using the agave to produce tequila and hopes to cash in on the growing popularity of the distilled spirit.

"I figure in the worst case, I'll have a nice landscape," Wagoner, 44, said of his decision to plant nearly 1,000 agaves around his house and at a nearby property about four years ago. "In the best case, I'll create a new market for American-made tequila."

But tequila is as sacred to Mexico as champagne is to France. International trade laws forbid use of the name tequila unless it's made from blue agave in the Mexican state of Jalisco.

Wagoner, who claims to be the first maker of blue agave liquor in the United States, is upfront about the distinction.

He labeled his liquor Temequila, after Temecula where it's produced, and put an American flag design on a 750-milliliter bottle scheduled to hit the market in April.

The$58-a-bottle price tag is aimed at the sophisticated consumers who are driving the luxury spirits industry.

"We've already gotten a surprising level of demand for the product from people looking for something new and different," he said. "Any place that will carry top-shelf tequila like Patron, we expect to be there."

Tequila consumption increased 5.8 percent in 2004, with Americans downing 8.5 million cases - or a billion dollars worth of tequila, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

High-end tequila brands - costing $19 to $27 a bottle - saw big growth last year at 15.4 percent. Sales for super-premium brands, which cost $27 or higher, increased by 5 percent.

"High-end liquor is driving the spirits business," said Shawn Kelly, a spokeswoman for the council. She said the trend is driven partly by the stronger economy and re-emerging "cocktail culture."

"People are drinking less beer and more vodka, whisky and rum," said Tom Pirko, president of Bevmark, a beverage consulting firm in Santa Barbara. "It's a great time to be in the spirits business."

Pirko warned that Wagoner will face challenges in trying to gain a share of the market.

"Authenticity is a real issue," he said. "Tequila is made in Mexico, by people who have made it for many years. You're buying authenticity in that bottle. It's really difficult when you try to transport that heritage across borders and cultures."

Wagoner, a quietly confident man who runs a staffing company by day, appeared unconcerned.

"I don't see this as a competitive threat," he said. "I'm targeting a small segment of tequila connoisseurs. There are some 50 different kinds of tequilas from Mexico, but there's only one that's 100 percent agave tequila, made in the USA."

Until now, agave has been grown in the United States mainly for ornamental purposes. But Wagoner says it could becomea viable alternative for avocado growers in California, who are seeing prices drop as imports of Mexican-grown avocados expand.

New regulations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing Mexican avocados into 47 states year-round became effective Jan. 31.

"The price of my avocados has slipped away pretty good," said Tam Watkins, who has a 20-acre avocado grove in Temecula and is looking into growing agave.

"We're looking to grow something else that won't consume too much water, but we need to know whether it'll be feasible to grow agave," he said. "Am I going to profit from it? How successful is he going to be?"

FFishstick wrote:The Tequila boom has hit California, driving down the price on some of Mexico's best tequila's. Please don't mention anything in the Cuervo family, as even wine spectator's article on tequila fell just short of calling it crap. Yes even the La familia reserva.

A few fav's in order

1. Chinaco Anejo
2. Milagro Anejo Barrell reserve(agave plant hand blown in the bottle)
3. Tonala reserva suprema - (Blue label/shot glasses in the bottle)
4. El Tesoro - Paradiso
5. Don Julio 1942
6. Casa Nobles - Black Bottle Reserve
7. Tonala Anejo - Square bottle
8. Pordifino anejo- no longer in production they broke the sacred rules
9. El Corazon Anejo
10. El Tesoro Anejo

Honorable mention
Milagro anejo
Espalon anejo

and best margarita tequila - Lapis Platinum Blanco- Pyramid bottle- just add grapefruit juice and simple syrup, shake over ice. Best damn Margarita you will ever have

The single barrel Milagro with the blown-glass agave plant in the bottom of the bottle is a reposado, not an anejo.

so what's the word on Margaritaville Tequila? anybody here ever tried it yet? Thought about trying a bottle-- but like to get some feedback first--seeing as how some have said the margaritaville shrimp are not so good.. 

I was just cleaning up my spelling and grammar mistakes on this one. I can't make it too easy on ya. They say teachers don't challenge kids enough these days.... ha, for that you all have to have two shots before you continue with this task. That should add to the challenge.

RinglingRingling wrote:

FFishstick wrote:es in the bottle)

The single barrel Milagro with the blown-glass agave plant in the bottom of the bottle is a reposado, not an anejo.

Sorry but you are wrong!!! Milagro makes both a reposado and and Anejo single barrel reserve in the blown-glass agave plant bottle. I am looking at the Anejo bottle sitting here next to the Reposado bottle, and it clearly spells out Anejo. Check your facts around me, it is a school teacher thing. Now you can all go back and look for my spelling and grammar errors. I will award 1 extra credit point for every error you find. I estimate there to be about 10 or 12 points of extra credit out there.

igator wrote:so what's the word on Margaritaville Tequila? anybody here ever tried it yet? Thought about trying a bottle-- but like to get some feedback first--seeing as how some have said the margaritaville shrimp are not so good.. 

On it's own, Margaritaville Tequila is great for removing paint from places you don't want paint. Unless you got paint in your mouth I would not suggest drinking it straight. However, if you follow the famous Margaritaville perfect margarita map recipe, and use either of the Margaritaville tequilas, they both make a fine margarita. As for the shrimp... yes I am like an ahole... I do have an opinion on everything... if you are expecting them to be anything like fresh shrimp dishes you will be sorely disappointed. Yet if you read the package and understand that these are FROZEN, yes FROZEN!!!, then compared only with other FROZEN shrimp products, Margaritaville shrimp are pretty good. The lime and the cajun are decent with rice or over pasta, and the crabcakes, although loaded with crab, lack a little flavor. The coconut, Ok but I could pass. Now back to the tequila.

FFishstick wrote:

igator wrote:so what's the word on Margaritaville Tequila? anybody here ever tried it yet? Thought about trying a bottle-- but like to get some feedback first--seeing as how some have said the margaritaville shrimp are not so good.. 

On it's own, Margaritaville Tequila is great for removing paint from places you don't want paint. Unless you got paint in your mouth I would not suggest drinking it straight. However, if you follow the famous Margaritaville perfect margarita map recipe, and use either of the Margaritaville tequilas, they both make a fine margarita. As for the shrimp... yes I am like an ahole... I do have an opinion on everything... if you are expecting them to be anything like fresh shrimp dishes you will be sorely disappointed. Yet if you read the package and understand that these are FROZEN, yes FROZEN!!!, then compared only with other FROZEN shrimp products, Margaritaville shrimp are pretty good. The lime and the cajun are decent with rice or over pasta, and the crabcakes, although loaded with crab, lack a little flavor. The coconut, Ok but I could pass. Now back to the tequila.

thanks fer the heads up on that-- now i need to go find a good reposado! a smooth one..

igator wrote:

FFishstick wrote:

igator wrote: 

thanks fer the heads up on that-- now i need to go find a good reposado! a smooth one..

No Problem Chinaco, Milagro, and Milagro Single Barrel are great reposados but it will set you back. Herradura makes a good mid priced one, and Patron is another mid priced reposado. PHBeerman posted a great weblink for me, scroll up and you can find it. A great site.

someone brought me back a couple bottles of tequila from Mexico. one of them was a bottle of Jose cuervo reposado. i have never seen one that said reposado before. most say premium. does anyone know if maybe this bottle was aged longer? also it only has 35% alcohol when most have 40%.

A1A BOUND wrote:someone brought me back a couple bottles of tequila from Mexico. one of them was a bottle of Jose cuervo reposado. i have never seen one that said reposado before. most say premium. does anyone know if maybe this bottle was aged longer? also it only has 35% alcohol when most have 40%.

As Jose Cuervo is making adjustment to stay competitive in a growing tequila market, they are finding it necessary to change their packaging, in order to attract a more "Tequila educated market" The typical Cuervo gold and 1800 were blends of tequila, they have other packaging in which they are now providing a reposado and anejo version. The laws controlling tequila production in Mexico are very strict, and require the companies to clearly label their product. Reposados are typicaly aged less, and the fermentation time is cut short, resulting in a slightly sweeter product with a lower alcohol content. This explanation is in generalized terms, if you want a more detailed answer I can do that, but this should suffice.

FFishstick wrote:

A1A BOUND wrote:someone brought me back a couple bottles of tequila from Mexico. one of them was a bottle of Jose cuervo reposado. i have never seen one that said reposado before. most say premium. does anyone know if maybe this bottle was aged longer? also it only has 35% alcohol when most have 40%.

As Jose Cuervo is making adjustment to stay competitive in a growing tequila market, they are finding it necessary to change their packaging, in order to attract a more "Tequila educated market" The typical Cuervo gold and 1800 were blends of tequila, they have other packaging in which they are now providing a reposado and anejo version. The laws controlling tequila production in Mexico are very strict, and require the companies to clearly label their product. Reposados are typicaly aged less, and the fermentation time is cut short, resulting in a slightly sweeter product with a lower alcohol content. This explanation is in generalized terms, if you want a more detailed answer I can do that, but this should suffice.

what is your opinon on herradura reposado? i havent seen it around here in a bottle like this. it tasted very sweet to me.

check it out.

http://store.yahoo.com/randalls/herrepmexbot.html

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF JOVEN EL ZARCO? I THINK ITS CHEAP s***. BUT IT IS 100% AGAVE. SO DOES THAT MAKE IT A BETTER TEQUILA THEN SOME OF THE STUFF YOU GET IN THE US, LIKE MONTEZUMA?? HAHA!

My favorites in no particular order.

Don Julio Reposado and Anejo
Milagro Reposado ( I still have the empty hand blown agave bottle)
Patron Anejo

I was in Vegas last month, and tried out the new tequila bar at Bally's. I mentioned to my friends that I had always wanted to try the holy graille of tequilas, and next round, they ordered me:

Herradura Seleccion Suprema....mmmmmmmmmmm, good!

TraderRick wrote:My brother-in-law's a huge tequila affecionado and so I get to mooch off his inventory when at his hacienda - Milagro is a favorite there. But the functionality of tequila, plain & simple, is as a vehicle to a good time... so for me Sauza Commemorativo or Cuervo is just fine.
Now when it comes to savoring a spirit -- single malt scotch is where I get a little snooty... Let's get a single malt scotch thread going guys...Balvenie Double Wood, Alberlour, Bowmore...sweeeet!

Scotch...blek...let's start a snooty Bourbon thread.

Makers Mark baby

As for the tequila, I've never highly diverse....Milagro is good, but Cabo Wabo is slightly better imo

Gotta go with Don Julio

The best tequila is the tequila I have in my hand...by the way...my first favorite drink was my own invention called "Much Te-Dew about nothing"...Tequila and Mountain dew in a sports bottle with ice...just keep adding through the day.

A1A BOUND wrote:HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF JOVEN EL ZARCO? I THINK ITS CHEAP s***. BUT IT IS 100% AGAVE. SO DOES THAT MAKE IT A BETTER TEQUILA THEN SOME OF THE STUFF YOU GET IN THE US, LIKE MONTEZUMA?? HAHA!

100% blue agave does not make it better. In fact, by law it has to be 100% blue agave to be called tequila. And the blue agave cactus must be grown in a specific region in mexico to be called tequila. As for the el zarco, save it for cleaning your engine parts or paint brushes. It will definitely take the lining off your esophogus. The Herradura are all great mid range products. For my list of top tequilas go to the beginning of this thread. These will run ya 60 to 120 bucks a bottle, but once you go there, you won't go back to the cheap sh&t.