What tequila?

What is a good tequila? I am not a huge fan of the stuff but I feel like it is important to any alcohol collection.

I am not an expert on tequila. Infact, I used to hate the stuff. However, I tried Don Julio Dark and loved it.

After I heard the word "Pschotropic" attached to tequila, I stayed away. Had several strange experiences, no more.

is there such a thing ?

Herradura, El Jimador, Cazadores and El Mayor are all a good place to start, among many others. If you're buying to stock your bar for mixed drinks, all you need is a decent blanco, really. Anything that's 100% agave will be suitable.

Good tequilas are a lot like good whiskey: the more you learn, the deeper you'll get into it, and you'll eventually develop taste of your own. Unlike whiskey, though, you'll have to spend a few bucks to get something decent. (My go-to cheap whiskey is Old Overholt rye for $9.99.) Most 'supermarket' tequilas aren't worth the glass they're bottled in. Be prepared to seek out decent tequila, and spend at least $20 for a bottle.

When you want to spluge, get yourself a bottle of El Maguey 'single village' mezcal, preferably from Oaxaca. I'm a big-time whiskey drinker, and El Maguey is among the best booze I've ever consumed. It'll cost you about $80 a bottle, but if you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Jose Cuervo has done a lot of damage to tequila's reputation. If that's all you've had, you owe it to yourself to try something better.

Hands down, Cazadores Reposado. I've bartended for 13 years. Cazadores is like Patron, but instead of paying millions for advertising and fancy bottles and boxes, they put it into their tequila.

Plain bottle, plain label, fair price, killer tequila. Its also one that you can mix, sip, or shoot equally well.

Excellent on a budget, Souza Hornitos. Excellent in general, Patron. Otherwise my general rule is the prettier the bottle the worse the contents are likely to be.

cwh wrote: After I heard the word "Pschotropic" attached to tequila, I stayed away.

That seems like more of a plus than a minus really.

I'll second the Cazadores Reposado. That's my stand-by for my alcohol collection. I've yet to find anything as good for the same price, and it's a huge step up from the cheaper stuff. Good enough to drink strait, but not too good to mix.

I won't touch Jose's Juevos unless it's a $2 well margarita.

Edit: Cazadores Blanco is good too and really cheap, if all you want to do is mix.

I will vote with the Cazadores Reposado as well. Sammy Hagars tequila is pretty good, any quality agave tequila is my choice.

Over the past year I've sampled most of the 'under $50' tequilas from my local liquor warehouse. So far my favorite budget-friendly tequila of choice is Milagro, which is marketed as a premium tequila but can be found for under $25 a bottle. It's similar to Patron in taste, but rings in at 2/3 the price.

Wait. Zapata Tequila isn't the good stuff?

When I was touring Mexico I tried a lot of local, home made tequilas. (Most bars will have a bottle or two under the counter) One was the best I have ever had...others almost made me go blind.

I'll be the dissenting vote. I've spent stupid amounts of money on Cazadores, Don Julio, and Patron; looking for a good "sipping" tequila, I honest to god like the flavor of Cuervo Gold better than any of them. Call me a blasphemer, I'm used to it.

What about 1800? Are any of these any good?

1800 isn't bad and in fact is usually the cheapest 100% agave tequila you'll find at the local liquor store - it's certainly better than the 51% agave (49% mystery ingredient) stuff like Cuervo, Sauza, Montezuma and the like. Since 1800 silver usually costs only two or three bucks less than my preferred brand, so that's what I stick with.

Again, you need a 100% agave tequila.

pinchvalve wrote: When I was touring Mexico I tried a lot of local, home made tequilas. (Most bars will have a bottle or two under the counter) One was the best I have ever had...others almost made me go blind.

Were any of them actually mezcal?

Oh sure, but I find Mezcal a bit too smokey in flavor and tend to stick to Tequila.

Remember, "Tequlia loves me even if you don't."

yuck it all tastes like kerosine to me...

Te-kill-ya is ok but give me a good 18yo single malt any day.

My mom will put Centenario in her margaritas, and she doesn't drink besides those. My dad will also sip on it and says it's very smooth, he once gave it to one of our guests and he said the same thing about it.

Get the Reposado or Anejo. http://www.tequilasource.com/grancentenario/index.html

Yeah I know it's a mezcal and not a tequila. But it's like $10 at the Class 6.

why tequila? why!!!

Well I currently have a two bottles of rum, five bottles of bourbon and bottle of guaro in my dorm room. I also have a couple of bottles of vodka picked out to add to the collection. So that leaves tequila as the essential missing alcohol.