Review: Senor Rio Blanco Tequila
Senor Rio Blanco Tequila was launched 10 years ago, on Cinco De Mayo 2009 by Co-Founders Jonathan and Debbie Medina Gach, from a family recipe handed down by Debbie’s father. His image appears on each bottle and glass bottle stopper of Senor Rio Tequila. Senor Rio is made from 100% estate grown blue weber agave grown 8-12 years in the Lowlands of Jalisco. The agave is slow cooked for 36-40 hours under high steam pressure at temperatures of 90-105 degrees. Once cooked the agave stays in the oven with the doors closed for 6-8 hours. After the agave is cooled the juice is extracted using a tearing machine in combination with roller train mills. The juice is fermented with yeast from the honey of agaves extracted during the cooking process in open tanks so the fragrance from the fruit trees surrounding the distillery blends into the tequila. The tequila is double distilled and then rested for 24 hours before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Trader Joes Blanco Tequila
Trader Joes Blanco Tequila is sold exclusively at Trader Joes stores. As Traders Joes has expanded their footprint they have expanded their portfolio of privately branded spirits. Trader Joes Blanco is currently made at Destiladora Gonzalez Gonzalez, NOM 1143. This distillery also produces El Mayor and Exotico tequila. TJ’s Blanco replaces the previously sold Trader Joes Silver Tequila that was made at Premium de Jalisco, NOM 1558. Little information is available about this tequila including the region where the agave is harvested. Read more
Review: Kirkland Silver Tequila
After a brief absence, Kirkland Silver Tequila is back on the shelves at Costco. If you think the bottle looks a little different, it does. Kirkland Silver Tequila is also now distilled at a different distillery, La Madrilena. It had been distilled at Fabrica de Tequila Finos, so I expect the taste to be different also. La Madrilena was founded in 1911 in Totolan Jalisco Mexico. They produce several tequila’s, including Piedra Azul, and Xicote. Kirkland Silver is double distilled from 100% Weber Blue Agave grown in the Highland region. It is still sold in a 1.75L bottle, and priced under $20. Read more
Review: Astral Blanco Tequila
Astral Blanco Tequila is crafted at La Cofradia. This distillery also creates several tequila’s including Casa Noble, Calende, Grand Mayan, and Senor Rio. Astral was founded by Master Sommelier Richard Betts. He also founded Sombra Mezcal. Both brands were acquired by Davos Brands March 2017 but Richard Betts retains a significant interest. Astral is made from 100% organic Weber Blue agave grown for 8-10 years at high elevation in the mountains on a single estate in the western edge of Jalisco. The agave is slow roasted in traditional volcanic stone ovens. The agave is crushed and the juice is fermented with the agave pulp and wild native yeast. This process takes up to ten times longer than conventional methods but results in maximum agave character. After a double distillation Astral is bottled at 92 proof. The vast majority of tequila is bottled at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Black Box Silver Tequila
Black Box Premium Tequila is one of three premium bagged and boxed spirits produced by Constellation Brands. Vodka and Whiskey are the other two. Constellation has been selling boxed alcohol since 2003 when they acquired Black Box Premium Wine. Black Box now has twelve unique award winning varietals. With a suggested retail price of $24.99 for 1.75 liters of 100% blue agave tequila, Constellation hopes to prove they can do for spirits what they have already accomplished with wine. Black Box is produced at La Cofradia Distillery, and very little additional information about this tequila is available. La Cofradia creates over a dozen brands of tequila including Casa Noble, Mi Campo, Grand Mayan, and Luna Sueno. Read more
Review: Cantinero Blanco Tequila
Cantinero Blanco Tequila was released in the US in 2018. It has been available for some time in Mexico. Cantinero is produced at Tequila Orendain de Jalisco, and named for the distilleries founder, Don Eduardo Orendain’s beloved bull. An image of the bull is embossed on the bottle. It is made from 100% Weber Blue Tequilana agave, estate grown and hand harvested and trimmed at its flavor peak. The agave is split in half and cooked for 18 hours at temperatures up to 105C. The pina’s are shredded to extract the juice and then fermented with yeast for 72 hours before a double distillation. Read more
Review: Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila
Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila was released November 2014. Brand creator David Suro partnered with the Rosales family and their Distileria Cascahuin. This is the first tequila distillery David visited many years ago. Valles is a sub-region of the Lowland Region and each bottle of Siembra Valles Blanco Tequila shows exactly where the agave used to craft each bottle comes from. The bottle I’m reviewing is made from agave sourced from the following estates. 42% Mesa del Charco, 34% El Jaguey, and 24% Mesa del Ocotillo. The pina’s are sliced in half and roasted for 72 hours at a temperature of 90-100 celsius. The agave is shredded four times to ensure as many of the sugars are extracted as possible. The agave juice is fermented with yeast and bagasse. Bagasse is the roasted fibrous remains of the agave after extraction. The first 30.68% is fermented in a mamposteria, a stone structure enclosed by fiberglass. The remaining 69.32% is fermented in stainless steel tanks. After a double distilling the tequila is hand bottled. Read more
Review: G4 Blanco Tequila
G4 Blanco Tequila is crafted by Master Distiller Felipe Camarena, and named for the four generations of Master Distillers in Felipe Camarena’s family. They have produced tequila legally since 1937. G4 is made from their own estate grown 100% blue agave, and a blend of 50% rainwater and 50% spring water. G4 is distilled at their family owned El Pandillo Distillery, which was built in 2011. El Pandillo was the name of Felipe Camarena’s grandfather’s favorite bull. The agave is chopped with machetes to determine the sex of the plant. The male parts are removed prior to going into the oven. Doing this removes bitterness. The sliced pinas are slow cooked in traditional ovens for 22 hours. These ovens have been built with an extra steamer to cook both the top and bottom equally. The cooked agave is crushed using a custom built recycled steamroller. The juice is fermented with natural yeast and double distilled in traditional copper stills. Read more
Review: Embajador Platinum Tequila
Embajador Platinum Tequila is made from 100% Weber Blue agave grown for 8-10 years on their estate located in Atotonilco, in the Highland Region of Jalisco. A portion of the agave is slow cooked in adobe ovens for 30 hours and then rested for 12 hours. Another portion is steam baked in autoclaves. The agave is first shredded. Rollers then squeeze out the juice. The extracted juice ferments in open steel vats for three to five days and is double distilled in traditional pot stills. The spirit rests for 40 days in steel vats before bottling. Read more
Review: Mi Campo Blanco Tequila
Mi Campo Blanco Tequila was launched November 2018 by Constellation Brands. Mi Campo Reposado was also released. Mi Campo translates to “my field”. The bottles label illustrated by Mexico City artist Raul Urias depicts the passion for the art of creating tequila, and pride of the land. Mi Campo is not Constellation’s first tequila. They also produce Casa Noble and Black Box Tequila. The Constellation brand stable, also includes Corona Beer, Svedka Vodka, Robert Mondavi Wines, and High West Whiskey. Mi Campo starts with 100% blue weber agave harvested for 7 years. The pinas are slow cooked for 38 hours. A unique method of squeezing the cooked pinas to release the juice instead of crushing with a Tahona stone is designed to eliminate flavors of bitterness. The juice is fermented for 3 to 5 days in open stainless steel tanks allowing aromatics from local mango and citrus trees to influence the flavor. The spirit is rested in French oak barrels once used to mature Napa Valley Chardonnay wine, for three weeks prior to bottling. Read more