Review: Rock N Roll Cristalino Anejo Tequila
Rock N Roll Cristalino Anejo Tequila is one of three tequila expressions recently released. The others include Platinum Silver, and Mango. Like their Platinum Silver Tequila, Cristalino Anejo is bottled in a glass Gibson Flying V shaped guitar. The patented bottle top known as a roadie contains 50ml of their Platinum tequila. Cristalino Anejo is hand crafted by Master Distiller Jose Aceves and is double distilled, filtered to perfection, and barrel aged for 12 months. Read more 
Review: Tapatio Blanco Tequila
Tapatio Blanco Tequila is crafted at La Altena Distillery in the mountainous region of Jalisco. This distillery was built by Don Felipe Camarena in 1937. Tapatio is a Mexican word referring to a man from Guadalajara Mexico. Today Tapatio tequila is made by Master Distiller Carlos Camarena, the grandson of Don Felipe. While Tapatio tequila had been very popular in Mexico for 75 years, it was not released in the US until 2012. Since then, Tapatio Blanco has won several awards and was selected as one of the top 18 tequilas by Men’s Journal. Tapatio is made from 100% Arandas estate grown agave. After slow roasting for four days, the agave is crushed with a traditional large stone Tahona wheel, fermented with a wild yeast culture dating back 80 years, double distilled in a small copper pot still, and then rested for 2 months in stainless steel tanks before it is bottled. Read more
Review: 123 Organic Blanco Tequila
123 Organic Blanco Tequila was released in 2011. The brand was created by David Ravandi. David also co-founded Casa Noble Tequila. 1 2 3 is crafted with 100% estate grown organic agave grown for 10 years in the Lowland region of the Amatitan valley. The agave is hand harvested and the hearts are slowly cooked in stone ovens for nearly 2 days. After the juice is extracted it is naturally fermented and then double distilled in small batches in a stainless steel pot still. The tequila is hand bottled in recycled glass bottles with labels made from recycled paper and natural soy ink. Read more
Review: Rock N Roll Mango Tequila
Rock N Roll Mango Tequila was recently released. It comes in a Les Paul Guitar shaped bottle. Some of the best guitar players of all time including Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Slash, Joe Perry and Jerry Garcia have all performed with a Les Paul guitar. Flavored tequilas are still in their infancy in the US. They are much more popular in Mexico. Mango, Lime and Cinnamon are the most popular flavored tequilas sold in the US. Rock N Roll Tequila is made from a double distilled 100% pure Highland grown agave base. Mango flavor, with no sugar is infused. Artificial flavor and certified color are added before bottling at 64 proof. Read more
Review: Rock N Roll Platinum Tequila
Rock N Roll Platinum Tequila is one of three tequila expression just released. The others include Mango, and Cristalino Anejo. The brand is supported with a powerhouse team of industry professionals, and also includes Hall of Fame, and former Miami Dolphins Quarterback Dan Marino as a partner. Their Platinum tequila comes bottled in a Gibson Flying V shaped guitar and like all of their tequila it comes topped with a bottle topper which is its own mini bottle of Rock N Roll Platinum Tequila. This patented 50ml bottle top, known as a roadie, provides an extra two shots of platinum tequila. The Flying V guitar has been played by a who’s who list of rock and roll guitarists including members from three of my favorite bands. James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Michael Schenker of UFO, and KK Downing from Judas Priest. Rock N Roll Platinum Tequila is hand crafted and triple distilled by Master Distiller Jose Aceves, at the same distillery that produces the Hotel California and Comisario lines of tequila. Read more
Review: Tequila Artenom Seleccion de 1079 Blanco
Tequila Artenom Seleccion de 1079 Blanco was introduced in 2011. When Distillery 1079 was sold the new owners filed for a new NOM and were given 1580. The name on the bottle was changed to reflect the new NOM. I’m told the flavor profile also changed. I hope to find a bottle of Artenom Seleccion de 1580 so I can compare the two myself. The Artenom brand produces a Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo from different distilleries. Those distilleries can change and the current line up includes two Blanco’s, one from NOM 1549, and another from 1579. A reposado from NOM 1414, and a anejo from NOM 1146. Tequila Artenom 1079 was crafted at an elevation of 6920, in Jesus-Maria, at the tequila distillery with the highest elevation. Read more
Review: Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver Tequila
Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver Tequila is one of seven tequilas currently produced at Tequilera Milagro. The Milagro brand was launched in 1998 by Danny Schneeweiss and Moy Guindi. They selected Pedro Juarez, a Master Distiller with 35 years of experience to help craft their tequila. Everything about Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver Tequila appears special. From the hand blown glass pina in the bottom of the bottle, to the genuine cork top. Even the way it sounds poured through the long neck of the hollow bottomed bottle into my glass. The tequila is made from 100% estate grown agave. It is double distilled and aged for 30 days in oak barrels. Lets see if Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver Tequila lives up to the hype. Read more
Review: Tromba Blanco Tequila
Tromba Blanco Tequila was created by Marco Cedano, the original Master Distiller for Don Julio. Tromba is named for the big spring rains that soak the soil and nourish the agave. Tromba was launched in 2010 and it is small batch distilled at Casa Tequilera de Arandas. While this is a contract production distillery, Marco and his son Rodrigo have complete control over the entire production process. Tromba is made from 100% blue agave grown on estates owned by Don Ruben Gonzalez at an altitude of 5090 feet for 7-12 years. The pinas weighing between 40-70 kilograms are quartered and then steam baked in autoclave ovens and fermented in open air tanks. Tromba Blanco is double distilled and bottled unaged. Their Reposado and Anejo expressions are aged in previously used Jack Daniels barrels. Read more
Review: Tequila Ocho Single Estate Plata 2009
Tequila Ocho Single Estate Plata 2009 was produced as a collaboration between Thomas Estes and Carlos Camarena. To understand the significance of this tequila one must first understand the concept of terroir. Terroir is a French term that is defined as the set of all environmental factors that affect a particular crop. Those factors include soil, climate, sunlight, and topography. Terroir is the basis of the French wine appellation d’origine controlee system. Terroir has been used to differentiate coffee, tobacco, and yes even marajuana. By crafting tequila with agave grown from a different Highland Estate each year, and employing the same production methods, Tequila Ocho hopes to prove tequila terroir is more than the black and white Highland and Lowland designation currently used. The 2009 bottling comes from the Las Pomez Estate located 2055 meters above sea level. Once harvested the pina’s are cooked in brick ovens around 80-85 degrees celcius for 48 hours. The juice that results from the first 8 hours of cooking is discarded because of its bitter taste. The cooked Pina’s sit in the oven for another 24 hours before they are transferred to the mill where the agave is squeezed to separate the juices from fibers. The juice is fermented in small 3000 liter open wooden vats made of pine for 4-5 days. The first distillation is in a 3500 liter stainless steel pot still. The second occurs in a 300 liter copper pot still. This is done slowly at low temperatures. The copper material of the second still imparts a special mouth feel and flavor. Read more
Review: Tequila Cabeza Blanco
Tequila Cabeza Blanco is one of four spirits The 86 Co. introduced September 2012. The other three spirits include Ford Gin, Cana Brava Rum, and Aylesbury Duck Vodka. The 86 Co. works with some of the best distillers and distilleries to create these spirits. Tequila Cabeza is produced at El Ranchito Distillery. This is the distillery that also produces Chamucos, Manana, and Pura Vida tequila. The Vivanco Family founded this distillery in 1994. The single estate grown agave are grown on their 800 acre mountainside field without pesticides for 7-9 years. They are hand extracted when their sugar content is from 23-28%. The pinas are slow cooked in brick ovens for 24 hours at 100 degrees Celsius, and left to cool for 24 hours before they are shredded to extract the juice. The juice is fermented in copper tanks with Champaign yeast for ten days. This fermentation is done in the winter to bring out more fruit characteristics from the agave. The fermented agave is then distilled in two separate copper pot stills. Distilled natural spring water is blended with the tequila after distillation to reduce to 86 proof. The tequila is then rested in stainless steel tanks for 60 days before bottling. Read more