Review: El Padrino Chocolate Tequila Cream
El Padrino Chocolate Tequila Cream is one of three new tequila creams produced at Casa Maestri. The others include Lime and Original Tequila Cream. El Padrino may offer more tequilas variants than any other brand. Their lineup also includes El Padrino Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, Extra Anejo, Cristalino, Tropical Mango, Spicy Cucumber, and Clementine. They also produce 4 different El Padrino Mezcals. The El Padrino tequila base is made from 100% blue agave grown on their hacienda in San Julian Jalisco Mexico. Once trimmed the hearts are cut in half and steam roasted in centuries old traditional thick stone walled brick ovens for 36-54 hours. Once cooled the pina’s are shredded releasing the sweet juice which is then fermented in wood vats. A double distillation follows. Natural flavors, cream liqueur, and caramel color is blended with the tequila base before bottling at 30 proof. Read more 
Review: Terralta Tequila Blanco
Terralta Tequila Blanco was introduced in 2011. It is crafted by Third Generation Master Distiller Felipe Camarena at Destileria el Pandillo. His Grandfather created Tequila Tapatio, and Tesoro de Don Felipe. His brother the Ocho brand. His cousin founded Camarena Tequila. I guess you can say tequila is in their family DNA. Terralta is made from 100% blue Weber agave, Highland grown for 8-10 years. The trimmed pinas are cooked and steamed in a custom stone oven with steam jets placed at top and bottom. This allows the agave to cook evenly. Once cooled a 19,000 pound steam roller made from junk parts and named Frankenstein, crushes the agave without breaking the fibers that cause bitterness. The juice is fermented in stainless steel vats with the same natural yeast his grandfather used 80 years ago. The spirit is double distilled in custom copper stills that are cleaned with distilled water and steam before every new batch. Pure water sourced from a 459 foot deep well is blended to reduce to proof. Read more
Review: Solento Organic Tequila Blanco
Solento Organic Tequila Blanco was released in 2019. Solento translates to slow sun. Filmmaker Taylor Steele partnered with the Montes family in crafting this tequila at Tequila Las Americas. The Montes family has over 60 years of experience making tequila. Some of the other brands created at this distillery include, 123 Organic, 4 Copas, Don Abraham, Dos Artes, El Sativo Organic, and IXA. Solento Organic Tequila Blanco is made from organic single estate agave grown for seven years in Amatitan. The hand trimmed agave hearts are slow cooked for two days in stone ovens. Once cooled the juice is extracted and fermented naturally, then double distilled. Read more
Review: 818 Tequila Reposado
818 Tequila Reposado is probably best known as Kendall Jenner’s tequila. Kendall is not the first celebrity to create a tequila brand but she is the first I’m aware of that has been publicly criticized for doing so. Kendall worked in tandem with La Cofradia distillery for four years developing the 818 brand. It starts with hand selected agave grown in both the Highland and Lowland Regions on family farms in Jalisco. The hand trimmed pinas are slow roasted for 40 hours in adobe brick ovens. Once cooled large stone Tahonas are used to crush and extract the juice which is fermented for 70 hours. The spirit is small batch double distilled in alembic pot stills and matured in French oak barrels. The aged tequila is then blended with extra anejo tequila before bottling. Read more
Review: El Bandido Yankee Tequila Blanco
El Bandido Yankee Tequila Blanco was created by NHL HOF player Chris Chelios, and former Green Bay Packer safety Jim Bob Morris. They worked closely with Karina Rojo, Master Distiller at El Viejito Distillery. Starting with 100% Blue Weber agave grown for 8 years in the Highland region, the agave is hand trimmed and chopped. The pinas are slow roasted in stone ovens for 40 hours. Once cooled and shredded the agave nectar is fermented with a special yeast. A slow double distillation in copper pots at low temperatures follows. The spirit is triple filtered and oxygenated prior to bottling additive free. Read more
Review: Calirosa Tequila Rosa Blanco
Calirosa Tequila Rosa Blanco was recently released along with Calirosa Tequila Rosa Anejo. An Extra Anejo expression is currently barrel aging. The brand was created by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and his wife, former Victoria Secret model Behati Prinsloo. The tequila base is crafted by the Real family at Tequila Selecto de Amatitan, where they have been distilling tequila since 1942. Some of the other tequila made at this distillery include AsomBroso, Blue Nectar, Codigo 1316, Insolente, and Manik. Third generation Master Distiller Luis Trejo Rodriguez selects 100% Weber blue agave that have grown for 7-9 years and have a minimum 26% brix or sugar content. The pinas are hand trimmed and cooked brick ovens. The extracted juice is fermented for up to 50 hours before it is double distilled. The tequila is then aged in California Red Wine barrels for 30 days. Read more
Review: Puro Verde Organic Silver Tequila
Puro Verde Organic Silver Tequila is made from 100% Blue agave grown on more than 2000 acres of sustainably maintained farmland in Amatitan Jalisco Mexico. It is one of dozens of tequilas crafted at Tequila Las Americas. A partial list of the tequilas produce there includes 123 Organic, 4 Copas, Don Abraham, El Sativo Organic, Hermosa Casagave, El Nivel, Solento Organic, and Dos Artes. The hand selected organic pinas are baked in stone ovens. Agave juice is pressed from the baked pinas. The juice is filtered and fermented 100% naturally without added yeast, taking 7-10 days. After a double distillation in stainless steel stills, the spirit is clarified through cold filtration and layers of micron filters. Puro Verde is estate bottled using triple filtered well water sourced at the base of the Tequila Mountain range. Read more
Review: Lobos 1707 Tequila Joven
Lobos 1707 Tequila Joven is one of three tequila expressions in the Lobos product line. The House of Lobos also crafts Lobos 1707 Mezcal. Lobos 1707 is best known for being LeBron James tequila, but in fact this brand was a finished product before LeBron, Maverick Carter, Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green invested in the brand. Lobos 1707 was founded by Diego Osorio. The tequila was created as a collaboration between a Spanish Master Distiller who has created sherries and brandies for almost 50 years and a Master Distiller from Mexico who has focused on tequila. Each bottle of Lobos features a glass embossed Osorio family crest. This coat of arms features two wolves and serves as inspiration for the Lobos brand name. The Osorio Family history with tequila dates to Diego’s Great, Great Grandfather who learned of the spirit in Mexico and transported it in sherry wine barrels to his native Spain. Lobos 1707 is one of 39 tequila brands made at Compania Tequilera de Arandas. Some of the other brands include El Charro, Riazul, Vida, and Solana. Lobos is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the rich soil of Altos de Jalisco. The pinas are slow cooked in a stainless steel autoclave with additional steam hydration. After twice distilling in traditional discontinuous stills all their spirits are finished in Pedro Ximenez PX wine barrels from Spain. Lobos Tequila Joven is made from their premium aged blanco tequila mixed with a measure of Lobos Tequila Reposado. The blend is carbon filtered then finished in PX wine barrels using the solera method. Read more
Review: CaliFino Blanco Tequila
The idea for CaliFino Tequila started in 1975 when Don Jose Luna would travel to the Arandas Highlands in Jalisco to acquire moonshine style tequila to bring back and share with family and friends. By 2014 his Grandson, Former San Diego Sockers Professional soccer player Miquel Luna teamed with his Head Coach and longtime friend Phil Salvagio to create their own tequila brand based on the unlabeled tequila his father would carry in Manzanita Apple Soda jugs across the Mexican border to San Diego. They worked with Grupo Tequilero Mexico to create the Califino brand. In May 2018 they released CaliFino Reposdo, Anejo, and Extra Anejo. CaliFIno Blanco was introduced July 2020. CaliFino is one of 13 tequila brands crafted at Grupo Tequilero Mexico. Some of the other brands produced at this distillery include Alquimia, Bandero, and Lalo. CaliFino is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the Highland Region of Los Altos. The trimmed pina’s are roasted in red brick ovens for 48 hours. Once extracted the juice if fermented for 200 hours in open steel tanks. After a double distillation the tequila is hand bottled, labeled, and corked. The agave fiber taken from the the crushed pinas is used to wrap around the tequila bottles neck. Read more
Review: 818 Tequila Blanco
After several trips to the La Cofradia Distillery, and dozens of blind taste tests, Kendall Jenner’s nearly four year journey to create the best tasting tequila has resulted in the release of 818 Tequila Blanco. It is currently only available in California. 818 is the area code of the greater San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles including Calabasas California, the home of brand creator Kendall Jenner. 818 is not the first celebrity owned tequila brand, and most certainly will not be the last. 818 is crafted at La Cofradia. This distillery currently produces 67 tequila brands including Casa Noble, Astral, Cazul 100, Senor Rio, Tequila Mi Campo, and Tequila 512. 818 is made from 100% Blue Weber agave, hand picked from farms in the Lowland and Highland Regions of Jalisco. Once hand trimmed the pina’s are roasted in adobe brick ovens for 40 hours. Large stone tahonas are then used to extract and collect the juice by crushing the cooked agave. The juice is fermented for 70 hours and then double distilled in small batches in alembic pot stills. Each batch rests in French oak barrels prior to bottling. 818 is a proud member of 1% for the Planet. For every bottle sold they will donate 1% of revenue to environmental non profit partners to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. Read more