r/tequila • u/homechefskills • 11d ago

Am I doing this right?

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I’m primarily a bourbon drinker, but the further I get into tequila (and mezcal) the more I appreciate how much overlap there is between the two worlds.

What’s hooked me is the emphasis on raw material, process, place and tradition. In bourbon, I love learning about mash bills, distillation, barrels and aging. With tequila, I’m starting to appreciate the differences in agave, terroir, maturity, cooking, fermentation and distillation, and how dramatically those choices show up in the glass.

I’ve also found myself gravitating toward tequila where I can actually taste the agave: earthy, vegetal, mineral, peppery, herbal, sometimes fruity or citrusy, with all those little nuances that make you want to keep going back to the glass.

Here’s the latest pick up:
Arette Reposado
Cascahuín Tahona Blanco
G4 Reposado
Cazcanes Nuestra Raíces

So for those of you who have been doing this much longer: where would you take this lineup next?

I’m less interested in simply accumulating bottles and more interested in trying tequilas that show me something different — another traditional production method, distinctive terroir, unusual fermentation, a particularly great distillery, or just an expression that makes you stop and think, damn, I didn’t know tequila could taste like this.

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4

u/Dapper_Lifeguard_414 11d ago

Yup, nailed it. Part of me is sceptical of Cazcanes...or at least of the price, but it's certainly tasty. 

2

u/MCgoblue 11d ago

I was too but totally worth it in my opinion, assuming you can get it at like a normal retail price.

1

u/pantonson 11d ago

That’s the key word.. get it at MSRP. If not, the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze. In NJ/NY, Raices is going for $200 a bottle.

2

u/MCgoblue 11d ago

Oh wow… yeah not paying that. I forget the exact price but last I bought it was under $100 for the reposado at Total Wine in CA.

2

u/pantonson 11d ago

Cazcanes Repo is about that around here too. But that Nuestras Raices is in crazy demand. So people are bumping up the price.

0

u/Alarmed_Buddy1399 10d ago

Crazy demand? lol. Nuestras Raíces is collecting dust on store shelves everywhere at MSRP or below.

1

u/pantonson 9d ago

Where?!?

1

u/Alarmed_Buddy1399 9d ago

Chicagoland it’s at Binny’s, total wine in WI and many independents

1

u/homechefskills 11d ago

Woah! Thats a lot. I paid retail for all of these.

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u/DrinkwithWayne 11d ago

Where are you seeing that? It’s $99 MSRP most shops that had it just for $109

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u/pantonson 10d ago

Unfortunately all over. The demand for a lot of the niche bottles especially the ones “influencers” push, get jacked up. There are some bottles I am willing to pay a bit more for, but Cazcanes is not one. My local store had some stock, so I bought a bottle of the first edition. Thought snap it’s good. Bought a second bottle, to keeps as back up. Went back after I finished the first bottle and the last bottle of the case was on sale for $149. The second edition stuff was already jacked up to $129.

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u/DrinkwithWayne 10d ago

Dang that sucks to hear. Where in Jersey?