I’ve been to Mexico. I’ve driven by those tequila plantations with those gigantic blue agave cactus sprouting out of the soil. I’ve done tequila shots at the bar, licking salt, shoot tequila, and sucking lemon. I’ve never enjoyed the flavour of it on its own or with the salt and lemon. The tequila finish is too much for me, it is NASTY, it’s like swallowing your own vomit. I can drink eau de vie, brandy, cognac, and whisky, but I can’t enjoy drinking tequila, it just tastes bad. I’ve tried this drink called a paloma, where they salt the glass and mix tequila with fresca or squirt. I could still taste that nasty finish, the one that makes me cringe whenever it passes my tongue on the way down my esophagus. Maybe that gross finish that I am explaining is just the flavour of the agave. Well, this must change if I want to be the all encompassing gastronaut that will eat everything and enjoy its complementing drink. How am I ever going to pass Mexico? I love Mexican food I just can’t get into the quintessential aperitif / digestif. So I’ve set my self up to do some tequila tasting. After my last math exam I decided to go to this awesome Mexican restaurant on Sherbrooke called Tequila Taco. I told my waiter I wanted to learn to enjoy tequila, but I just can’t get beyond that aftertaste. He recommended that I try Tequila Banderas. Yes, Like Antonio Banderas, the super sexy latino actor, maybe his name sake will make tequila a little sexier for my palate. In Spanish, banderas means flag. This was later explained to me by my waiter as he dropped three shot glasses in front of me. One was a shot glass full of lime juice, one was tequila, and the last was tomato juice. The three shot glasses symbolize the mexican flag, the red white and green. So I have a tequila banderas in front of me and I am supposed to take a sip of lime, then tequila, then tomato. This I thought was interesting, it will slow down the whole shock-and-awe that goes on in my mouth. I think that the lime juice first primes my palate with acute acidity, the tequila, I believe it was Don Julio anejo, matched the acidity coupled with that aweful aftertaste and the burn (the burn is the only enjoyable part of tequila drinking in my opinion), the tomato juice calmed everything down from the agave flavour to the burn. The flavours produced a synergy in my mouth. There was a balance that was so enjoyable I wanted to do it again. Now this is a way I can bridge my hatred for the drink into limbo of whether I like it or hate it. One day I could perhaps make a decision to make tequila my new spirit of choice, at least while eating mexican food. I definitely need to work on developing my palate for tequila and tequila banderas is a useful way to bring myself to the table and try more. I am definitely going to keep you posted on my quest to enjoy tequila. Wish me luck.
Question: A two parter, what tequila do you enjoy and what should I be trying?
heres the thing. i totally agree with you on the nastiness issue. its just plain tough to get it down sometimes…you really have to be committed !
i wish i could tell you the name of the tequila i had one time ……it was so smooth i questioned whether it was in fact, tequila. it sure was though. it had that unmistakable flavour but without being harsh. we drank it neat, no lemons, no ice.
it was so clean afterward also…. and a nice buzz. not even a hint of nasty !
sorry no name tho….i dont remember but keep exploring. its out there. someone brought it back from mexico and his wife was mad because we almost drank the whole bottle. the banderas sounds very interesting also
cheers, laura
I believe I have had the same problem. My old housemate Matt brought home some amazing tequila home from Mexico once and I even enjoyed it. Alas, I don’t know what it was called, I barely remember what the bottle looks like. All I know is that the tequila was oh so smooth. Strange how things like that happen.
I would recommend trying some quality 100% Agave Blanco tequila’s (eg. Cabo Wabo Blanco, Don Julio Blanco, Patron Blanco). They are much smoother than the Reposados and Anejos with less of those “vomitesque” flavours you seem to despise. You could also try enjoying these Tequilas on ice or even with a splash of water. It seems to me that many people overlook this beverage due to past overindulge or stigma.
I’ve been watching the Tequilawhisperer.com and he knows all about the stuff. He got me to try Fortaleza reposada and it is oh so smooth. He knows what lot number to buy(05) and he thinks the quality of many main stream tequilas is going down with prices going up. He also had me try the Fortaleza blanco/silver and I just put it up against another tasty but not smooth, comparatively, Leguas. No comparison. I used to like Don Julio but they seemed to have changed. It’s still fairly smooth but has a manipulated taste. I think it’s the same with the Patron. They are pretty expensive but I think some are worth it. Check out the Whisperer for a strange but fun education on Agave.