Tequila Question

What is the difference between clear and dark tequila.
I know in licensed balsamic vinegar the light is filtered more to remove the color and is normally sweeter- I love the light better for salads.
You see some brands of tequila having both types.

This is pretty much off the top of my head, and I hope other board posters will feel welcome to offer corrections and their own thoughts.

There are four types of tequila:
Blanco -the clear (silver) one
Reposado -the next shade darker, aged from 2 to 11 months in oak
Añejo -darker yet, aged in oak for one to three years
Extra Añejo -darkest of the four types, aged in oak for more than three years

The Extra Añejo classification is newest of the four, having only been officially recognized for about a decade. Some tequila aficionados don't care for this distinction, and some also believe that tequila should not be aged for such long periods.

While I do very much enjoy tequila, my personal taste runs to high quality mescal. And there are some good mescals available in Zihua at reasonable prices. Of course there's also Don Eladio (whom some call Señor Gunnysack) who sells a very smooth homemade mescal in two-liter soda bottles on the beaches and near mercado central.

So which of the four is mescal?

Keith is cien por ciento correcto, como siempre.
I apologize for having mentioned mescal in a tequila post.
Can't help myself. (Rob, please insert apropos 4 Tops video here.)

Gracias por aguantar a mi haber vagado fuera de tema. {-;

dh

mexicans realized dumb gringos would pay more for aged tequila and mezcal, so they put it into wood barrels

totally ruins the quality of both spirits while commanding a higher price

nice

de acuerdo
that's why many of us appreciate the blancos more

I forgot the brand of tequila now, about 4 years ago going thru MC the Duty Free Shop was offering a special of 2 different types (same brand) plus a .75 liter agave for $10.00. I got 2 of them and now they are over $20.00 ea. I will say they were really good. I was wondering about the difference when you had a choice of the clear or dark at the same price.

How do you people like Don Julio

IMHO, Don Julio makes very good tequila, and while not inclined towards the añejos, theirs is one that I do truly appreciate. At around the same price points, though, I really do prefer the offering of El Tesoro de Don Felipe straight across from blanco to añejo.

I forgot the brand of tequila now, about 4 years ago going thru MC the Duty Free Shop was offering a special of 2 different types (same brand) plus a .75 liter agave for $10.00. I got 2 of them and now they are over $20.00 ea. I will say they were really good. I was wondering about the difference when you had a choice of the clear or dark at the same price.

Not knowing which tequilas you mentioned above, my humble opinion is that if you loved them you got a great deal.

Regarding your concluding ponder, and around that same price point, my first concern would be what I would intend to do with the tequila. For margaritas, it would be the blanco (clear); for sipping it would be the reposado or añejo. At the $20.00 range here in MI, in both cases that would be El Charro, or in a real pinch Camarena. Usually I do go a little bit more upmarket, but not very much more so -it depends on what Rishi will do for me.

If you're spending a lot, Don Julio 1942 is great. On our last trip La Comer had a Don Julio 75th Anniversary blanco that I thought was outstanding. I think it was under $50 at La Comer (here in the People's Republic of Washington it's more like $80).

I bought two bottles 750 mm each 350 pesos very smooth Blanco with a slice of orange no salt perfect stuff

Don Julio 70th Anniversary is a kind of best of both worlds, an Añejo Claro that is my favorite for sipping but very pricey at about $70. Lately I have been buying El Padrino a private label Añejo from Total Wine and More, distilled by De Valle De Tequila. If you like a smooth honey nosed Añejo like I do it's a real bargain at $28 and very similar to Don Julio @ over $40. In Zihuatanejo my bang for the buck favorite 100 Años Reposado for about $10 US at Bodega's.

You pretty much nailed it...With tequilas, similar to rum, it boils down to what you will use it for and personal taste. Nowadays I hear all kind of theories about how long should tequila be aged or should not, in what barrel type it should be and what pricing to be expected for a good tequila. A lot of it is very subjective and frankly, taste is a very personal subject. But generally speaking blanco is for blending, ie cocktails and anejo/reposado for tasting. There is no absolute as some anejo/reposado brings extra flavors to your cocktail depending on what you are blending. There is certainly good and bad tequila and pricing can help but it is not the only indicator. If you are sipping or doing shots and want something smooth, particularly for those that do not usually drink hard liquor alone, a tequila with a lower alcohol percentage is often better for you and one that has done great in blind tasting competitions for the last few years and is actually cheap for such a good one is Carmesi, their reposado version, at about $21 US in Mexico. I currently have a few others I'm using that I enjoy in their $40+ US range, Chinaco, La Cantina and Cava Don Anastacio. I also enjoy Aha Toro in their anejo version.

I do chuckle when I hear the debates going on regarding pricing and againg of tequila as this was a new "in" thing and build for tourists. About 25 years ago, I had a sales rep finishing a transaction with me and our food and beverage manager by opening a small rep suitcase he was carrying around. It contained a bottle of tequila and 4 shot glasses. The reposado tequila had been aged for a minimum of 25 years in oak barrels and was only produced in small batches. Back then the retail value, if you could have bought one, was over $1K US. To my knowledge, around that time period, 3 different tequila production houses had similar products worth upward to $2K and the rarest were close to 50 years old +. So nothing new in aged tequila in oak barrels. In my first visit to a tequila producing facility way back when, I was explained that tequila is in fact very similar to cognac, and age very well and develop different flavour, colour and texture over time. That age and rarety comes at a price, no different than cognac.

My suggestion, if you are looking at possibly buying a bottle that is expensive for you, would be to try a shot while in Zihua and you can see if you enjoy it. I personally try to buy from smaller producers but the big houses do have some great products too...

What about Azul (blue) tequila. Someone said that is very tasty.

I have never tried this brand...

In prior years Mexico has exported so-so tequila to China. A few years ago the countries entered into an agreement that Mexico would deliver Azul (blue) tequila. It supposed to be a top rated premium tequila made from 100% organic tequila agave.

Well said, Christian, and I totally agree. Thanks for fleshing out my post.
It's the same way with lots of liquors. What's "best" comes down heavily on the subjective side.
To get educated, one must become familiar with a wide range of products on offer.
I'm a willing student.
dh

I've tried Azul; it works well for mixing cocktails,
it's crisp and clean with the agave right up front.
And it's usually available at a good price.

A few years ago we were doing a tour of a vineyard in Australia, while doing the smell/taste the host said something very interesting. He said it is not the price of the product but the palette determines if it is good or not. Just because tequila cost more does not make it better.

That is correct but there is often a correlation between price and taste, being in wine or spirits. A $10 bottle of tequila is unlikely going to be as good as a $50, especially if it's one used for sipping.