Do You Know Your Tequila?
Tequila. Oh, how we love our tequila. Sometimes a bit too much, but with over 100 types to sample in our Agave Room, there’s a lot to love. With that said, it’s best to get to know them a bit first, so here’s a quick guide to the five basic categories of tequila.
Blanco/Plata (white/silver) – Bottled straight after distillation or after sitting in neutral oak or stainless steel barrels for up to two months, this tequila is the most neutrally flavored of the five categories.
Reposado (rested) – After a solid nap in an oak barrel for up to a year, reposado tequilas are not so much “aged” as they are “rested-up and ready for anything.”
Joven (young) – Joven tequilas are the offspring of reposado and blanco tequilas, so they’re literally born for mixing.
Añejo (aged/vintage) – There’s plenty of wisdom to be found in a bottle of añejo. This tequila bides its time in an oak barrel for up to three years, absorbing the worldly flavors of the ancients.
Extra Añejo – The granddaddy of tequilas. Extra añejo tequilas slosh around in oak barrels for at least 3 years, reaching heights of enlightenment that a newborn blanco couldn’t begin to comprehend.
Aged tequilas made with 100 percent agave tend to be mellower and more complex, like a wizened old hippy with a dark past. Younger tequilas like the blanco and joven are often a bit harsher and are best enjoyed mixed into something sweeter.
So there you have it. Each tequila has something to love and is precious and unique in its own way. Stop by the Agave Room sometime and get to know one or a hundred.
