What makes good tequila appealing? If you’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy, you would often hear Meredith Grey talk about tequila like it was a healing balm. To the tequila lover, the fruity and herbal notes of the drink make sipping tequila heaven.
This cool drink has been made even more popular by celebrities who have created their own tequila drinks and made tequila a lucrative business.
Tequilas have been categorized according to how they are aged, or if they are aged at all. Their category is usually placed on their labels and identifies the quality of the drink that you will get. They are also categorized into two styles.
According to Esquire, highland tequila is made from “agaves grown in the volcanic uplands of Mexico, which tend to be brighter and more acidic, with notes of olive brine and green pepper.” Lowland tequila, on the other hand, is grown on “the plateau around Guadalajara, is generally fruitier, with a whiff of tropical funk.”
Let’s discover the 5 types of tequila, categorized according to how they are aged, that have become a must-try in their own right:
If tequilas were siblings, a tequila Blanco would be the youngest of them all. Bottles that are labeled “100% blue agave” are considered Blancos, also often referred to as silver or Plato tequilas.
A Blanco is the youngest of all tequilas because they are unaged. They are distilled from the blue Weber agave, grown in the western part of Mexico, and bottled straight after distillation.
Sometimes, they are placed in wood barrels (French, American oak, or old Spanish sherry) for up to 60 days or kept in stainless steel tanks for a few weeks.
You can enjoy a sip of tequila Blanco and experience these different flavors and aromas:
Herbal
Floral
Citric
A bit fruity
Roasted agave
Grassy
Vanilla
Some tequila Blancos will also have a hint of poblano and green pepper flavors to create a spiny finish. But they will always have the sweetness that comes from the agave nectar, and sometimes caramel.
What is the best way to drink Blanco? According to experts, Blanco is best used in cocktails, like Margaritas and other drinks that are light and citrusy. Try a sip of a blood orange cinnamon margarita with a sweet and spicy twist, perfect for summer afternoons or fall lounging.
Although Joven is not a popular category, it has become an interesting category because it is simply “Blanco tequila blended with aged tequilas”.
Tequila Joven falls under the mixto category because it is made with at least 51% of blue agave juices and other types of agave, or Blanco (unaged) tequila with other aged tequilas like reposados and añejos.
According to Sip Tequila, tequila Joven is the “fifth category of tequila that is recognized by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the governing body of the tequila industry”.
One of the best and most popular Joven tequilas is the Casa Dragones Joven. It is 100% agave Joven Tequila, made with a perfect blend of tequila Blanco and 5 years of extra añejo tequila. It is known worldwide as a sipping tequila and dubbed the “Tastemakers Top Tequila” by Forbes Magazine.
Enjoy a sip of Casa Dragones Joven with these hints of flavor and aroma:
Subtle floral
Citrus,
Sweet roasted agave
Vanilla
Spiced undertones,
Delicate notes of pear
What makes a glass of tequila reposado flavorful? It is aged less than one year, between 60 and 364 days. The flavor of this tequila mellows during the aging process, adding to its flavor hints of oak and vanilla to the agave.
The flavor created during aging makes it a good addition to heavier cocktails. However, it can also be enjoyed with a Margarita.
Bask into a glass of tequila añejo if you want a good substitute for whiskey, a popular aged drink. The word añejo means vintage. With this aged tequila (at least one year to less than three years), you get a deeper flavor of agave and stronger flavors of caramel, oak, and toffee while still having a hint of sweet and peppery flavor.
The deeper flavor comes from how it cycles in and out of the wood barrels where they are placed to age. This is why this aged tequila has a deeper amber or golden color and a more distinct flavor.
Sometimes, you can taste chocolate and butterscotch when you drink a glass of añejo, too. The unique flavor of tequila añejo takes on the character of cognac or bourbon because they are sometimes aged inside bourbon barrels.
A bottle of bright and dark gold extra añejo would be the priciest if you compare it to other tequilas. This is because they are aged longer than all the rest: more than three years and typically in American and French oak barrels. Its intense flavor should be indulged in every sip.
Tequila aficionados love these flavors and aromas in a glass of extra añejo:
Intensely woody
More pronounced burnt caramel flavor similar to aged whiskey.
Light agave
Honey
Vanilla
Dry fruits
Light banana
The refinement and craftsmanship that go along with aging an extra añejo give this tequila a worthwhile price similar to that of expensive cognac. Its deep nuanced flavors are perfect enough to replace whiskey in your cocktails.
Now that you know more about this incredibly popular Mexican spirit, learn how you can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or in a variety of cocktails. You can drink tequila in amazing varieties: try a straight-up Margarita or a fruity pitcher of cocktail for your next party or a quiet afternoon at home.
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By elrincontx
Oct 19, 2021