Suavecito Anejo Tequila Review [Transcript]

Alex Perez: Hi, I’m Alex Perez.

Mike Morales: I’m Mike Morales.

AP: And you are watching Sipping off the Cuff on tequilaaficionado.com. And we continue our flight with Suavecito.

[laughter]

MM: We’re gonna do the Anejo tonight.

AP: We did the Blanco.

MM: We did the Blanco.

AP: We did the Reposado.

MM: We did the Reposado, and we’re gonna do the Anejo. Look at the presentation, do you wanna show it?

AP: You can show it.

MM: Look at the presentation.

AP: Mano.

MM: This has got like a leather label.

AP: Corset.

MM: A corset. Check that out, it’s a corset.

AP: Corset, yeah. [laughter]

MM: A corset. Well, you have more practice with that than I do.

AP: Right, [laughter] yeah.

MM: Tying them, right?

AP: Tying them.

MM: Or untying them. Anyway…

AP: That’s another show.

MM: It’s another show. [laughter] It’s another set of tools.

AP: It’s another show with the do-rags on.

MM: Oh, yeah. But this is again, beautiful presentation. They’re using real cork in their bottles too, and it’s a short neck, so it’s gonna be… It’s a short cork.

AP: And you wanna be careful with the… I’ve seen so many times where somebody just opens it up and it tears off.

MM: Yeah.

AP: So what I like to do is… Last time, you guys were making fun of me but, you moisten the cork a little bit. ‘Cause if you have it standing up, it dries out, typically.

MM: Yeah, for those of you…

AP: And then you can just ease it out.

MM: Yeah.

AP: You know, don’t tear it, tear it apart.

MM: And it won’t pop out of your… If it’s been… If some of these corks are faulty, and it won’t pop off, and you’ll have to use a wine corkscrew, and all that stuff. And you don’t wanna go into that. Beautiful presentation. Again, and look at the color on this thing. What’s this?

AP: That’s very unique. It’s…

MM: I can’t call it copper. What kind of color is that?

AP: I don’t know. It’s like a… It’s almost like a, it’s a funny amber color to it.

MM: Amber’s a good, a good, a good…

AP: Yeah, kind of like a dark amber maybe, dark amber.

MM: Yeah.

AP: It’s actually a neat-looking color. I’ve never seen this color in an Anejo.

MM: In an Anejo Tequila.

AP: Or any tequila, for that matter. It’s an interesting-looking color.

MM: It’s almost like cloudy or like a muddled. ‘Cause it’s not very bright.

AP: Right.

MM: It’s a dull… That’s why you notice it, because it’s not very bright, like maybe copper-colored Anejos are.

AP: So it’s got nice lights, just like the Blanco one, the Reposado.

MM: Mm-hmm. Which again could be due to the… And this particular tequila, again, is enhanced. It is infused with, I believe they said it was 2% agave nectar. It is a lower alcohol by volume tequila. And due to that, it had to be infused in order to come into the United States at that low ABV. And it’s turned into this…

AP: Alcohol by volume.

MM: And it turned it into this wonderful, different product. It really is different. It’s not like a liqueur, it’s not like it’s, it’s not like it’s one of those tequilas that’s really enhanced with cotton candy.

AP: Yeah, we won’t go into that.

MM: We won’t go into which one. But this one is done really well. Now, it’s an unusual, kind of a, like I say, a cloudy color. What did we find out about their barrels, Alex?

AP: They’re using American oak?

MM: American oak.

AP: American oak barrels.

MM: Now the website is telling us that it’s once distilled.

AP: Which is not possible.

MM: That’s impossible, that’s not the case. Guys, you need to change the website, that is incorrect. Alright.

AP: It’s got to be at least…

MM: At least dos.

AP: Two, for it to be legal.

MM: Yeah, otherwise the TTB is gonna come right back [laughter] at you. Let me tell you. You think they were tough about the labeling? Ha!

AP: Well, not even them, but I would think the norma.

MM: Well, yeah. The normas, you can’t…

AP: You can’t drink.

MM: Yeah, you can’t even call it…

AP: Just here to your right, and you’re outside the normas.

MM: Yeah, well. You know.

AP: So obviously it’s a mistake.

MM: Obviously.

AP: And because we’ve tasted the product, there’s no way it can be once distilled.

MM: No. No, no.

AP: Well, it’s got a very…

MM: Again, very subtle notes, right?

AP: Yeah, it’s got a nice notes. Again, you… The same… To me, it’s the same floral coming through. And again, just like the Reposado, I can smell that it’s more honey. I mentioned vanilla or caramel before. It’s more honey.

MM: Now, this one, I’m sensing a little bit more alcohol in it.

AP: Yes.

MM: A little bit more, not a lot. You still have to, you know. With the Blanco and the Reposado, you really had to dig to get any of it. But with the Anejo, you’re getting a little bit more.

AP: Yeah, it’s got honey and hints of vanilla in there too. At least for me.

[pause]

[chuckle]

AP: We’re using this pontoon bucket, which we advise if you’re tasting several tequilas, that way you can stand up later.

MM: Well, yeah and then you can decide later on which one you want a full sample of. If you’re doing these kinds of things as a rule in your own home, we advise sip, swirl. You know, sip, swirl, sniff and spit.

AP: Now, this one…

MM: You know, I’m not getting the… Am I getting wood? I’m not getting as much wood as I did with the Reposado.

AP: This one’s more… Packs a little bit more of a punch in the palette in the mouth, I think because of the alcohol. The alcohol really comes through in this one. But I’m not getting the delicate notes from… That I expected in this one.

MM: Yeah, it’s…

AP: For being a Reposado… Yeah.

MM: For being an Anejo? Now, see, you were talking about in old fashion. How about using this Anejo in the old fashion? Do you think it will come through because of the alcohol?

AP: It would be interesting, but I think the Repo actually would lend itself more than this.

MM: Really? Okay. So the Anejo, maybe not so stellar.

AP: Well, actually…

MM: It’s different.

AP: It’s different, it’s good. I expected it to be a little different than what I’m tasting now.

MM: Yeah, this one is…

AP: I think I expected it a little bit more richer.

MM: Yeah, because the Reposado really, really…

AP: It’s a little deeper.

MM: A little deeper, a little bit more complex in the layers. This one I’m not…

AP: It’s almost like the alcohol is overtaking…

MM: Probably so.

AP: The… Not only the buquella in this but also on the taste itself.

MM: And I’m not getting the wood notes that I actually got from the Repo. The Repo actually had more of the wood notes in the retronasal area.

AP: Yeah, it’s not as long-lasting as the Repo or the Blanco. It kind of just dies in my pallet.

MM: Is it coating your pallet like the other two?

AP: Not as much.

MM: Yeah, I didn’t notice that either.

AP: Not as much.

MM: And what I’m wondering too is that maybe they’re using too much water. I don’t know. ‘Cause we’re not master distillers obviously, but there’s a slight let-down in the Anejo. Where the Blanco and the Reposado really, really told you… It really made a thumb-print of what they are. And the Anejo is just not… It’s not following through, there’s no follow-through. Is it coating your pallet, like the other two?

AP: No, it doesn’t feel like it’s coating. And again, it’s got the attack, it’s got more alcohol in my mouth and then it just dies. It doesn’t linger, it doesn’t linger like the other ones.

MM: Mm-hmm. Yeah, ’cause the other ones had decent finishes too. Really from like medium to…

AP: Yeah so, to me, it does not have a good finish to it which is what you usually expect in an Anejo. Because of the complexity of the wood and the caramel, and all the other stuff that should be coming through there.

[pause]

AP: Yep.

MM: Well, kind of a let-down, folks but that’s just us.

AP: But that’s my pallet, it’s your pallet.

MM: No, yeah. And…

AP: Everyone’s pallet is different.

MM: But, and you may enjoy it. And like I say, chances are this type of Reposado. Because again, it’s the lower ABV, alcohol by volume with the 2% infused agave syrup or agave nectar is gonna add… It’s a different animal. It’s tequila, but it’s a different animal. So…

AP: It’s different from what people are usually used to when you buy something off of the shelf at the store.

MM: Yeah, I think we talked about it with the Reposado. If you’re gonna… It, again, would lend itself really well to food pairing and with sweets, chocolates, things like that. But once you do that, that’s it. You’re… That’s your evening because it’s gonna coat your pallet.

AP: Well, that’s cause you gotta stay with that. That’s what you gotta stay with.

MM: Yeah.

AP: If you can continue to drink that. But if you’re gonna drink anything else and actually distinguish it from each other, it’s not gonna happen because your pallet’s already coated.

MM: Yeah, you’ll have to do something different to clean your taste buds. But what… We might even do a Sipping off the Cuff, a one… A Tequila-101 on how to cleanse your pallet. But you don’t wanna see that ’cause we’ll have to show you the spit bucket. [laughter]

AP: We hide it down here.

MM: We hide it down here. You don’t wanna see it after we’re done, okay. Listen, I’m Mike Morales.

AP: I’m Alex Perez.

MM: That’s our take on Suavecito.

AP: Yeah.

MM: And I think it’s worth looking for, I really do. Particularly, the Blanco and the Reposado. The Anejo, maybe not so much but give it a shot anyway and see what you think. If you like it, tell us, write us a comment.

AP: Yeah, tequilaaficionado.com. Thanks for listening or watching, you’re watching this on Sipping off the Cuff on tequilaaficionado.com. And as always, sip wisely.