Stephen Coomes

Tequila Ocho Single Estate Plata 2012

By Steve Coomes

 

Pouring just an ounce of Tequila Ocho Single Estate Plata 2012 from the bottle sends a rush of fruit into the air. Highly aromatic, but not busily so, this plata greets the nose with aromas of papaya, banana, grapefruit and cooked agave. Swirl it to yield some field grasses, a bit of butterscotch and even cooked bell pepper.

The taste is delightful: loads of agave, white pepper, some peppermint and after some time, a touch of salt. The distiller’s tasting notes mentioned pomegranate, but I didn’t get it. So I walked to my liquor cabinet for a whiff of Pama liqueur, the closest thing I had, and sniffed again.

Maybe, but not clearly.

His mention of green olive brine made sense to my sinuses, as did the his claim of “tutti-frutti.” For me, that came off a bit more like bubble gum, but not at all cloying as that might imply.

As expected, body is medium, and mouthfeel goes from zesty to soft.  Some tingle up front, coolness at mid-palate and a modest finish. After a few minutes’ wait, you get that hint of salt.

Doubtless, a complex plata like this will shine in cocktails, but I’m just fine sipping it. Take your time with this and you’ll find some spice notes popping up within the rest. It’s certainly no sin to mix it in a cocktail, but I recommend something bold, such as replacing your rum of choice with it in a mojito. It’ll pair terrifically with the mint. Shaken with ice and poured neat—that’s a hot day treat!

Since Tequila Ocho’s products are single estate, each bottle is numbered in the event that collectors find it, well, collectible. For what it’s worth, the agave harvested for my bottle was from Rancho Refugio and the vessel numbered 8882. But truth be known, that does nothing to raise the odds of its collectability in my house. This tequila is a treat I’ll be drinking and sharing with friends over the holidays. At $44 per bottle, it’s worth getting another when this runs out.

 

 

Tequila Aficionado is proud to welcome rising star in tequila and travel journalism, Stephen Coomes, as a Contributing Writer and Reviewer.  His steady gigs include roles as contributing editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (the U.S. restaurant industry’s largest publication), restaurant critic and feature writer for Louisville magazine, feature writer for Edible Louisville and Seafood Business magazines, Kentucky travel and dining contributor for Southern Living, and dining blogger for Insider Louisville. He also writes marketing, PR, web copy and ghostwrites for numerous private clients.  You can visit Steve online at www.stevecoomes.com.

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!

 

By Steve Coomes

Like most, I like bargains, especially on tequila.  So I took a chance on a rebate deal recently that bundled Cazadores Tequila with one of my go-to gin brands. Priced at $23 for blanco and $26 for reposado, both were more than affordable, and with some cash back incentive, I figured it was worth the chance to grab both. If not thrilled with either, I knew they’d likely serve well in cocktails.

Those familiar with Tequila Cazadores’ labels know its mascot is a proud stag. Yet a good swig is all it takes to convince that this reposado isn’t quite as fuerte as that big-racked buck.

Neither the label nor the brand’s website shares any details of just how long the Highlands agave tequila is rested, but the straw color and light body attest to a fairly brief stay. The site does say it enjoys a double distillation and maturation in virgin American oak, but that’s it.

Still, it delivers some nice aromas: solid agave, a little bit of citrus rind and a scant bit of barrel. Let it linger in the glass and you’ll get some vegetal notes. Some vigorous swirling coaxes forth a good number of legs–even a second run if you’re inclined to wait.

Mouthfeel is fine. A little tingly up front, but a softie on the finish, it’s appropriately sweet and nice to move around the mouth. It also shares a bit of cooked agave on the exhale.

It’s not a bad sipper at all, just not memorable in that role. No big barrel notes: no oak, cinnamon or vanilla. I used a Vinturi Spirit Aerator to open it up some, but time in the glass helped more than anything. Since I was working at my desk while sipping, it got about 25 minutes of undisturbed rest in the glass. That let some caramel and a bit of orange sneak in, and a bit later I even got some peppermint–more proof that good things come to those who wait.

Mostly, it plays like a bold blanco, which makes it a good cocktail reposado because it has backbone. Since it doesn’t disappear in a Margarita or a Paloma, and only costs $26, I don’t mind cloaking a reposado in fresh sour mix or grapefruit soda.   That, I believe, is the best way to drink Cazadores Reposado.

 

 

Tequila Aficionado is proud to welcome rising star in tequila and travel journalism, Stephen Coomes, as a Contributing Writer and Reviewer.  His steady gigs include roles as contributing editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (the U.S. restaurant industry’s largest publication), restaurant critic and feature writer for Louisville magazine, feature writer for Edible Louisville and Seafood Business magazines, Kentucky travel and dining contributor for Southern Living, and dining blogger for Insider Louisville. He also writes marketing, PR, web copy and ghostwrites for numerous private clients.  You can visit Steve online at www.stevecoomes.com.

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Learn all about tequila from field to glass and then get paid to share your love of agave spirits with others! Buy Them Both Now!