I have to wonder why Mexicans don’t drink more than they do

I have kind of ranked the various alcohols I’ve obtained according to my level of interest on them. Basically it depends on the reputation the drink has, and how special it is. Absinthe was on the top of my list, and I’m still not completely over the disappointment of the brand I chose. After absinthe, the next ones on my list are tequila and brandy (and cognac!), neither of which I have ever tasted. Now, I’m aware that people consider tequila a poison that just makes you apeshit and gives you a terrible hangover afterwards, but being the open-minded guy I am, I began my experiments from a clean table.

For my tasting, I picked Don Cruzado to be my brand of choice, as it seemed like a traditional tequila, which would fit my purposes perfectly. I picked both silver and gold tequila to also see the difference between the two main types of the drink. For those of you who aren’t familiar with these classifications (as I was before my buying trip), silver means that the tequila has been bottled almost right after distillation and is clear as water, while gold has been matured in wooden barrels, changing its taste and altering its colour to a slight brownish one. Some producers simply use caramel colour to make silver tequila appear golden, but luckily that wasn’t the case in Don Cruzado.

Since I had yesterday gotten even my mum interested in this tasting business, we sat together to have a small taste of this apparently devilish spirit. I poured small drinks for us, both silver and gold tequila, so we could compare them immediately. True enough, the bouquet of silver whiskey was raw. It smelled of hard booze, and didn’t immediately raise my appetite. It wasn’t completely revolting, but definitely the drink made it clear that no glamorous drinking experience was to be expected. After I felt like I had gotten a good nosing of the clear liqour, it was time to to clear up my nose and move on to its darker brother, the glass of golden sauce. And what a different world did I enter. All the harshness was gone, and while it wasn’t the best bouquet an alcoholic drink can have, the improvement was tremendous. The drink’s colour not only was visible, but the smell also had gotten a certain tint as well. Maybe it was just that its partner was a bum, but Don Cruzado’s gold tequila gave me good first impression. One might even say that I was in the company of a gentleman.

I’m truly beginning to understand how important nosing is. It gives a very good introduction to any drink and helps you to get into the world of the liquid in front of you and, if you’re lucky, you can become friends with it before you even get a taste. You also get an idea of what to expect and if there are any redeeming qualities in the drink, nosing will help bringing them up. If my previous tryouts with a few whiskeys haven’t already convinced me of this, then this round with tequila was the last nail in the coffin. Tequila silver was a raw booze. It didn’t have much taste besides the alcohol which was very distinct throughout the tasting process. However, it wasn’t completely terrible, and it certainly was drinkable. I would rather find some mixed drinks in which to use this alcohol than drink it plain.
Tequila gold had already triumphed over its younger brother in smell, and in taste the difference was also very obvious. This one didn’t burn; the harshness was dramatically lower, and there was a distinct aroma, which I guess I’ll associate with tequila and tequila alone from now on. Certainly there was more to it than the stories led me to believe. This was a good liqour. It didn’t make it to my absolute top favourites, but it was good enough that I can, with good concience, recommend it to others. If you’re into hard liqours and haven’t tried proper tequila, do get yourself even a small bottle, but make sure it’s of the golden type and watch out for the fakes. While caramel colouring can make the silver tequila more appetising, it won’t improve its taste.

***Bonus whiskey review***
My sister’s visiting, and she asked for a drink of whiskey. I poured her some Jim Beam as she had asked and opened my Tullamore Dew for company so I can see how it compares with Jim Beam which I had tasted yesterday. Simply put, it was the best whiskey experience I’ve ever had. It had an extremely fragile smell and I spent almost a full minute savouring the gentle aromas. As I tasted it, the whiskey held its ground, and remained just as soft as it smelled and was actually fun to play around with as it didn’t burn at all, at least at first. The sudden aftertaste brought a dramatic finale to this fine drink, as it presented a sharp rise in taste and harshness, which actually supplemented the whiskey with pinpoint accuracy, and didn’t bother at all, since it faded away just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving a pleasant feeling in my mouth. Jim Beam out of Tullamore Dew’s, my new favourite whiskey’s, league, and now that I tasted Jim Beam again, I have to say that the sweetness is, after all, a bit too much, and I’d prefer if it was dryer. It’s a good whiskey, but a bit too sweet for my taste.

I like where my experiments are heading. Hopefully I’ll have more pleasant surprises in the future!

-Fatal