Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews). . . this glass and, of course, a good tequila. As a resident of Mexico for four years and a tequila obsessive, I have tasted over 70 different tequilas ranging from $5 to $175 per bottle. Riedel's is the only glass that has allowed me fully to smell, taste, and enjoy tequila, and the only glass recognized by the consejo regulador de tequila, Mexico's FDA of the tequila industry. In my quest to enjoy the best tequilas at the lowest prices, I have purchased cheaper wine flutes and just about every other glass that I have been able to find that resembles the Riedel shape; all, however, has been to no avail: This glass's singular construction is unmatched for tequila. Unfortunately, these glasses are not created equal: I have owned 16 of these glasses, and, from time to time, I come across a poorly finished glass--an unsightly stem seam, a rough lip. Moreover, this glass confounds all attempts at describing the color of tequila. Finally, these glasses are not cheap, nor are they very strong--my two-year-old son and I have managed to break twelve already. Nevertheless, this is, at least for the moment, the only way to drink tequila.
For those in search of the perfect tequila, I would like to share some recommendations after having spent thousands of dollars in my own search.
But before I begin, I wish to urge all tequila drinkers to give serious consideration to boycotting Cuervo and Sauza. These U.S.-owned megacompanies have bought up a huge amount of the agave in Mexico and have consequently had an inordinate influence on the production and price of agave, with Cuervo being especially destructive. Competition has become very difficult for other, less financially powerful producers, who have been going out of business/selling off. Depressing to me was Cuervo's recent acquisition of Don Julio, whose 1942 is among my favorite tequilas. Before you buy from these behemoths, consider what they have done to the Mexican farmers, smaller tequila producers, and the ever-rising price of tequila.
Now, on with a few recommendations. Keep in mind that price has been an object for me, and that I have done most of my tasting in Mexico, so I have not been able to try some of the very expensive tequilas or tequilas that are export only. Also, note that I have not included tequilas that are impossible to find in the U.S. In no particular order, then, my recommendations are:
1. Azulejos anejo ($90 per bottle? Difficult to find, but worth searching out, this tequila is among the most flavorful and best-balanced (i.e., between agave and oak) anejos that I have tried.
2. Don Julio 1942 anejo ($100 per bottle. Okay, it's owned by Cuervo now, it's a bit overpriced, and its flavor strays from agave, but the exceptional complexity is mind-blowing).
3. El tesoro de Don Felipe anejo (At $36-40, a strikingly pure- and full-flavored anejo, this tequila is more readily available in the U.S. than in Mexico).
4. Chinaco reposado (At around $40 per bottle, a solid, pure tequila, and arguably better than the over-the-top oaky anejo; this tequila has an artesanal flavor).
5. Casa Noble reposado (I was able to buy this for around $40-$50 in Mexico until, like an increasing number of tequilas, it apparently became available only as an export and no longer in Mexico; this tequila sells for around $60 in the U.S. This tequila probably has the best nose of any I've sniffed; unfortunately, however, this tequila has one of those house flavors that permeates every tequila that its fabrica, La Cofradia, makes, and that not everyone will necessarily like).
6. Corazon anejo (apparently export-only, selling in the U.S. for anywhere from $47-60. This is one of the better middle-priced tequilas, notable for its balanced and complex flavor, which edges out Don Felipe's).
N.B. Perfidio is back in production. I bought a bottle for about $120 in Mexico. Some call this the best tequila ever made, but I found it so carmelized that, as delicious as it was, it ceased seeming to be a tequila. It is, however, worth trying.
Enjoy!
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Riedel Ouverture Tequila Glasses, Set of 4This elegant slender glass has a lengthy stem and is designed to lift fine Tequila to the level it deserves. Devotees can now appreciate Tequila in it's own glass and give it the respect of which it is worthy...
Get 10% OFF
Click here for more information about Riedel Ouverture Tequila Glasses, Set of 4
