Sommelier Tries 10 Tequilas From $20-$175

[bottle dinging]

Ah, look at that.

See, look at that.

I'm gonna break this [beep].

Oh, there it is, there it is.

[bottle dinging]

That just means bring me the money.

Hey, I'm sommelier Andre Houston Mack,

and today I'm gonna be tasting 10 tequilas,

ranging from about $20 to $175.

There's so many different types of tequila out there,

so what are you really getting for each type

and at those price points?

Today we're gonna find out.

[funky music]

As a sommelier, our job is to taste

all different types of beverage.

Spirits, wine, tea, coffee,

anything liquid in the restaurant,

generally the sommelier is responsible for.

These are all tequilas from Mexico,

generally from around the region of Jalisco.

They're all made with the blue agave plant,

and based on how that plant is processed and aged,

determines what type of tequila you get.

Much like a wine label, you can decipher labels

to find out what you're getting in tequila,

and I'm gonna teach you how to do that.

So we have Espolon blanco, which goes for about $30.

You'll see the term blanco, silver.

Those are basically interchangeable,

blanco meaning white, silver.

Just look at its color, it's pretty clear looking.

All tequila starts as blanco,

and then the way it's aged, it kind of moves up.

It starts with a plant called blue agave.

It takes several years for it to actually ripen

or to mature, somewhere between six or seven years.

The leaves are shaved off so it looks like a oversized

pineapple called the pina, snd so the pina is actually

roasted or cooked.

After it's roasted, it's shredded or it's smashed

to extract the juices.

That juice is introduced to yeast,

the yeast eats the sugars and transforms it into alcohol.

Then it's kind of doubled distilled,

and then tequila is produced.

At that point, what comes out of the distill

is considered blanco.

Blanco should be kind of crystal clear.

Like, when you look at it,

looks like any other spirit, right?

It denotes that it's made from 100% agave sugars.

Yeah, I think we're ready to open this up

and give it a taste.

I'm just gonna pour it into this little tasting glass

that we have, kind of has a perfect portioning size.

It's a hollow stem, but what's different about this glass

that works for wine and spirits is that it uses

a roll technique.

So it has the perfect amount that's encased in the stem,

and then we just turn it on its side.

And so when we roll it back and forth,

all the alcohol coats the outside of the glass,

really kind of amplifying the aromats in the spirit.

Wow. So that's definitely like...

White pepper, very citrusy, very kind of strong in the nose.

Smells somewhat like sweet, but also smells a little salty.

Generally speaking, people's reaction when they first smell

tequila it is like this overwhelming smell.

They're like, whoo, they snatch their nose from it.

It's pretty powerful.

So the cheaper tequila you have generally has, like,

these overwhelming flavors.

Now, this is great tequila, it's not overbearing,

and also it's the glass, too.

The glass kind of diffuses a lot of the alcohol,

so it's just not singing your nose hairs.

It's got some proof, right?

It's like, you'd be able to see some fumes coming

out of my nose here, but that tastes pretty sweet,

citrusy, somewhat round.

To me, these are typical notes of what you get

from agave, right?

What you get from tequila.

You know, tequila has this common thread

of flavors that you find, and so for me,

it's always this spice, citrus,

and kind of peppery notes that you get.

This is nice.

I mean, I wouldn't drink this by itself,

but you know, using this in a margarita or using it in,

you know, what everybody's drinking now, ranch water,

But for me, Espolone was always the call for a margarita.

Our next tequila is Don Julio.

So this is another blanco, comes in at $56.

For 26 more dollars, what are you actually getting?

This particular blanco, Don Julio, uses older agave plants,

to have the plant, you know, longer than like seven years.

That would impart deeper flavor and some of those things,

but aging the plant longer

will definitely be reflective in the price.

You have to figure out, like, is it worth it?

I'm gonna decide that right now. For me.

And for you too, but for me, mainly.

On the nose it's a lot different.

Everything feels a lot softer, more perfume,

whereas before it was there.

It just feels, like, harmonious in a way.

Getting citrus, something like an orange,

it almost has like a little bit of white flower to it.

It smells really aromatic, almost smells like a perfume.

Like, you want to dab it behind your ears,

and it kind of tastes the same way, you know,

for lack of a better term.

It's just like really smooth, you know?

I don't feel like fumes coming out of my nose.

It just feels really well balanced.

All the sum of its parts are harmoniously together.

One part doesn't stick out, so it's not like, you know,

you taste it and you're like, wow,

this, like, got tons of spices, or it's like,

tons of citrusy notes or grassy elements.

Like, it just feels as one.

I don't think there's anything wrong using blanco tequila

at this price point in a cocktail.

Hell, I would have to say that most of it is

probably done in a cocktail,

and to me, I would much rather sip it.

I think this is something that deserves to be, you know,

enjoyed and sipped, but you do what you want

with your own money.

Do what you want.

So our next tequila is Sauza Silver,

and this is for about 20 bucks.

So this is silver, also known as blanco, right,

we talked about that, but it is not made

from 100% blue agave.

This is what's called in the industry mixto.

It's a mixto tequila, meaning it's a mix of agave sugars,

but in order for it to be called tequila, it has to be made

from at least 51% from the blue agave plant.

So you can add 49% of other different types of sugars

to make tequila.

You won't find that anywhere on the bottle,

it doesn't say that it's a mixto, but I think generally,

what you can deduce from it not saying 100% blue agave

on the bottle, you can consider that a mixto.

So why would somebody make this?

Think about, like, a mature agave plant.

It takes seven years.

At least at like 51% you'll be able to cut your cost

in half if you use, you know, a cheaper sugar,

and you know, I think that's why people make it,

so there's affordable tequila out there, cut costs,

and kind of feed the world's demand for a tequila.

This kind of smells like...

Kind of like a grapefruit flavored vodka, right?

You know what I mean?

Like, it actually smells like vodka, which doesn't really

smell like anything, but like, a flavored one.

It tastes, like, slightly vegetal,

like canned vegetables, like string beans,

and it tastes almost slightly chemical.

It has that tequila element to it,

but the depth and breadth of what we've tasted already

in blanco, you know, this would leave you wanting more.

Some of the best quality tequilas that you have out there

are generally 100% blue agave.

I think, like, focusing on just 100% agave

sometimes could lead you down the long road.

I think it's all about the quality of tequila.

So mixto, to me, represents some good quality tequilas,

but also at various price points.

This is why this is for $20.

So moving on to our next tequila,

we have Reposado by Herradura, and this comes in at $48.

Now we're talking about reposado, which means rested,

and that means that it can be aged anywhere from two months

up to a year in oak barrels.

Oak does lots of different things.

It adds color, it adds flavoring,

those elements of cinnamon, vanilla, a lot of vanilla

is what you would get and in part, and you know,

you get some woodsy flavors too as well.

So this is very common when you think about spirits,

but when you really look at something like whiskey

or bourbon, those things actually come out of the still

as a clear spirit, very similar to blanco tequila,

and what gives it its coloring is aging

through oak barrels, and gives flavor, you know,

that actually makes it whiskey.

Really mellow. White pepper, and some of those

aggressive notes that you normally would associate

with tequila aren't really jumping out of the glass at you.

And then you get like, citrus oil, and it's so funny,

because those citrus notes smell almost kind of candied

in a way, right?

Where they smell confectionary, it smells slightly sweet.

Really mellow. It's not hot as like, you know,

that kind of really over-alcoholic mouthfeel.

You kind of get more of the proof, like, on the nose.

It's a different taste profile

than you would say of the blanco.

To me, this has always been kind of a go-to reposado

at a solid price.

Does it get deeper and better and better quality

than this for reposado?

I believe so, but I think this is a great entry level,

and you know, this is always what I drink

with my brother-in-law.

Only because he makes my father-in-law pay for it, but yes.

[Andre laughing]

So our next tequila is Libelula,

and this is what's known as a hoven tequila,

and this comes in at $29.

What is hoven?

Hoven is actually a mix of blanco and reposado.

So it's like, you have this base of blanco tequila,

which to me is like bright, young, vivacious, right?

And then you'd maybe just, you want a little something

to kind of tone that down, and by adding 20% of reposado,

you get some of those elements of the roasted pina

and some of the caramelization and stuff like that.

I mean, if you think about it too long,

at least for me, you're like, is this a money grab, right?

Is this a cost saving technique?

But like, there's lots of things that are

cost saving techniques that I don't think are bad.

At $29, it seems that it comes in

between blanco and reposado.

It does say that it's made with 100% agave,

so it has that going for it, and to be honest with you,

I have never tasted one and and known it.

I'm sure that I've had some before,

but today will be the first that I've ever tasted it.

Yeah, this is really kind of fruit forward.

Like I wasn't really expecting that.

Candied orange, white pepper, you know?

The elements that you would get from reposado,

but not at that price point.

It's really interesting to me.

Yeah, it's too pronounced.

The caramelization, the sweetness,

it's like it is too pronounced for it to be natural.

And I try not to go down a lot of those kind of

conversations, but to me it feels like if all of those

things are heightened and maybe that comes from glycerol

or other additives to make it a little bit richer.

But at 29 bucks, I think it does the trick.

This is 1800, this is anejo tequila, and this is at $37.

So moving up to the next category from reposado,

anejo, which translates to aged.

In order for it to be called anejo,

it has to spend at least one year in oak, up to three years.

And so over that time, it really starts to kind of

mellow out and become more of a fine spirit.

When you think about tequila, you think about blanco

and everybody kind of starts with the same kind of

raw material, and then what makes, you know,

each of it different is how long it spends in oak barrel

and what I to call finishing.

It could be finished in barrels that were used

for port production, which would have different flavoring.

It could be barrels that were used for wine production.

How you finish imparts different flavors.

I think the first thing that you see is this amber color.

There's a huge difference between reposado and anejo

and that's from the age difference that it spends in barrel.

You're getting like, this kind of woody, kind of charred,

these oak elements. Really, really mellow.

By aging it in oak, you know, it picks up tannin,

so it has like this thing that kind of

sucks the moisture out of your mouth.

There's vanilla, there's a little bit of like, cinnamon.

People like to give classic cocktails a twist,

they always talk about replacing, you know,

whiskey or bourbon in classic cocktails with anejo

to kind of give it a twist and a spice.

It could be a fun way for exploration

and maybe find something different that you like.

You know, at $40, this is really solid, you know,

and I think it's a brand that most people can find

out there, but I do think that it gets, you know,

drastically better as you go in dollar increments for sure.

Let's go up in dollar increments.

So this is Patron extra anejo, and this is at $96.

The next category of tequila is actually called extra anejo,

which seems very generic, but it is a real thing.

It started in 2006, and what makes this different,

this is aged a minimum of three years.

Longer time in barrel, longer aging time,

definitely reflected in the price.

Looks very dark in color.

I feel like it is a way to show the world

that tequila is a world-class spirit

and can be aged very similar to cognac.

You think about cost, you know, cost is time,

and so the idea that this particular tequila is aged

at least three years in barrel, so in that time

of three years, there's no return on your money,

it's just sitting there.

Alright, so we're gonna go ahead and pour this.

Dried fruit, vanilla, there's some toffee there.

Getting really the influence of wood,

a little bit of, like, slight little bit of nutmeg,

and then also smells kind of like Grand Marnier, you know,

there's this citrus oil flavor.

Wow. There's layers of different flavors, from caramel

to like, sea salt, to a little bit of lavender, nutmeg,

cinnamon, and then vanilla.

Yeah, I mean I think at $96, a hundred dollars,

you know, this is something special.

I don't think that this is your everyday thing

that you chug, but you know, this is something that you do

put in the brandy sniffer for a special occasion.

I think it's, you know, on the total opposite end

of the spectrum of blanco, but in the best way possible.

So our next tequila is Komos.

This is anejo cristalino and it's about $120.

You know, before we even talk about like,

what the process is and what it does,

I think it's best to kind of show you what it looks like.

Remember this is anejo.

So, see anything different?

It's like a blanco, but the label does say anejo.

What gives? What's the difference?

Cristalino is a fairly new process and take on tequila.

It's taking something like anejo that's been aged

and it's run through a charcoal filter,

and that filtering strips away the color,

but a lot of impurities, you know?

It's basically taking aged tequila and giving it

a refresher, this brightness to it,

by stripping away the colors and the impurity.

A lot of those things that we talked about, like the vanilla

and kind of like that candied fruit,

like, a lot of that, you don't get on this.

Are you filtering it to get things back,

or are you filtering it to add things?

I don't know, and I think tasting it probably will be

the best way to kind of examine it.

It's very interesting.

It is tequila, but it's a different expression of tequila.

Like, it makes you really think all the things that,

like, what oak would impart.

It stripped away all the things, that influence of wood.

You really have to try it.

It's something on another level.

It's got layers, it's got the waves of white pepper,

different elements of citrus and like a fruit basket

kind of thing, it has a little bit of ginger to it.

It just comes in waves,

and it feels pretty seamless in a way.

At $120, like, you get bang for your buck.

This is a totally different drinking experience

than any of the tequilas that we had today.

I'm not sure that you go back, right?

You taste this and you're like, this is like...

You know, it's like I didn't know tequila

could taste something like this.

Clase Azul. This is reposado and this comes in at $165.

Starting to see, as the prices increase,

a lot of the flair starts to come out, packaging.

This is what we like to call ultra premium tequila,

and I think a lot of times, these things exist just because,

could you sell $165 bottle of tequila?

Well, you can't if it doesn't exist.

Are some of these good? Yes.

Are some of them crap? Yeah, some.

Are you paying for packaging?

Are you paying for this phallic-looking thing?

Who knows?

You know, these are really beautiful bottles.

Hand painted. It's a very unique style.

Truly, what you want to do is be paying for what's inside

and not what's on the outside.

So I think this is a screw cap?

Actually, it is not. Okay.

Smells really, really sweet.

Like birthday cake batter.

They have that birthday cake flavor,

like, with the sprinkles and [beep] on it?

Actually, I really like that.

It's kind of a guilty pleasure.

Notes of agave, but like the overall tone

is huge notes of vanilla, which I think you get in that

birthday cake, and that kind of outshines everything else.

You know, that has to be, like,

the sweetest tequila I've ever tasted.

It's not a rip session, but I have to say, like,

out of all the tequilas I enjoyed today,

that has like the most amount of sugar.

It tastes sweet. Maybe it's overripe pina, I don't know.

But also, you know, I can see how this is

a favorable style for people.

Doesn't have that bite, that bite of spiciness and alcohol.

It is made from 100% agave,

but there could be different sugars being added,

but like, on that level of sweetness, it does have

something different, and what people like is different.

You know, I don't wanna be the old fogey where like,

back in my day, tequila burnt your nose and your nostrils!

I would never yuck anybody's yum.

If this is what you [beep] with,

this is what you [beep] with, but drinking it straight up,

you're like, wow, this is kind of sweet.

It still tastes like tequila,

just tastes like sweet tequila.

So our next tequila is Don Julio.

This is called 1942.

This is anejo and this comes in at a whopping $175.

Jesus. You guys bought this for me?

You guys are the best.

1942, this is the year that Don Julio started

distilling tequila, and this was released, I believe,

in 2002, which was their 60th year anniversary.

There's lots of different factors on the cost of this.

A lot of it comes down to selection.

Anything in this business that's done by hand

generally costs more money.

It's done with the human eye, it's not mass produced.

This comes in small batches.

When they're the small quantity, there's a scarcity,

and the next thing you know, you have people lined up around

a liquor store like it's a Supreme giveaway.

But the idea is that they're using only

the best parts of the pina.

I believe that actually even the pinas are hand-picked.

And then it's like slow roasted for about 72 hours,

you know, the traditional way,

and then it's made into this tequila.

We tasted a reposado earlier that was sweet,

and to go to this, this is kind of realigning my palate.

There are elements of oak present here.

This kind of woodsy element,

this caramelization that you get in it.

Not all the way campfire, but campfire-esque.

Sandalwood, fruit, but more like in the form of incense.

To me, this feels like a full expression of tequila,

not hidden by oak and all this other stuff or additives.

It just feels like tequila.

And that home realm of luxury tequilas, like, I feel like

this is the one that kind of stuck the landing, right?

You work your way up to this,

and I think it really helps to have a better understanding

of what tequila is to get here.

If you start at a Ferrari, like,

you never get out of first gear, right?

Like, you would like really kind of burn up the gearbox

and you have better appreciation if you, you know,

if you started with a Hyundai stick shift from like 1989,

you can appreciate it a lot more.

I think you get what you pay for here,

and $170 is a lot of money.

Most of the time, you wouldn't consume this

all in one night.

Overall, as a brand and to represent luxury tequila,

1942 to me was a great example all across the board

on marketing and, you know,

actually what the tequila tastes like inside.

I think the biggest takeaway for everyone is just like,

just kind of knowing the basics.

I think just having more information can only be helpful.

And I think walking into a store and knowing that whether

or not you like blanco, you like reposado, anejo,

you wanted to spend a little bit more money as a gift

or have a different drinking experience,

all of those things exist.

Please experiment and try and let me know what you think.

This citrus oil kind of candy spirit, you know,

flavor that you smell in it, that you would get in...

I don't know what spirit I was talking about.

That you would get in, um...

Geez, I don't know what the [beep] I'm talking about.

Anyway, sorry.

[Speaker] That's what happens after

the 8th tequila, Andre.

[Andre laughing]