Didn't want to hijack the state liquor store thread, but wondered what you guys like.

I travel to Mexico for two weeks every year. I used to buy Hornitos, then went to Patron, then just bought the most expensive bottle at the Commercial Mercado - kind of like a Mexican version of Costco- and then switched to Herradura – all anejo.

Funny the guy that owns the home we rent never wanted to stop for a drink with us till he saw we had a bottle of Herredura Anejo. Then he was all over it.
Even there it’s not all that cheap. It was till about 15 years ago when it got all popular. A top notch 750 ml bottle of any anejo will run $40-$80 in Mexico.

BTW many Mexicans drink it with Vampiro, a blend of tomato juice other veggies and of course peppers.

i like Patron but after about 10 shots it all tastes the same

If you can tell tequila from Pendleton after 10 shots you are better than me.

10 shots and I wouldn't be telling night from day.

Anything 100% Agave Resapado. I'm not a big Anejo fan. Would rather have aged tequila. El Jimador , Jose Cuervo 1800 or Traditionale. Horny Toes, Sauza, its all good. I've done the Patron shots. I grabbed a bottle of Lunazul last night.

I might do a shot after my crab digests.

In Puerto Escondito, mescal is very popular, the state drink in fact. Every time we go down. I bring home a few bottles. I prefer Don Pedro, much smoother than any tequilla in my opinion.

I'm not a big Anejo fan. Would rather have aged tequila.


Blanco ("white") or plata ("silver"): white spirit, un-aged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels;
Joven ("young") or oro ("gold"): is the result of blending Silver Tequila with Reposado and/or Añejo and/or extra Añejo Tequila;
Reposado ("rested"): aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels;
Añejo ("aged" or "vintage"): aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years in oak barrels;
Extra Añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged"): aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. This category was established in March 2006.

Aha Toro had a 10 year old extra anejo in a Red bottle sold in a wooden box that was freaking awesome. The one they have now is only a 3 year old in a gold bottle and isn't worth the bucks.

Don Jullio or Patron are always a good bet. Keep em in the freezer.

No Matter what any of you think, say, anticipate, consider, or otherwise ponder about tequila...do not, and I repeat do not attempt to drink Tequila with Achewter and his Drinkin buddy Kelly. It'll be the last night you remember for some time to come, your wife will be pissed when you get home really late, and you'll probably miss a few days from work.

And I trust that whatever Art says is good, is good, cause I know he's likely drank them all, literally.

Alright Dave, just trust me on this one. I have a group of friends that go to Mexico every year and always search for the ultimate tequila. These guys literally bring back tequilas that range up to 200 bucks even in Mexico. Believe it or not their reigning champion teguila is made by Jose' Cuervo and is their "Reservia". It is a bit expensive at around 135 bucks. Another absolute standout is called Don German and I believe you can only find this in Mexico. These are both Anejos. As far as a daily drinker goes the 1800 anejo is a tequila the tastes like a top shelf for about 35 bucks.

The Don German is my absolute favorite!

Jose Cuervo makes some good tequila, and they make some cheap crap. The best tequila is made from 100% aguave. Some of the cheap stuff is made from sugar cane.

BTW It's Mescal that has the worm - not tequila.

You all missed it.

The best tequila is free.

C&P from another site, but good info:

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Short answer - Gran Patron (sometimes called Platinum)

Long answer - Patron, while good, is often thought of as the "best" tequila because they spend more marketing dollars than any other tequila company, and thus when college kids are ready to move up from Cuervo, they often go to Patron as they see it advertised so much, and their exploration stops there.

Make no mistake, Patron isn't bad by any means. But you can get better for less.

Whether you're dead set on getting them Patron or open to suggestions, you should know the following:

The aging has a lot to do with the taste and the cost, so make note of how the bottle is labeled. Generally, the longer the aging, the smoother the taste and the more expensive.

Blanco (because it's totally clear) - no aging. Sometimes called silver
Reposado - minimally aged at least 2 months, but can be up to 1 year. Sometimes called gold.
Anejo - heavily aged, minimally 1 year but less than 3 years.

The really expensive ones can even be aged longer than regular anejos, and these are often referred to as ultra anejos. In the Patron family, there's is called Gran Patron (or sometimes referred to as Platinum).

Also consider how he's going to drink it.

Slammed shots - go for a blanco. Anything else is a waste of flavor and $$

Sipped shots (how I recommend it) - go for anejo only and savor with no salt and a squeeze of lime. Chilled or on the rocks is good as is straight.

Margarita - anejo is a waste, especially if he isn't using fresh squeezed lime juice. Go for blanco or reposado.

If you're open to alternatives, any of the following are better, and often cheaper than Gran Patron:

Don Julio 1942
Cuervo Reserva de la Familia (note - this is 1 of 2 good tequilas Cuervo makes. The rest is garbage)
Herradura Seleccion Suprema

If you don't want to spend that much (Gran Patron is over $200 for a 750ml bottle), then I recommend the following in the $50 range:

Corzo
Dos Lunas
Chinaco
Arette
El Tesoro
El Charro

this is the point where you become invisible. best not have any lighters on you either.

If yer going to Ole Mexico, I found some stuff called Regimentio that was pretty yummy. They do tequila like we do microbrew.
IMHO, as for what's available up here, Patron is good, but Herradura is good for cleaning my battery terminals, and that's it.

Liquor stores will let you taste test down there so take your time and ask the clerk. You get a free buzz by the time you're done.

My favorite tequila is....


...beer.

Fish on...

Todd

The bottle I have brought home from Mexico a few times is the Tequila Gran Centenario Reposado. Centanario tastes good in all price ranges, but the Reposado tastes smoother and is a great sipper. I had a Don Pilar last year that was excellent, but I can't find it.

I just started drinking Absinthe, and that's some pretty damn good chit too. There's a boutique distillery here in Woodinville called Pacifique that makes some really good stuff.

Pancho Villa Gold, I don't remember when I had it, but I did.

be careful with that stuff.......stop immediately if you feel the urge to cut your ear off and start painting.

Sky-guy's going EMO on us?