Tonight Skye Aveneue, known for having the most extensive selection of speciality whiskies was hosting a tequila tasting, and we took the drive out to Surrey to learn a little more about agave.
Ticket holders were given an educational walk through of 7 different agave spirits and taught how to distinguish and taste between Plata, Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, Extra Anejo, and Cristiano. This was hosted by Brand ambassador and agave expert, James Bailey of Cuervo.
Our first pour was Jose Cuevo’s Tradicional, a 100% blue agave plata. “Plata” also known as Blanco or Silver Tequila, the name refers to its clear colouring as it does not receive any aging. This particular bottle has its agave grown in valleys with volcanic soil. The agave is hand harvested and cooked with a baked squash scent. Its naturally bright acidity goes well into a margarita with plenty of cooked agave notes on the nose.
Here, we learned the amount of time that goes into cultivating agave and despite only the heart of the plant being used in the distillation process, the leaves are harvest and utilized as part of the Jose Cuevo project. They are repurposed into items such as straws, containers, and even surf boards.
Our next tequila was 1800’s Reposado. Whereas a Plata is aged up to two months, a Repersado is classified as anything beyond the two month mark and up to 12, in barrels. The result is a little smoke like peated scotch from a charred barrel in either French or American oak.
This had a hickory bite that tickled the back of the throat. Finished with a raw sugar sweetness from the 100% agave. This one is recommend in a great Paloma, jokingly referred to as the “lazy person’s margarita” by our host.
This was more nutty with orange zest and a mellow Mexican cinnamon. It also had a more caramel-like viscosity in the mouth.
Here we learned that if you taste buttery caramel notes with overarching vanilla, the spirit is typically aged in American oak. Whereas aging in French oak offers baked notes of spice.
Our informative host also took the time to walk us through sniffing our tequila. Where you get primary notes from nosing the bottom of glass at its rim, secondary aromas come from sniffing the centre of the glass opening, and tertiary notes come from the tip by the top rim. The latter typically has cigar box and cedar, which speaks to the type of oak being used to age.
Our third pour was Centenario’s Anejo, established in 1857. They were the first to master tequila production, creating an ultra smooth product. They focused on aging their product to attract a different kind of customer, realizing they could blend their younger age statement with older ones to create something new and extra smooth. This is Mexico’s number one tequila, so popular that they are the number one sponsor for their national soccer team and a band dawns the same name. If you like whiskey, this is a good stepping stone into tequila.
We got creme burlee, dried stone fruit, toasted almond, sweet honey and cocoa on the nose. Offering a smooth finish with no burn.
Dobel was our fourth bottle of the night. Known as being the first to produce cristilino. This is Repersado tequila rested in barrels then undergone a filtering process to remove its notes of oak and other particulates. Aged in barrel then stripped of its colour to bring back the flavour of the agave in to it. The result is the freshness of a Blanco, but with the age statement of a Repersado.
Dobel makes up 50% of luxury tequila products and are known for diminished hangovers due to their extra filtration. Aged in Balkan Eastern European oak barrels for notes of vanilla, honey, and black pepper. A sweet contrast to the freshness of tequila smoke on the nose. The recommend mixing for this is a martini, paring well with anything salty and briney like oysters, olives, and most seafood.
Fifth on the docket was 1800’s cristilino, multiple award winner with golds and double golds. This is the most awarded in the tequila family. Described as having a grocery store Black Forest cake quality to it with cherry and dark chocolate, plus lactic Chantilly cream. The room found it had layers of complexities and a lingering finish due to being aged in three different types of barrels: French, American, and ruby port cask. This one is recommeded for clarified cocktail mixing.
Tequila number six had the cleanest finish with a briefly lingering sugar cane syrup end. This is an extra anejo aged and blended with almost 45 year combined. At its base level, the tequila is 19 years old.
This is a collector’s item presented in a commemorative 2023 box set, a different one is released each year. Only 9,000 boxes come to Canada in a year and BC sees only 1,000 of them. This retails at over $210 for the bottle and has been described as the “Cognac of tequila”.
We got notes of rich coffee, chocolate, and tobacco. Described as the type of tequila that is not just for shooting.
Our last taster was a mezcal, which we discovered was a large part of ancient Mayan culture. Here, we learned how it differs from tequila. How mezcal is given 5-7 days to ferment and the leftover musk is distilled using tiny copper stills and live fire. Fire stoked with burning logs. The liquid then gets poured into gas cans before being transferred into tanks.
The result is a bold and musky brew, served in a shot glass, instead of a snifter given how prounced and punchy its scent can be on the nose.
When it comes to mezcal tasting, you are not looking for the smoke, but instead what types of fruit, vegetable, and spice aromas that you can make out. Legend has it that original mezcal is not produced from agave, but the great grandfather from blue agave.
The flavor is described as burning tires, gasoline, the green vines of a tomato plant, the earthiness of root vegetables, and charred pineapple.
Our tasting would end there, but we were able to indulge in a few small bites from the Sky Avenue kitchen before we were sent on our way. This included a bowl of chips with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream as dip. Plus a mini version of their Cajun chicken burger made into a slider. Fun fact, if you are looking for longevity in your drinking the secret is to eat meat while you do so; and not carbs, as per popular belief. Protein takes longer to metabolize.
In short, this was a great way to learn more about everyone’s favourite party drink, and I definitely walked away with a handful of new knowledge.
