Ever had a bad tequila experience and said “never will I ever drink tequila again”? Are you blaming the right party? The real question to ask is more about quantity and quality. While I can’t help you with the quantity of consumption, I can give you some insight into the quality.
So here are the basics:
Blanco – clear tequila is made, bottled and sold. Out the door it goes…
Reposado – the tequila is “rested” up to one year and will have a slight color to it.
Anjeo – tequila is “aged” one to three years and will have a slight color to a bit more pronounced.
Extra Anjeo – extra aging gives the tequila a smoother finish and more color.
Cristilno – aged tequila is filtered with charcoal to remove the color (and maybe some of the flavor?). While it is not an official category of tequila, it is becoming more popular.
If you drink scotch, you are familiar with the bottles having a very prominent number on the front telling you the number of years that scotch was aged in barrels. If there is no number, it has only aged the minimum 3 years. Tequila has the shortcut in the name telling you it’s age. Some folks prefer a longer aging period for scotch and tequila as the longer is sits in those barrels the smoother the taste.
Is the color indicative of flavor? Yes and No. As the tequila ages it will turn towards the brownish color similar to other aged spirts. However, those that make tequila are allowed to add up to 1% of additives to a bottle and still label it 100% [pure]. The manufacturers add things like flavoring and color. So a dark reposado may be darker than an anjeo if they got feisty with the brown color add.
If Only Extra – scotch is originally clear after being distilled, before it is aged in the barrels.
In Only Bonus – what tequila to order in a margarita? If you are not a tequila aficionado and since they are going to mix the tequila with something, don’t spend the rent money on an expensive tequila. And if you order a margarita made with *gasp* a mix, order a fairly inexpensive blanco. The mix contains a truckload of sugar so you won’t taste a nice tequila and any hangover is not from a cheaper tequila. Sorry.
If you are having a top-shelf ‘rita with just the orange liquor and a lime, then I would have the nicer tequila like a good reposado and add Grand Marnier or Cointreau in lieu of Triple Sec for a truly upscale margarita.
If Only Recipes – here is a website with some good recipes for tequila shots. Remember, please don’t blame your blogger for your quantity. 🥴
https://cocktails.lovetoknow.com/cocktail-recipes/10-tequila-shots-that-make-impression