For those of you in SoCal, HiTime has a sale on Patron Barrel Select: $29 for Reposado, $31 for Anejo. I know not everyone is a fan of Patron, but still, pretty good deal for a well made & clean product.
ArteNOM Seleccion de 1414 Tequila Reposado is a current favorite. I’m not a fan of extra anejo heavy wooded tequilas. My other sipper is the Casa Dragones Blanco. For amazing value, I get the Corzo Blanco for $26 in the LA, CA area.
So there was a time when I really loved tequila. Then for the past 5 years or so I jettisoned tequila for Mezcal. I think Mezcal is dollar-for-dollar the most interesting, most complex spirit out there. I usually have a few high-end sipping Mezcals in the house. Currently I’m really digging Vago’s Tobala and Rey Campero’s Tepextate.
Given that I’m stuck in my house forever now, I re-stocked my bar and decided to pick up a tequila for the first time in ages: Fortaleza Reposado. Reposado was always the sweet-spot for me, and I’ve heard raves about Fortaleza. The Fortaleza is indeed quite nice–moderately complex and smoothly textured with citrus undertones–but for my palate it’s laughably inferior to good Mezcal, which is just a vastly more interesting drink. And since I mostly drink cask-strength Scotch and Mezcal these days, I find myself less interested in 80-proof spirits. So while I won’t kick the Fortaleza out of bed, I’ll stick to sipping Mezcal.
That said, I’m more than open to someone changing my mind with other recommendations of stuff I should try.
If you haven’t explored the 5 Sentidos range, you’re missing out.
Also, have you tried the different Vago bottlings? They have 3 different tobalas (different producers, red label, dark blue label and light blue). The red version is from Tio Rey, who uses all clay (rather than copper refrescadors), would be called Tobala en barro.
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