Man this is wonderful!


It paired really nicely with the bit of chocolate. Some other Repos have more of a "caramel" hit. This has a nice creamy mouthfeel, nice amount of agave, some wood notes. Everything I have had that a Camerena family member has touched has not been too "woody". They seem to do such an amazing job not over aging a tequila. Their aging seems to add elements without subtracting the agave notes you want in a tequila. Would be an honor to meet any of them.

Last night was a different expression and company size. I had a craving to have some more Roca Patron Silver. Love this juice. Just an agave hit. I have yet to have some "still strength" Blanco (aka 110). However, this Roca Patron Silver is just such an "honest" tequila. Obviously horno cooked and tahona crushed. Then they use smaller copper pot stills. Then it is 90 proof. So, of the Blancos I have had this one is just up front with a huge smack of agave which then rolls off nice and slow. Wonderful juice. I would love to try some G4, Foreleza, or the Tapatio 110 / still strength. 


I found the Roca Patron Anejo in the same league as San Matias Tahona Anejo as well. Not sure why the Roca Patron line does not get more love. I will be snagging a bottle of the Roca Patron Reposado on my next order to see what I think. Based on my experience with the Blanco and Anejo I suspect it will end up being a Repo I really enjoy.

I got this tip from a fellow Tequila nut in Ontario. A bottle of Tequila Noble Anejo in a LCBO store (aka Liquor Control Board of Ontario Store)?

Crazy! It is not listed on the site at all. However, after I got back home I did a search under the brand and indeed there is a smattering of bottle spread around the province. Could the Repo and Blanco come here to?


I snagged the Tierra Noble Anejo which is actually a crazy deal. It is $105 to buy from Alberta and that is before taxes and shipping are added. The price you see there is tax etc in. So, in the Ontario scheme of things this Tierra Noble Anejo might be the best bang for buck Anejo currently in this province. I also snagged a 750ml of Tromba Blanco to replace the mini I polished off a few weeks ago. I still contend that the Trombo Blanco makes an interesting option in the marketplace I live in. Olmeca Altos is $38 and El Espolon is $39. Tromba Blanco is $49 and offers a more rounded flavor profile than the Altos which has a lot of heat and burn. The El Espolon has that muted profile secondary to them using a column still. At $49 the Tromba is more than the budget brands but $10 to $30 less than the more expensive options. Decent juice for the price. I also snagged a Stoli Vodka. I don't drink much vodka but I was curious how good this staple is and how it compares to the Grey Goose we typically keep at home.


I do have another out of province coming in Fordi. One is a "back bar" choice since I am enjoying it so much currently. The other 2 are new to me although from brands I am currently enjoying. I will post whenever it gets here. It is from a different store than I have bought from before and they use Canada Post which will lead to a slower delivery time. Also, they have stopped home parcel deliveries in this Covid situation. So, when this shipment does come in I will have to go to the post office to get it. An extra headache but no worries. I will just enjoy it more when it gets here.

I am on several tequila facebook pages. Do you frequent any of them Fordi?

Got the wipes ready. Just the same the tequila left last Wednesday so presumably any viruses should not be viable. In the age of Covid 19 though we take precautions...


Same store I ordered from last time. I am still amazed and pleased with the level of care they take in packing these tequilas. I used to buy and sell watches at one time (both as a hobby and as a business) and I was known for being very careful and thorough with my packing techniques. Whomever does the packing for this organization deserves a lot of praise. I did send an appreciative email after my last order and I am going to send another email again to thank them for such quality shipping. It is like whomever does this is shipping their own tequila that they care about. Just look at this quality packing.




So... When I finally for these tequilas unwrapped and disinfected here is what we have:


These brands are all new to me. El Tequileno gets great reviews and the video reviews from both Long Island Lou and The Tequila Hombre show the tequila to be good quality. This is the less expensive Repo and is aged 3 months. This was the only expression they had in stock. I do want to try the Gran Reserve version which is aged 8 months and apparently has some Anejo blended in as well. They have a Platino -aka Blanco- and a "Rare" Repo which apparently was sort of an unintentional mistake and is a 6 year aged Repo. Apparently it is delicious. The Cabeza from 86 Co. has a lot of buzz about it. Sadly, apparently Brown-Forman bought the company just to get their hands on the Ford's Gin product and are eliminating the other products they purchased. I suspect this Cabeza is a much better Blanco than the Herradura or El Jimador in their portfolio. Why not keep the Cabeza, keep the quality, expand the range, and place it as more "premium" than Herradura? Weird... I guess if I like it I will need to buy more before it is gone! The San Matias Tahona is apparently great stuff. I would have bought more but the Anejo was all that was in stock. 

Then there is the Excellia Blanco... I was wondering. Was this the older stuff made at La Altena or the newer stuff made at the Orendain distillery? Hmmm...

I think I am in for a treat. Ratings for this version are good and from what I can tell pretty much everything that comes out of La Altena is great. Still, part of me wonders how the newer stuff would compare. I am grateful and happy to get NOM 1139 juice.

I get a bit of grief on some tequila facebook pages about this but I still contend that Roca Patron Silver is good tequila. So, since I can get Roca Patron Anejo I snagged it. When I can get the Repo I will snag that too. They do use different processes and more of a "small batch" approach to making this versus their core line. Very curious as to what my impressions will be of this. My favourite Anejo is Pasote and that is by a pretty wide margin. Just love that stuff!



However, this Roca Patron Anejo is not going to get let off lightly. In addition to Pasote it has to compete against San Matias Tahona which apparently is a wonderful tequila. Carmen Villarreal sounds like a very talented and dynamic person and I look forward to sampling some of her work. When I can get the Repo, Blanco, and some of their Extra Anejo I will be spending my money.


Oh baby! I just LOVE my Tequila Ocho Repo. This Blanco is going to be dealing with high expectations. Weird that the bottles are different. That surprised me. 


And... I have been on a Repo kick lately so I am really looking forward to trying this Tapatio Repo. Weird that Quebec only sells the Blanco and Anejo. Now that I have my online option sorted out I can order all three expressions at will. Unfortunately the 110 Blanco and the Extra Anejo are currently out of stock. When I can buy them I will for sure. Love Tapatio. 


Where would you start Fordi?

Yummy!


I was reading Lou's review of a 2016 release. I am assuming this is made the same. So, 8 weeks and 8 days resting? Love the balance here. Nice cooked agave notes, but the aging has of course made for a nice sipper. Nice amount of pepper in the palate. Some caramel. Some nice earthy notes. 

Oh. almost a cocoa like finish. Not sure what I just got there. Been having a few sips here. Trying to place the finish/end palate. This finishes sooner than the Azunia Organico Repo which I love. However, if that is my #1 Repo this is almost like a 1a or something. Tomorrow night I may have to go back to the Pasote Repo. Just reading Lou's review. He mentions some mint in the ending of the 2016 Repo he had. Perhaps that is what I am tasting. Wonderful.

Looking forward to the Tapatio Repo coming in. Curious how it will stack up against some solid Repos I feel so fortunate to own and able to enjoy. I know that Lou loves the Forteleza Repos. Based on how much I have enjoyed this Tequila Ocho, the Azunia, and the Pasote I cannot imagine how great the Forteleza is.

Wonderful...

Seems nicely balanced. Cooked agave still there. Just enough buttery mouth feel. Not too much wood; balance of agave and wood. Love the caramel. Some nice pepper at the end. Fantastic Anejo although still a bit behind Pasote for my favourite Anejo.

The Tapatio Blanco is a wonderful tequila as well. Both are just solid. There will be a big addition to the bar soon and I will post when they come in. Spoiler alert that one of them will be Tapatio Reposado so I will have the main expressions. The 110 and extra Anejo are out of stock where I order from.

Classic tequila? How would you characterize Tapatio?

Wow. Night and day compared to the regular Patron Silver. Patron Silver is mediocre tequila at best to me. The Roca Patron is good stuff. 


Interesting... Now that I decided to do a Blanco flight I can detect the "rain" smell in the Pasote...


I think the Roca Patron Silver is underrated on tequila matchmaker. It has a score of 80 which is off to me. I would give it an 85. The Pasote is my best Silver and Tapatio is second. From a cost perspective the Roca Patron is overpriced like all Patron. However, I think this Roca Patron is great juice. Ample agave, some pepper, vegetal notes, and mild burn. I am really enjoying it. 

I will be trying the Repo and Anejo as well.

Made my wife and I a cocktail. Tried using Tromba Blanco instead of El Espolon. Worthy upgrade. Made a nice cocktaill...


I think I need some cocktail glasses! Got any suggestions Fordi?


Then after my wife went to bed I did the youtube rabbithole thing. I ended up watching Tequila Hombre's budget tequila video which got me rewatching his review of the Omeca Altos Repo.


His review of the Repo made me search it out. We only sell the Omeca Altos Blanco which I find a bit "raw". Just too much burn and heat to me. Even in a cocktail it can be overpowering. I switched to El Espolon Blanco for cocktail use but I found it too chilled out. I went from too much zing to too little. The Tromba Blanco seems to fit the middle nicely. Kind of a goldilocks sort of option for me. A reasonable step up in price for a good jump in quality. Anyways... Back to the Omeca Altos Repo. I was shocked how much better I found the Repo versus the Blanco. 



Uh oh... I should not have done this. Not a fair comparison at all. Damn. This Tequila Ocho... Wow... Should have compared it to maybe Tromba Repo...


I am seeing if I can get Tequila Ocho Blanco and Anejo. What the heck is the deal with the Camarena family? Do they ever make bad tequila? Wow!

Woo Hoo! Thank goodness for out of province shipping. So many new options I can get.

This box arrived just before I left for work. I was thinking of it all day. Sort of like a middle aged early (or late) Christmas.


So much care put into the wrapping and shipping of these tequillas.


They put some foam and other protection into some of the boxes. Even the "lowly" Omeca Altos Repo was individually wrapped with care.




So what did I get?

Grand Mayan Ultra Aged
Roca Patron Silver
Tequila Ocho Repo
Arette Repo and Anejo
Cabo Wabo Blanco
Omeca Altos Repo


I had seen Grand Mayan on visits to Mexico but it was Long Island Lou's review on this very site that put me over the edge. Now I have two extra Anejos. Hey, I have to start somewhere. 


The Roca Patron will be interesting. The Patron Anejo is not bad but I am not that impressed with the regular Patron Silver.


However, Roca Patron is a Tahona made product and in small batches. I do not have a lot of Tahona made tequilas to choose from so you gotta get what you gotta get! I can't get G4, Forteleza, Volans etc. I may snag Roca Patron Anejo on my next order. In the meantime how will Roca Patron stack up against Pasote? Stay tuned...


2 more Arette join the fold so now I have all 3 core expressions. I am curious what I think of the Repo and Anejo. Very well regarded tequila.


Mmmm... Tequila Ocho! Looking forward to trying this. Another one well recommended on tequila matchmaker, reviewers, people that message me etc. At present I only have access to the Repo. Will see if I can find the other expressions. In the interim lets see how it stacks up against Pasote and Azunia Organic Repo.


Ah... Omeca Altos Repo... A tequila widely available in the states. Probably in any liquor store and supermarkets that sell tequila. Here? Nope! I only have access to the Blanco in Ontario. Tequila Hombre did a review on it and it intrigued me enough to want to try it. They do sell it in Quebec but I could not find it on my road trip there. Crazy! So, it was shipped thousands of kilometers across several provinces. From Mexico through the U.S. to Alberta, and now to my collection here in Ontario. Too funny the amount of effort it took me to get one of the most widely available tequilas. Crazy!


Uh oh... I may regret this one. Cabo Wabo Blanco. I did read Long Island Lou's review of this on this forum. Hmmm. It is not like I am not warned. The only Cabo Wabo I have access to here in Ontario is the Repo. I have not bought it yet as the Repo is twice the price of the El Espolon Repo I have in my collection. I do have a Cabo Wabo Anejo that I bought at the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo last year. It is... well... okay. Not great, not bad. so so... At least I did not pay a mint for the Blanco. I bought it as an experiment of sorts. I am curious as to how different (or similar) it will be to the El Espolon Blanco I have. They are from the same distillery.


So now the collection consists of 39 tequila spread out here:




Man cave indeed! 






I may have to move to the built in shelving units at this point!

The herd keeps growing. Still waiting for my order to come from Alberta. I do think I have pretty much grabbed all the low hanging fruit I can in Ontario. There are just a few out there I can get in Ontario that I cannot find in Quebec or via mail order from Alberta and of those few they are getting middling reviews at best from tequila matchmaker.

So, the newbies. I even got to keep the box the Cenote Anejo came in. Makes a fun backdrop...


I thought I would try out the new Anejos against Don Julio. I did not mean to put Pasote into the mix but my wife kept hearing me rave about it from sampling it the other night. So, I poured some out for her to try and in the process the best tequila I have ever tasted went up against the others.



The Pasote is still a tier above. Just a tick smoother, just a tick more minerality, just a bit better balance of wood versus the agave.

The Cenote surprised me. I enjoy the Cenote Repo but the Anejo is really good. To me nipping on the heels of the Pasote and Tapatio I had earlier in the week.

I am looking forward to sampling some of the new Blancos later this week. Recently I snagged Tromba Repo which I have been enjoying and also Siempre Blanco which I have yet to sample.


So, look for some Siempre and Aguamiel in the what's in your glass forum soon...

The herd keeps growing. Still waiting for my order to come from Alberta. I do think I have pretty much grabbed all the low hanging fruit I can in Ontario. There are just a few out there I can get in Ontario that I cannot find in Quebec or via mail order from Alberta and of those few they are getting middling reviews at best from tequila matchmaker.

So, the newbies. I even got to keep the box the Cenote Anejo came in. Makes a fun backdrop...


I thought I would try out the new Anejos against Don Julio. I did not mean to put Pasote into the mix but my wife kept hearing me rave about it from sampling it the other night. So, I poured some out for her to try and in the process the best tequila I have ever tasted went up against the others.



The Pasote is still a tier above. Just a tick smoother, just a tick more minerality, just a bit better balance of wood versus the agave.

The Cenote surprised me. I enjoy the Cenote Repo but the Anejo is really good. To me nipping on the heels of the Pasote and Tapatio I had earlier in the week.

I am looking forward to sampling some of the new Blancos later this week. Recently I snagged Tromba Repo which I have been enjoying and also Siempre Blanco which I have yet to sample.


So, look for some Siempre and Aguamiel in the what's in your glass forum soon...