Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Is Rosa Tequila actually worth drinking or is it just a marketing gimmick? You guys know me by now. I don't care what color the tequila is, and I don't care how fancy the bottle looks. If it doesn't taste like tequila, I'm probably not going to be impressed. But when Akri Lago sent me their new hoven Rosa, I started digging into how they make it. And I have to admit, this one really caught my attention for a couple of reasons. So today we're going to learn a little bit more about Acry Lago and talk about how this tequila is made. And then, of course, we're going to see if it lives up to the story. Aquilago is produced at nom 1580 up in Jesus Maria in the highlands of Go. If that nom sounds familiar, it's because they've built a great reputation making incredibly quality tequila with an emphasis on traditional production and letting the agave stay front and center. These guys are using 100% estate grown blue Weber agave. They produce in very small batches, and they're committed to making additive free, clean, traditional tequila. That's something, you know, I appreciate, and I think you do as well. And if you want flavor coming from agave in the production, this is one that's going to happen. Now, let's talk about what makes the bottle difference, because for me, I've really been digging into the Rosas. I wish it would become category. I love them so much, and this one is a little different than some of the others. Acri Lago did take a little bit interesting approach here. This one is a hoven. Now, hoven means it's been blended with two different styles of tequila, a blanco and a reposado, in two different types of wine barrels. Part of it spent 90 days in a Pinot Noir barrel, and the other portion spent 55 days in a Chardonnay barrel before they were all blended together. Now, I'm not a wine guy, but I actually like the idea because two wines bring a completely different personalities. Pinot Noir barrels tend to be soft red, maybe a little spicier with some structure. Chardonnay barrels usually contribute a lighter fruit floral, just a little bit of elegance without overpowering what's inside. Instead of relying on one wine cask, they're layering these two different influences together. So let's see if the Cocoave shines through. I can tell you it does because I opened this bottle last night on my way to a thunderstruck concert, which is an AC DC cover band, and I was so impressed with this bottle. I thought, man, when I get home, we've got to pop this out and do a video. Check it out. This one is coming in at 40 ABV. Let's get it in a glass real quick. And hopefully you'll notice that it does have a little bit of a pink color to it.
[00:02:14] So see how it's a little bit pinker now. The lights in here may actually make it a little more dark than what it looks like in person, but there's just, like, a nice pink tinge to the color of it. So let's dive into the nose right away. I get the acri lago that I love. They're. They're cooked agave. Their spiciness, their flavor, floral. They're cinnamon. You can get cinnamon. But with this one, I do pick up a little bit of what that wine barrel's bringing. There's a nose of fresh fruit. There's also a nose of some berries. When I say berry, it. It's almost like a strawberry. There's still some citrus there too. I want to say maybe a little bit of grapefruit. I pick up just a touch of, like, a vanilla note as well. Okay, let's go in for a taste. Really, like, the mouth feel. A coked agave is so good. Like, it's just taking a bite of the agave right out of an oven. The fruit starts to come in. There's a little bit of a tannic note, kind of dries up the finish. There's. That strawberry is really there. There's a little bit of melon, almost like a cantaloupe. There's citrus is there, too. There's a little touch of that vanilla, and then that spice comes in, and that's where that cinnamon, for me, comes in. Really nice. The dryness that's there in the finish, it's. The sweet agave is there, and that berry note is still there, but it just, like, dries up in your mouth. It's really cool. It's a very balanced tequila. And maybe it's a little more pink now. So I've had some. I don't know if you can tell that or not. So these guys are killing it. I. I had Zach and Seth on the show. They're hilarious. They got great personal, and they're. They're big guys in the business. They are really trying to put together something special that goes along with their other company, oddball shoes. So check it out. If you got really big feet and you're a tall guy, needs some great shoes. That's where to get it. And the story about how they came up with this tequila. If you watch the interview, they talk like right through what they did and how it all came to be. It's a pretty cool story. So also I want to point out, if you love tequila and you love learning about tequila, 62,000 people are getting the Tequila Report in their email every week. Great insights about the industry, information about brands, lots of really cool lists. So if you're not getting it, why go to the Tequila Report.com subscribe and sign up for your free newsletter today. The tequila that I did a review on just recently was one of their single barrels from Arete. Blew me away. So that lets you find out about new projects like that that are coming out too. So definitely go check it out. Now I want to hear from you. Have you had Acry Lagro and have you had their Hoban Rosie yet? Do you enjoy Rosa Tequilas? Do you think it's another trend or do you think it's something that's going to stick around? Let me know in the comments. I know I gave you a lot of questions, but I want to hear from you. Also. If you love tequila and you love reviews and interviews with brands, hit that like subscribe button. I appreciate you watching. Sip wisely, sip responsibly. And man, I'm hoping you're drinking some great tequila like I am tonight. Cheers.
