Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] What if I told you one of the best tequilas I've had all year long was aged in Pedro Jimes sherry barrels. Poured like a dark anejo, bottled at high proof, almost impossible to find outside of Mexico. This is Cascawin's House of Rare, and it may be one of the most special reposados I've ever had. What's up, everybody? This is tasting tequila with Brad. I'm here reviewing a tequila that checks every box. For me as a tequila nerd, a collector, and someone who genuinely loves craft production, this is Cascaline's House of Rare. A single barrel, high proo proof, aged in Pedro Jimenez sherry barrels. If you know Costcoine, you already know their reputation. They're one of the most respected distilleries in Mexico and in my opinion, putting out some of the best tequila you can find under the master distiller, Chava Rosales. He's making it just absolutely awesome and killing it. Nom 11:23 in the town of Arenal. This is an additive free, incredibly traditional process and they're always letting agave, not the barrels, lead the conversation. Now take that philosophy and pair it with Hausa Rare, a group that specializes in sourcing exceptional barrels. This single barrel, aged six months, is 88 proof and is extremely limited. Only around 200 to 250 bottles were sold and you mostly can find it in Mexico at the Cascoine Distillery. This is not a mass marketed idea. It's a collector's release and it's built with intention. Okay, let's get this in the bottle and try it out.
[00:01:29] Okay. The first time I had this, I was absolutely blown away at how different it tastes being aged in these sherry barrels as a Cascowine. I was expecting, you know, their normal flavored reposado or their anejo. And this is really completely different. So let's hit it.
[00:01:44] So you get that cooked agave, you get some vanilla, you get caramel, you get citrus, but there's a little bit of a honey sweetness that's different for me. And then there's still an underlining minerality of the Costco distillery. There's also a little bit of a dried fruit flavor that I don't pick up in many other tequilas. The more you let it open up, you pick up some mint, some cinnamon, some white pepper. And that fruit, peach and stone fruit really starts to show up a little more. You also get some raisin and fig in there too. It's pretty, pretty complex. Okay, let's give it a taste.
[00:02:19] This tequila is so good that even my Indiana Success Happy Hour podcast mate Brian Quinlan may like this one. He gets sweet cooked agave, caramel, vanilla and a nice creamy mouthfeel. All of the things that you would really expect. You get an oak influence without any bitterness. You get the pepper and the cinnamon and a little bit of citrus, but the raisin, the fig and the dark fruit and that sweetness shows up really strong in mid palate. The finish is really long. It's very creamy and the agave sweetness kind of lingers there for a while. You pick up that oak and some spice and of course that dried fruit kind of hangs with you as well. Okay, this one's not an everyday sipper. It's not your casual party pour. This is for serious tequila fans, collectors, and people who appreciate a barrel experiment that's really done right. What makes it special is it's just it's rare, it's hard to find. Costco wean didn't abandon their identity. You still got all those other flavors, but House of Rare did a great job providing a barrel that really helped enhances the flavor of the tequila but keeps agave forward. If you ever see this bottle in Mexico, don't hesitate. Pick it up. It's one that you should have on your shelf. It is one of my favorite tequilas of 2025. If you've had House of Rare, leave me a comment. If you haven't, look for it. Buy it. If you like reviews and you like learning about tequila, hit that subscribe button. Thanks for watching my videos. Subscribe.
