Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] You finally learned the basics of tequila. You know blanco, you know reposado, you know anejo. You might even know extra anejo. So you walk into the tequila aisle feeling pretty confident, and then you see cascanes, and instead of normal names, you see number seven, number nine, number ten, and you're confused all over again. What do those numbers even mean? Today we're going to break that down because this actually is really cool. And to understand something different about proof levels of tequila, first let's talk about the brand. Cascane's tequila is known for making an additive free, traditionally produced tequila inspired by Umberto, who makes jungle juice, which is a phenomenal agave distillate. The tequila is produced at nom 1614 using traditional methods like slow cooking the agave in an autoclave, roller mill maceration, and stainless steel distillation with copper coils. But the most interesting thing about this brand is how they label their tequila. Instead of focusing on just the aging categories, they also highlight their proof level. And that's where the number comes in. I got to sit down with JP and ask him questions about how they did this, and he said the number nine was actually one of the recipes in the recipe book. When they were working on all of their profiles, number nine's the one that stuck out. So number nine it was. So they started using some numbers to explain the proof difference of their tequila. So let's start with number seven. Number number seven is always going to be their 40 ABV or 80 proof. That's what most people think a standard proof for tequila is. It's approachable, it's easy to drink, and it brings a lot of expressed agave flavors. It's where you'll find cooked agaves, citrus, pepper, minerality. Within cascanes, you will find their number seven Blanco, a number seven Repo, and number seven Anejo. Then let's step it up to number nine. This one jumps up to 50% ABV or 100 proof. Now things start to get a little more interesting. It's bottled at a higher proof, so it adds less water to bring down the proof, which means you actually get more agave, more aroma and more intensity. A lot of tequila aficionados like this range because it shows off the character of agave in that distillation process. If you find a number nine reposado, anejo or extra on yejo today, it is going to be a very special product, usually a single barrel or a special release. This one that we have today is the number nine, anejo Rosa that they did, which is a phenomenal product. And then we have Cascane's number 10. This one is 54 ABV, which is 108 proof. Nothing gets you closer to still strength tequila. This is what tequila starts off as, showing real personality. The number 10, bigger agave flavor, more oils on the palate, a stronger minerality, and a much longer finish. It's bold, it's intense, and it's usually preferred by really experienced tequila drinkers that want that most natural expression of the spirit. And watch for some special things coming out with their number 10 in this upcoming year. So the numbers aren't random, they're actually showing you how powerful these tequilas are. Number seven, standard. Number nine, high proof. Number 10 closer to still straight. Once you understand that, the tequila aisle suddenly makes more sense. Because sometimes the difference between a bottle isn't its age, it's its proof. And the proof can dramatically change the flavor, the aroma, and the experience with tequila. So next time you're looking for some tequila, look for cascanes and watch for your aged expressions and also what number it is. That way you'll know exactly what you're looking at. And if you're curious about them, buy a couple of them and taste them side by side. That way you can really see the difference. And you might be surprised at how much proof level can change your experience. If you've had all of these, put a comment which one you like the best. If you enjoy learning about tequila like this, make sure you follow along. We break down lots of brands and production methods and do blind tastings and interviews and talk about these incredible agave experiences all the time. Until next time. Salute and remember, know what you're drinking.
