Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Have you ever seen a bottle that's labeled single barrel or have some special logo on it that you're not really sure what it means today? Let's break that down in a simple way. I've had a lot of people ask me about single barrels and what it actually means. So most people think about tequila. They assume that every bottle is filled the same way every time. That's not really how aged tequila works. For reposados, anejos and extra anejos, tequila producers usually blend multiple barrels together. They do that to create a cohesive flavor profile. So if you buy the same bottle next, year after year, the bottle is going to taste close as possible to the one you had before. And that makes a lot of sense. But a single barrel tequila is different. Instead of blending several barrels together, the tequila in that bottle came from one specific barrel. Only that matters because every barrel ages a little differently. Even if tequila starts the same barrels can develop different flavors depending on the things like the wood where the barrel set in the warehouse, the, the temperature swings, the humidity and time. One barrel may lean a little sweeter, the other may be a little spicy. The other may bring out more oak and vanilla, caramel, coke, agave or pepper. So when you buy a single barrel tequila, you're getting the flavor profile of that one unique barrel. Now, did tequila come up with this? No. They've been copying off a bourbon for many years and a lot of things. And there's a lot of single barrel bourbons where bourbon itself is blended all together.
[00:01:22] You look at brands that are single barrel brands like Blanton's. So every single barrel tequila is going to be a little different in all of their aged tequilas, and in some cases, even like this in a blanco. Okay, let's back up a little bit. Not every barrel becomes a single release. Right. We talked about the blending. Usually somebody has to taste through the selection of barrels and decide which one stands out enough to be bottled on its own. And the selection process is a big deal. In many cases, they'll open up a few barrels and do focus tasting to find out which one's unique, memorable or special of hyp high quality. The idea is to find a barrel that has something worth showcasing by itself. And in tequila, there are basically two main types of single barrel releases. First are producer releases. This means that tequila producers themselves selected the barrel and released it as a special edition. In this case, the brand is saying, hey, we think this one is special and it stands up on his own. The second are third party releases. And that's what I have in front of me today. This means somebody outside the producer selected the barrel. This one was selected by Long Island Lou, a great content creator, More importantly, a guy with an amazing palette and knowledge about tequila. This one right here, this one was selected by Doug Price from the Agave Social Club, Another guy that I really respect, that has a ton of knowledge and information about tequila and has an amazing palette. And this one right here, Jay and Maddie. You've probably heard of Tequila Jay Bear and Maddie, but you've probably more importantly heard of the Tequila report. These guys came out with this special blanco barrel rested bottle that is absolutely amazing. These guys all have something in common. They all know how to taste tequila and find something special. What makes these single barrel picks important is the people behind picking the barrel put their own palate and reputation behind the selection. So why does that matter? Because single barrel tequila and the final experience can be heavily influenced by who chooses the barrel. A great selector like these guys can find something incredible. A barrel with balance, complexity, and a profile that tequila levels will remember. When you look at the barrel picks from a third party, you can know that it's somebody that has a lot of tequila experience, a great palate, and knows how to choose something fantastic. So when you're evaluating a single barrel tequila, don't just look at the word single barrel on the label. Ask a few more questions. Who selected it? Was it chosen by the producer? Was it picked by a retailer, a restaurant, or a private group? Because a lot of bars, liquor stores and restaurants will choose a barrel that'll be used just in their facility. And you got to trust the palate of the guy that owns that restaurant, that bar, or that liquor store, or the content creator that has a big knowledge of tequila. Another thing that's important is do you trust the palate of that person? Does the brand have a reputation of a strong single barrel program? Because at the end of the day, a single barrel tequila is really about individuality. And that's why tequila collectors love them. And that's why two single barrel bottles from the same producer can taste notably different from each other. So if you see a single barrel of tequila on the shelf, now, you know what makes it special. It's not just tequila. It's one barrel, one selection, one unique flavor story that otherwise would disappear in the blend. And yes, I do have my first single barrel tequila coming out this fall. That'll be a velar single barrel. An I can't wait to pick that barrel and bring that to everybody. I got to say, I hope that you enjoy these videos. I hope this makes a lot of sense to you. If you have any questions, hit me in the DMs. If you. And I gotta say, I think I'm gonna pour this El tecaleno reposado picked by Doug Price at the Agave Social Club. This one right here is a treat. Cheers, everybody.
