Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Putting your tequila in the freezer might make it smoother, but it's actually killing the flavor. And if you're drinking really good tequila, you're losing the best part of it. Let me explain why, because it actually comes down to science. All right, I'm going to pour some of this destino because this is what I was drinking with my friend Andy when we had this discussion. He said he really likes to put his good tequila in the refrigerator or freezer before he drinks it. He said it makes it smoother. I challenged him and said it loses flavor, and he really disagreed with me. So we took some tequila, we put it in a glass, we stuck it in the freezer, we brought that destino back out, and he tasted mine and his and realized, wow, something happened. And he asked me why, and I said, you know, I don't really know, so let's do some research to find out. And I thought this would make a cool video. So let's explain why you lose flavor when the tequila is chilled. Tequila gets all of its flavors from something called aromatic compounds. These are things like esters, alcohols, aldehydes. Basically, the compounds that give you the notes of cooked agave, citrus, pepper, vanilla, all the good stuff. But here's the key. When you taste those flavors, you're actually having the evaporate out of the glass, go into your nose. That's where most of your taste really comes from. And when tequila is warm, or even just room temperature, those compounds are active. They rise out of the glass, they hit your nose, and your brain translates that into flavor. But when you put your tequila in the refrigerator or freezer, everything slows down. The cold temperatures reduce volatility, which means those aroma compounds stay trapped in the liquid. They're still there. They're just not reaching your nose. And here's the crazy part. About 70 to 80% of what you taste actually comes from your sense of smell. So when the aromas aren't reaching your nose, you're really not tasting all of the tequila. That's why tequila can taste flat, muted, or just one note when it's cold. Think about this. When your nose is stuffed up from allergies or a cold cold, your tasting is way less. When you go to eat something or take a drink, you get a lot less of the flavors, or sometimes none at all. There's another thing happening, too. Cold temperatures actually dull your taste buds a little bit. Sweetness gets muted, bitterness gets muted, and the overall complexity becomes harder to pick up. Yeah, cold tequila might feel smoother, but that's because everything is hiding. It's hiding the burn, but it's also hiding the character. And this is exactly why freezing tequila became popular in the first place. If you're drinking low quality tequila, you can chilling it will make it easier to drink. It removes the harshness or at least masks it. And if you're drinking a well made, additive free something with real craftsmanship and complexity, you're doing it a disservice by making it cold. That's why I didn't want to put this tostino in the refrigerator. Mm. So good. Here's the bottom line. Cold tequila doesn't just change the flavor, it removes it. If it's cheap tequila, go ahead and throw it in the freezer or use it to clean your urinal. But if it's good tequila, keep the temperature at room temperature or slightly cool. Because the better tequila, the more you lose when it's cold. If you like learning about tequila or you like these videos, hit like and subscribe. If you've got a myth that you want to bust or you want some information about tequila, drop it in the comments. I'll do my best to research it to give you an answer. And if you want to try some fantastic tequila, well, maybe you should get a little Cascawin Dustino. If you can find it. It is absolutely incredible. Cheers. Have a fantastic night.
