Tequila Cayeya Blanco Review: Hype or Hidden Gem? | First Taste

[00:00:00] This might be one of the coolest Tequila bottles that I've had sitting on this bar, but I've never tasted what's inside. So today we're going to find out if Calla Blanco is more than just a gray looking bottle. There are actually a couple of things about this brand that caught my attention before I ever poured it. First, the tequila is currently being produced at NOM 1424 Distadoria de Agave Azul in San Juanito Escobedo, Jalisco. The master distiller is Zandra Gomez. Acaia was previously produced at mound 1440. So. So I wish I had the older bottle to compare the two to see which one is best. Now obviously we have to talk about the bottle because it's probably what got my attention first. KAE has made sustainability a huge part of their brand. These bottles are hand blown in Jalisco using recycled glass, including recycled Mexican Coca Cola bottles. And because they're handmade, they actually have a lot of variation from bottle to bottle. They also use recycled material for things like their labels, their hang tags and their corks. So instead of building some giant heavy luxury bottle just to make the look expensive sitting on a shelf, they're actually taking something that would have been discarded and turning it into their packaging. It really ties into the philosophy behind call take care of the land and the land will take care of you. That's actually what their name is about and that's what their brand stands for. But you guys know me, an incredible looking bottle can be one thing, but it's got to be about the tequila inside. So let's talk about how they told me this tequila is made. It says they're starting with 100% blue Weber agave from the Valley region. The agaves are cooked in traditional masonry ovens. They're mechanically extracted with a roller mill. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks without agave fibers. And they're using deep well water from the distillery. And they're double distilled and proofed down to 40% ABV. And specifically, I want to know before tasting whether this blanco had been rested in anything or had any barrel contact. This is unaged with no intentional wood aging. So we're tasting a straightforward representation of agave. Most importantly, Calla says it is made additive free and traditional. So that production method sounds great. Let's put it in the glass and see what it tastes like. [00:02:05] Now, 1424 is a distillery that I haven't had anything from, so I'm really interested in seeing how this is Going to taste. On the nose, I get a little coup de grave. I get a little bit of pine, almost like a juniper note. So a little bit of a lime zest or a citrusy lime. A little bit of alcohol, but not a whole lot. So on the nose, not bad. Let's dive into the taste. [00:02:27] Okay. The tasting, a little cooked agave. A little bit of that lime is there. It doesn't have as much robust flavor as I was expecting with the nose. The sweetness is a little bit suspect to me. It's a little bit extra sweet. I get a little bit of a coating on my tongue that I'm not sure what that is. There is a nice little peppery note. The finish is really kind of fast. It doesn't linger for a long time. [00:02:49] It's a tequila to me that probably would be great in a cocktail. The bottle itself, absolutely beautiful. This is one where to me the bottle may be a little bit better representation of the tequila. I'm going to revisit it since it is a fresh pour and a fresh crack. Come back and see. Maybe it improves a little bit. It's not a bad tequila. Maybe sip on it a little bit. I can't wait to try the repo to see if it's a little better. If you've already had calle, especially if you've had the older non 1414 versus the 1424. Let me know what you think of this tequila in the comments. [00:03:20] The blanco, like I said, doesn't impress me. Super great. But it's definitely not one that I would pour out or run away from. It's just not one of the best blancos that I've ever had. So I'd love to hear your comments. If you like this video, hit that like button, that share button. And if you want to learn a lot about tequila, maybe find out this one is represented in the Tequila Report, go to the Tequila Report.com subscribe. We talk about a lot of tequilas there, a lot of industry insight and it's an email that comes to you every week and it is free, so definitely check it out. Cheers. Drink responsibly. Have a great night.