Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hey, guys. Brad Nickum tasting tequila with Brad. Really excited to have a guest on the show today whose name also happens to be Brad. I met Brad via talking about Tequila online. So welcome, Brad.
[00:00:16] Speaker B: Hi. Thanks, Brad, for having me.
[00:00:19] Speaker A: There's going to be a lot of Brads going back and forth tonight.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: That's awesome. That's okay.
[00:00:23] Speaker A: So I loved your rating scale for Tequila that you quickly informed me I'm not allowed to use. Explained. Explain the Brad rating.
[00:00:32] Speaker B: So a long time ago, I just came up with a silly thing so I talked about every once in a while. I had this huge database I keep for my cell phone. I'm just a nerd, right? But, you know, so I kept the Brad rating just for my own little database. Right. So it's an acronym. Breathability, which is obviously the nose, the relishment, which is the taste, the availability, which is for my availability, and then the dollars for the cost. Right. And you know, it's 100 points at each score. And, you know, I keep it pretty simple. It's not like I'm like 35 or something like that. It's pretty much even. You know, I try to keep it pretty simple.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: I loved it. I was like, what a great, like, acronym to use your name like that. And, and to come up with a rating.
[00:01:10] Speaker B: You can borrow it. It's okay. You can use it if you need to. It's fine.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: I may just say this. This one is as good as Brad and I. You'll know that I am referring to you every time that I say it.
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Sounds good.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: That'd be the best. So how long have you been drinking tequila? Where's your tequila passion come from?
[00:01:28] Speaker B: Well, you know, I mean, I think we all started drinking like in high school, but that was a different story, right?
Yeah, I actually became, you know, I used to drink a lot of bourbon, you know, back in 20 years ago or so. And I kind of just started getting out of it and I just kind of slowly edged over to tequila, mainly tequila, eight, 10 years ago. And of course, I wasn't always drinking the best of stuff. Right. You know, a lot of us start out with the Don Julio 1942. And. And you know, the, you know, so you're drinking that stuff. And then, you know, on Facebook and stuff, I started talking to people, joining groups like, oh, you can get better stuff than that for less price for, you know, half the price. I'm like, really? So it was interesting because my first bottle, I still remember my first bottle of out of the Frida Keel. And it was Don Fauano, Anejo. And I was just sold. I was just sold after that. I was like, okay, this is the way to go. And just like most people, I was still mostly drinking anejos and some reposados, of course, extra najos and, you know, because you still want that barrel influence. But, you know, now I'm pretty much away from now I just, you know. But yeah, that's how. That's kind of how it started. My wife's to blame. I always tell. Tell people that's what, you know, she's the one who bought me my first fancy bottle. And I said, it's all her fault now. So she'll. She'll admit to it. But, you know, quietly, boy, I don't.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: I can't blame my wife, unfortunately. I wish I could.
[00:02:53] Speaker B: I can't really blame her. It's my fault.
[00:02:55] Speaker A: I kind of started off the opposite. I started in tequila around 2000 at Sammy Hagar's club, Cabo Wabo, with the original blue bottle Cabo, and the repo and the blanco were the ones that I really liked. And then I gravitated to bourbon. And then I would switch winter and summer, right? And about three to four winters ago, I never switched back, and I just stayed tequila ever since. It's pretty neat how these spirits, like, intertwine, and then all of a sudden you find one, you're like, this is it.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:03:30] Speaker A: So you're mostly a blanco drinker today. That's going to be your head.
[00:03:34] Speaker B: Choice blancos and high proofs. Typically, yeah. I mean, I still will gravitate towards, you know, some repos and yehos. I have my favorites kind of in those categories, but usually if I'm reaching for something, it's going to be a blanco. Not a lot of people, you know, fall and winter, they like to go for the age expressions. Me, I can drink the blancos all year round, but, you know, everybody's different.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: It's funny. I'll go to the store and I'm thinking I'm going to pick up an Onye Hill because I don't have very many on the shelf, Right. That's my least column. And I get there and I'm walking through and I come home with two high proofs and two blancos. That's why I got what I like.
[00:04:09] Speaker B: Oops. Yeah, that's kind of how my shelves are overfilled with blancos and. Yeah.
[00:04:14] Speaker A: So here's a question that Jay Bear asked the other day. How many bottles of tequila do you think you have?
[00:04:21] Speaker B: I know it's like 300ish maybe. So I have my little bar area and then I have some cubbies back here in my basement where have backups or just. Yeah special bottles. So you know, I have my board.
[00:04:37] Speaker A: I need, I'm only around a hundred. But I, I have a problem that a lot of the people that I, I talk to that do this, they don't have the same problem I have. I, I drink it every day so I'm always running out.
[00:04:49] Speaker B: I do too. So that's why I always end up buying multiples of something. You know, I'm always, you know. But it's not like most of the stuff's not like rare stuff. Right. It's stuff I can get every day. But it's like I don't want to have to run in a week and get it right. So I'll just buy two or I'll just buy two. But then the problem is I have 60 open bottles.
Right. And I'm like man, I gotta get these drink done.
[00:05:09] Speaker A: I gotta get. I need some more shelf space.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Right, Exactly.
[00:05:13] Speaker A: Do you do anything to preserve your bottles once they've been opened?
Because that's one thing I really haven't done is figured out. Okay, should I do something to preserve them?
[00:05:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean for me it just depends if I know something's going to be open for a long time.
Like my first bottle of Tear the Yarn. I knew I was probably going to keep it around only for special occasions. Right.
A lot of people use the parafilm. I have something similar. It's like a self sealing silicon tape and I just kind of wrap the seal, I make sure it's sealed real good. Now I know like there's some people who go hardcore like the wine enthusiast will pump nitrogen in to get the oxygen out. But yeah, I don't, I'll go that far. My bottles probably don't sit that long to where I need to worry about that.
[00:05:55] Speaker A: Yeah, my, my bottles don't sit that long either. But I do, I have a tears as well that's, it's probably about a half full and part of my reason to drink it is because I don't want it to go bad and I can get another one.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: Right, exactly.
[00:06:10] Speaker A: So we talk about a lot of tequila brands and I know I have like this is my favorite favorite and then I have these that are my favorite favorites and then there's my favorite. So what's like your go to absolute favorite, say blanco.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: If you're just talking about standard straightforward blancos. Yeah, that's tough, so I'm gonna. I'm gonna throw on, you know, I. There's this stuff that I. It's not made anymore, but anytime I'd go on a work trip, I'd grab it. It's called yoli. Right? Yoli. It's a little red and white bottle or bottle with red writing. And I used to be able to get it for like 30 bucks. And that was. I stocked up on those the last time because I knew they weren't making them. That's usually my go to. But anymore I find myself for just a standard block, you know, I kind of just run the gamut. You know, Sometimes I'm want something more vegetable. Something I want. Times I want something more sweet. Sometimes I want more earthy. Sometimes, you know, so it just depends on how I'm feeling. You know, I keep a lot of blancas around, you know, and sometimes it's just like, you know, I'm going to randomly try this one today. Just happens.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: I do that more than anything. I'm like, I haven't had that one in a long time. And then I'm like, this one is my favorite. Like, it's so funny how quick you adapt to what you drink that day.
[00:07:22] Speaker B: And sometimes it's funny because you haven't drank one for a while because you're like, yeah, that doesn't sound good. Then you drink. You're like, oh, I'm not sure how good this was or just it's better than you remember. So it's always fun.
[00:07:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. So in this rash of brand new high proofs that are out there, what would you say your like, your coveted high proof that's out there right now?
[00:07:43] Speaker B: Well, I. And I. I think I made a post about this maybe a while back, maybe, maybe not. But yeah, a lot of the new high proofs I haven't really been wowed by. Nothing is really like, like just.
Yeah, nothing's really just grabbed me and I, you know, I. I hate saying that, but it's just nothing seems special about a lot of stuff. Same with the single bears. I feel this love the same way about the single.
My. My standard hypers I always go to is plot the 48, right? I always. That's like my top rated tequila everywhere. That's my thing. Right. But you know, I like, you know, Lagrimas is good. I love, you know, I like the blancos better. The repos and Lagrimas. Let's see. I drank well, so I drink a lot. Y'all drink some like, well, it's a PM spirit, so that's a still strength. But I have some G4 Maderas. You know, I like drinking those a lot. The lot one was my favorite. And I have a couple bottles of each, you know, kind of in my stash and I have a couple open. But I like those. Those are really nice and easy to drink.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: I agree with you on that one. Have you had the Alma del Haguar nocturna?
[00:08:44] Speaker B: I have, I have. It was okay. Kind of was a little, I'll say perfumey or floral for me, but. But you know, that was me. Everybody's different, you know, everybody received. You know, we all taste things differently, so you never know. A lot of people really liked it. Just wasn't for me.
[00:09:01] Speaker A: I do like it. But you say floral.
[00:09:03] Speaker B: That's.
[00:09:03] Speaker A: I noticed that about it. I also noticed that about the new mahinta, the maestro.
[00:09:10] Speaker B: All mihinta seem to be a little bit floral though. Especially the regular blanca.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. And that, that high proof was like. That's the first thing it hit me was like, wow, this is like really floral. But I do really like that one too. So favorite on yo. Is that tears?
[00:09:26] Speaker B: Well, that's my. Probably my favorite extra in Yahoo, but I go backwards in that and the Tapatio Excellencia. Those are both really good. Yeah, yeah, they're both really good. I enjoy both of those. Are like. I always have each in my bar here. Staples.
[00:09:41] Speaker A: The tapatito is hard for me to find in Indiana.
[00:09:45] Speaker B: I did find a lot of pizza. What?
[00:09:48] Speaker A: I found it in Cabo and they had it listed at $500 U.S. wow. And I was just like. And I probably would have paid three. So I passed on it. I brought home a Tapatito 110 that was great. But. And it was priced fantastic. But that one is. I haven't had that one yet. That's one of my go tos. So. So you're in the Chicagoland area, is that right?
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Oh, kinda. I'm actually outside Chicago. I'm like up north. I'm like right on the border. Wisconsin almost.
[00:10:20] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: So, you know, there's a lot of people in Chicago who are, you know, big tequila people. But you know, it's an hour, hour and a half drive, two hours depending on traffic. Good to go into the city sometimes, so it's tricky to get down.
[00:10:32] Speaker A: So do you have like good outlets to be able to find tequila or are most of your tequila showing up in the mail?
[00:10:38] Speaker B: I've never bought a tequila offline.
[00:10:41] Speaker A: No. Kidding.
[00:10:42] Speaker B: Never once have I purchased a bottle of tequila off the Internet offline. I've only done it through hunting or shopping, you know, so I travel a bit for work. And, you know, I. I take those opportunities to hunt for tequila in the evenings. And, you know, there have been times where I've had very fruitful adventures.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: There won't be in Indianapolis. There's not a lot of good tequila. I guess we just don't have good distribution. Like one of the local stores, they got c. And that was like so fired up because that. And now one of the other liquor stores. I have some friends that own liquor stores, and I'm constantly asking them, can you get this? Can you get this? And like, I've never heard of it.
[00:11:22] Speaker B: But let me write down. I know there's a good one somewhere outside of Indianapolis. Because when I go back down home to Ohio, there's one I always stop at. They have like all the f Tescas there. They have. I mean, they have everything.
[00:11:34] Speaker A: I was really remember where that's at.
[00:11:37] Speaker B: I'll have to remember where it's at. I'll have to map my route because I know the city or area roughly where it's at. I'll have to let you know if I can figure it out.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: There's a really good one called Sobro Spirits that's like in the broad ripple area.
And they probably have the best selection that I've found in Indianapolis. And you go to Louisville, and that's close for us. And I haven't found great tequilas there either. It's so over covered up by bourbon. So I. I do unfortunately have to purchase a lot online to get some of the ones that I want to try because they're just not available here.
[00:12:11] Speaker B: Right. And that. That happens. You know, I haven't had to do it yet. Luckily, I have some friends who are pretty resourceful if I need something and, you know, they can. You know, sometimes when I bring bottles back, I bring bottles back for people I know, and sometimes they'll bring stuff back for me that I know I'm looking for. So it kind of works out. You know, the tequila community is helpful. Right. Everybody helps everybody. And I mean, I'm sure, you know, that's great.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: Yeah, it's fantastic. So here's the next question. Have you done the pilgrimage? Have you gone to tequila or down to Arondes?
[00:12:40] Speaker B: I have not. Not. No. I'll just say no. The answer is no. I want to. I've had a few opportunities to go, but it's not Always easy to get down there. You know, life keeps me busy.
I want to so bad, but I just. I haven't had the opportunity.
[00:12:56] Speaker A: My wife and I just did in August. That was our first trip, and we. We just went to Tequila and we did four days. It was perfect. So that's something that I would definitely recommend. It's.
[00:13:08] Speaker B: It's on my.
[00:13:09] Speaker A: Awesome.
[00:13:10] Speaker B: It's definitely on my list.
[00:13:12] Speaker A: So are you. For the social media side? Is this something that you're trying to grow to be where. Where you're revenue sharing and. And are you just kind of doing like I'm doing? Let's have fun doing some talking about Tequila?
[00:13:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I. So, you know, this all started the social media. I kind of tell you how I got started. That's all right. I was at a tasting down in Chicago. We were doing lost floor tasting, actually. I went down there for a few tastings at a place called Taco Mucho, which is fantastic. Anybody who's in the Illinois area and loves tequila knows Taco Mucho. Anyways, and we had a lot floor taste. I was sitting around the guys, you know, I'm part of the, you know, the Great Lakes Tequila Club. We're part of the, you know, the Chicago chapter here. So they. A couple of guys with me were sitting around. I'd met some people. We were just chatting. They're like, man, you should do some social media and, you know, fun to talk to and, you know, you got information. I was like, yeah, whatever. Then I had. Some guys talked me into, like, okay, I'm trying this for a couple of weeks, see how it goes.
And it just took off, you know, from there. I just kind of, you know, my goal. My goal is never to be popular. I don't have. I could care less how many followers I have. Right. It's not. It's not about that. I don't want to monetize, but to me, it's all about the sharing, the passion, the hobby, you know, and the cultural aspect of it. That, to me, that's what it's all about.
[00:14:25] Speaker A: Yeah, you and I are on the same page. It's. It's funny. I had a person call me, and they're like, okay, so have you quit the mortgage business and started this Tequila business? I'm like, no, no, this. I actually have a podcast I do with a friend that is. It's called Real Estate Makes us drink. He's a realtor. I'm a mortgage guy. We sit here at my bar, and we've done it for about a Year. And I always talk tequila at the beginning of it. I always have my tequila book, you know, in the corner. So he. He actually does a lot of social media, so he said, you. You should be talking about tequila on. On a Facebook page. And so he kind of spurred me on, and I thought, okay, well, let's do it. That'll be fun. It. Like you said, it just kind of took off really quick. It. It does take up a lot of time, though, doesn't it?
[00:15:08] Speaker B: It does. There are times where it's like, you know, I. So I try to take times in my evenings or whenever I can get a chance, if I get a chance, I'll try to make a bunch of videos, right? And, you know, sometimes I don't get to do that. So sometimes I'll post for like a week straight every day. And then all of a sudden, I won't post anything for like three weeks. I've just been so busy, and I can't make any videos. You know, it just goes like that.
[00:15:25] Speaker A: Yeah, my wife will know. When I come downstairs with five different T shirts, I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna do five videos.
[00:15:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I keep a couple extra T shirts, so it's not like I'm not wearing the same T shirt every video, right?
[00:15:36] Speaker A: Yeah, just switch them up.
[00:15:38] Speaker B: That's so funny.
[00:15:39] Speaker A: I think they're all tricks we learn, Right?
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Right. It is.
[00:15:43] Speaker A: So is there a special software that you use to do your editing and to do your posting or what do you use to do it?
[00:15:51] Speaker B: I just use my phone. I usually don't edit my videos, so my wife knows and my son will hear me too. And I'll be down here and my dog will do something or jump up on me in the middle of me making a video, and I'm like, then I just gotta, you know, start over, you know, there's plenty of times where I've recorded a video 10 different times just to get the one good take. And I really just use. Every once in a while, I use Filmora. It's called Filmora, a free version of Filmora. It's a phone app, and it does some editing. But I don't do anything crazy, Right. I keep my stuff pretty simple, you know, it's pretty basic. Right. I'm just taking a video, and as long as you can hear me, see me, we're good.
[00:16:26] Speaker A: You do a great job, you know, because I kind of figured you probably did some editing in there too, make them flow so well. So that. That's hats off. You do a great Job at your videos. I, I think, you know, I watch almost every one of them you put out.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: Well, thank you. A lot of times I'm just, it's right off. I like, I know what I'm going to talk about and I just go. And I go with it. So again, it'll take. Sometimes It'll take me 10 or 20 times to get the video, to get, to get what I want. But, you know, I get there eventually.
[00:16:52] Speaker A: So the only reason I started doing some editing is that you get that really good one and then you sneeze right in the middle of it or you cough or something. You're like, oh, I gotta do that all over again. So with the podcast, I learned how to do some editing and I do piece some together as they go. So that's awesome.
Well, what do you got? What you got in your glass there?
[00:17:12] Speaker B: So I have, it's my infinity bottle. Right. So I have this infinity bottle that I have. I made it long time ago. It's got every bottle. The first pour out of every bottle I buy has been in this infinity bottle.
[00:17:26] Speaker A: No kidding. That's awesome.
[00:17:27] Speaker B: No kidding. And now I kind of just maintain it with certain profiles I like. And then I have about. But I have about eight of them over here though. That's the problem. At a strictly high proof one, I mean, it's bad, but I got aging projects over here. It's just like, oh my gosh. So no, but this is like my original bottle and I just, it's, it's just a profile I like. You know, I have a hydrometer and alcohol. I measure my alcohol content. It comes in at like 47%.
So it's. Yeah, so it's, it's, it's quite. I enjoy it.
[00:18:06] Speaker A: All I can say is you, you just out nerded me a bit.
[00:18:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I bought that because I wanted to see how much high proof my high proof bottle was. And then, you know, and that's interesting because I was like, oh, you know what? So I checked some old bottles to see if they were still like, you know, how much alcohol. And it wasn't hardly anything. So, you know, it's nerd stuff, right?
[00:18:28] Speaker A: I love it. I love it. So, okay, so I'm going to see if I can out nerd you a little bit. How many agave plants do you have at your house?
[00:18:37] Speaker B: Zero.
[00:18:38] Speaker A: Okay. I have three enormous. Like right now they're in pots. They're taller than pots.
[00:18:44] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:45] Speaker A: And then when we've done tastings, I actually have centerpieces. I Cut the baby, shut the hilos out, and I repot those. And then those are the centerpieces pieces at all of our parties. So I have little baby everywhere.
[00:18:58] Speaker B: I thought about buying a couple because my wife, you know, she loves planting and stuff. And. Yeah, we even have a little lime tree that we bring indoor during the winter so she can make fresh homemade lines for margaritas when she makes them. And. Yeah, so, yeah, so I was like, I keep picking up. Maybe I should get one.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: Don't. Don't buy any. I mean, you just tell me when you're in indie. You tell me. There's actually my big plants in the bag here. And I. My wife and I were walking back to our gym, and I was like, look at all the babies off the bottom of that agave. There's probably 12 just wrapping the bottom that could be plucked right off. So, yeah, don't buy any. I have them all the time.
[00:19:34] Speaker B: Keep that in mind.
[00:19:35] Speaker A: Now, mine aren't blue agaves, though. We were told they were when I got them. And then when we got to tequila, I was like, no, these aren't blue agaves. They're actually Americanas.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: That's okay.
[00:19:48] Speaker A: Yeah, Everybody. They are blue, right? Because that Americana's got a blue tinge to it. And everybody comes over and goes, oh, those should make Tequila out of. It was like, wow, Mezcal. Kind of same thing. They don't know.
So I see you venture into Mezcal and do a lot of different Mezcals. Do you.
[00:20:04] Speaker B: Are.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: Are you a big Mezcal fan?
[00:20:06] Speaker B: Yeah. So over the last probably six to eight months, I've really started getting into not just Mezcals, but, you know, the macaronas, the rs, you know, even other agave distillates. Right. Just. There's so much variety out there. I was talking to someone about this last night. Now, when you get into these other varieties, the agaves are different. They're even different agaves. And it's just so interesting. So the profiles are so unique, right? And it's just like a whole nother world. But it's like a terrible world to be in because it's just so deep, and it's so. There's so much.
I mean, you know, I'm sure you've heard of, like, the Pachugas, where they're, you know, roasted a chicken and vegetable during fermentation. And, you know, I mean. I mean, there's just so much stuff, and it's just so interesting. It's not all. I don't I don't like all of it, but it's just. It's really a broad word.
[00:20:57] Speaker A: I find it incredibly interesting, the ones that are just so smoke forward that I'm not a big fan. Like, you know, the ancestral, you know, Sambira valleys, you know, that's kind of smoke to it, but it's not this overbearing, and I do like that. And I found a couple of Mezcals that have that kind of smoke in the back, agave in the forward, and, you know, still of citrus and a floral, and then you kind of get that smoke in the finish. I do like those, but those are kind of harder for me to find.
[00:21:28] Speaker B: Yeah, and it is tough. Typically, a good Mezcal is not going to have you having that smoke up front, but, you know, it just depends, right? I've had some really cheap Mezcal. Those are usually the smokiest ones.
[00:21:40] Speaker A: Right.
[00:21:41] Speaker B: You know, then, you know, you get into brands, you know, that are well known or small batch, where it's like 200 bottles per, you know, for. For, you know, a batch or a lot, you know, and it's like you're paying 100 and some bucks a bottle, but you're drinking something that's, you know, agave special. It's right there in the set, front and center, you know, And I always try to stay away from the espadine just because it's kind of basic. So I always try to go like the other varieties. That's just me, though. I mean, I find it interesting, you know, to try the other varieties.
[00:22:11] Speaker A: Yeah, it's something that. I haven't ventured that direction all the way. But, like, if I'm at a bar and the bartender actually knows stuff, then I'll ask and, you know, then we'll have a good conversation. I've had a couple of really good mezcals that way. And I did have a really good Sotol.
Not an agave spirit, but, you know, a northern Mexico spirit.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: And I have some sotols, too. They're good.
[00:22:33] Speaker A: Yeah, I was. It's the one with the little. It has like a little guy and the Soto plant, the desert spoon plants like his hair. And he has a hat on. He's got a green face. It's a really cool bottle.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: And I know what you're talking about. I just don't know what it is.
[00:22:45] Speaker A: Yeah, it was really good. And I thought, okay, well. And of course, he. He served it to me in.
You said jakara. Is that how you say the little bowl that you drink?
[00:22:55] Speaker B: Mezcal it's something like that. I can't remember the pronunciation, but, yeah, it's like. It's cara. I can't. Yeah, yeah.
[00:23:03] Speaker A: So he served it in that.
[00:23:05] Speaker B: In the comment section somewhere.
[00:23:06] Speaker A: Someone will. Every time. Yeah. My friend Johnny, who's from Jalisco, is at a. One of my favorite bars that we go to. He actually hooked us up when we were going to Tequila. He's like, here's the ambassador for El Tequilino. Here's the person you want to talk to. Like, it was a great hookup, so I've gotten to try some of those. So I haven't. I'm. I'm still loving the Tequila world as my primary.
[00:23:29] Speaker B: Yeah. Still my primary. Truth.
[00:23:32] Speaker A: Well, I really appreciate you doing this, Brad. I think this make a great video, so I appreciate you taking your time. And please keep putting out great content because I love watching.
[00:23:41] Speaker B: I will. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
[00:23:44] Speaker A: No worries. Thanks, man.
[00:23:45] Speaker B: All right. Thank you. Have a good one.
[00:23:47] Speaker A: You too. Cheers.
