Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] All right. This is a bottle that if you know, you know, today we're going to talk about tapatio anejo out of the La Atena distillery and Arronda Salisco. Yeah. And before we get into the glass, please notice this bottle. This bottle is the old school bottle. It's got the great dancers in the glass.
[00:00:19] It is going to change. There's a new bottle coming out. It's more modern. It has more of a classic feel. It makes the tequila look like it's probably a little more luxury or elegant. It's. Here's the thing to keep in mind, though. Even though the twist top is going away and we're going to see a label that's a little more luxurious, the tequila inside is going to stay the same. And that's what's important, because this is a staple that everybody should have on their shelf. This tequila is certified additive free. But the thing for me is not about additives as much as it is about the traditional way that it's made. This is also aged for 18 months in used American bourbon barrels. So you get that aging influence. But if you look at that color, it's not going to bury the taste of the agave. We're talking brick ovens, slow cooking, roller mill extraction, and the tohono. So they do a blending. You get that efficiency and the texture of the tona. All open air fermentation in wooden vats. And they put the fibers from the tona in these bags like tea bags, and they float them in that fermentation. So now you're getting some fermentation with fibers. They're using a proprietary yeast that they've been using for absolute decades. Copper pot stills, double distilled. Man, they are doing it the right way, and they are doing it right. And now that it's been handed over to Ginny Camarena from Carlos Camarena, just know that that family tradition stays, remains, and the Camarena family is in charge. This is one of my favorite tequilas from the old school days. That has continued to stay old school. All right, let's get into it right away. This great cooked agave, this really nice vegetal note. And I get this really nice, almost petrichor. So you get this really nice earthy note that's there. And I want to say that vegetable note to me is almost like green pepper. When you're ripping open a green pepper to chop it up, that is the vegetable note that's in here, that it's a great nose. Let's let's dive into the taste. Okay. This is really nice. I got great cooked agave. There's almost like a toasted oak taste there. It's not too sweet. It has just the right amount of, like, agave sweetness in the middle. There's a little bit of a citrus pop. I'm going to say that's like a lime or just lime zest. There's a nice little black pepper note that comes in there. That vegetal and earthy note is there. Not quite the green pepper that I got in the nose, but I definitely pick up that earthy minerality. It has a great mouth feel. And as an anejo, I gotta say, I'm not picking up like, these strong woody or caramel notes. There's just like a little hint of oak, like a little hint of barrel, and a nice little touch of vanilla. The finish itself hangs on. That's where I pick up more of that vanilla. It shifts to a little bit of a spicy and a little bit of an earthy note. There is a little bit of a type of vegetal minerality in the finish that I like. This one evolves. This evolves nicely. This. This is why there's only this much in the bottle. And I always have tapatio. You'll always find them over my shoulder. These are the reasons why this tequila is a cult favorite. And I. I do believe a lot of us, like hardcore Tapatio fans, are sad to see the label go. A lot of aged tequilas that maintain this huge agave flavor are hard to find. It's what I love about the Camarena family. They go back legacies of creating this aged tequila. Keeping the agave flavor of tequila in the forefront. Now, led by Ginny, Camarena carrying on what Don Felipe Camarena started all the way back in 1937. If you're a tequila purist, this is right in your lane. If you're coming from whiskey, this is a great bridge. You get a little bit of those barrel notes, but you really get more agave character and what tequila really tastes like. Here's a kicker on this one. This is also a value find. You're finding this anywhere from $45 to 65 DOL as an Anejo. Also in Indiana, you can find this tequila at many places, including the total wines. It's one that if you find it, buy it. New look on the new bottles, same DNA.
[00:04:07] And this is a great example for me what an anejo is supposed to taste like when you don't lose the agave in the process. Tapatio is one to keep on your shelf. Let me know in the comments what you think of Tapatio and if you have Tapatio on Nyjo. Also, let me know what you think of the new labels and the new bottles that are coming out. Are you excited for him or are you a little sad to see the old one go? Cheers. Hope you have a great night sipping on some Tapatio.
