Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] This tequila is not 100% agave yet. It's one of the most respected bottles in Mexico today. I'm breaking down this mixto and how it is made and why you should stop ignoring it. Today we're talking about El Tecaleno Blanco mixto. Now, the only way you know this is a mixto is when you look at the bottle, it doesn't say 100% D' Agave anywhere.
[00:00:26] So that way you know this is not 100% blue Weber agave. Now look, not all mixtures are created equal. And this one here, this is a great tasting blanco. We're going to talk about why. Let's start here with El Tech Eleno's Platinum Blanco. The difference between these two tequilas is really only one piece. Their production method is the same all the way up until the sugar flavor from another source is added into the mixto. 100% blue ever agave. It means all of the formidable sugars came from a blue Weber agave plant. What a mixto is, and the difference is it can use 51% agave sugars and then the rest of it can be whatever kind of sugar the producer wants to put in it. El Tecaleno Blanco Mixto is 70% blue agave and 30% refined cane sugar. And they rest this for 14 days in American oak. They're not using some industrial corn syrup. This is an old school Mexican production designed for balance, texture, and it's great in cocktails. It also reduces the price of the tequila because they're using a cheaper sugar. So you can sell this at a much lower price. And it doesn't thin the taste or make it sharp or make it taste artificial. Now I'm going to throw a video on the screen. What I want you to see is the point where this tequila becomes different this than 100% the agave. You'll notice that they're great cooked agaves that they're using. The agaves all come from the highlands. They're cooked in an autoclave. So you can see that the cooked agave is cooked the right way in the autoclave. Then it's ran through El Techileno's regular roller mill. And all of the juices that come from the autoclave, as it's cooking, those honeys are going into this pot, this big tub that you're seeing now. And then also all of the juices from the roller mill go into that same tube jug or same tank. And you'll see at this point, there's a tank on the backside of the wall where they're matting these big bags of the sugar, it's like a brown sugar. And they're mixing that into some liquid and then they're going to pull the trigger and you're going to see that actual mixed sugars be added to the mixed dough. And for at El Tecaleno, it's really important for them to make sure that they're putting in the correct percentage, leaving the agave at that 70%. From there, that must go into the same fermentation tanks that you see here. These tanks have, you know, regular blanco sitting in them. And certain tanks are the mixto blanco waiting to ferment. And then they're going to go to these stills and you will see Eltechilanias having a brand new copper still installed. Same still is going to make this tequila as it makes the regular 100% blue agave tequila as well. Okay, now that you've seen some of the production method, let's taste this bad boy. And I will say this is one of the only mixtos that I'll drink on the nose. You get cooked agave, you get green apple, a little lime peel, some white pepper, and there's just a hint of mint and a little hint of vanilla. Okay, let's taste it. It's sweet, it's earthy, it's agave forward, some nice black pepper and anise. There's a subtle oak softness in there as well. And I guess that's from that really short barrel rest. The finish itself is medium in length. It's peppery, it's slightly minty, it's very clean. And it's not as like agave forward in the finish as what their regular platinum is, but it's very tasty. One of the things that you'll notice in the finish and the texture of this mix dough compared to others is this one has a little more viscosity and it's, it's a little bit creamy, which is kind of rare to find in a mixto at this price point. This tequila is kind of famous for a drink called La Batanga. The Batanga is this blanco mixo with some fresh lime, real Mexican coke and a salted rim. And it's one of mine and one of my wife's favorite cocktails. Here's the truth. This mixto often outperforms some hundred percent agave tequilas. It holds up better than several that I've tasted. And this one is without additives, just the different sugars that are in there, the way they do the production of this tequila is intentional. And after just visiting the distillery last week and spending time walking through the distillery and watching how this is made, I'm glad that we were there on the day they were making this mixto. If you're going to judge it because it doesn't have 100% the agave on it, you're going to miss the big picture of this one. El Tecaleno Blanco mixto proves that tradition matters, context matters, and purpose matters. This one isn't a normal sipping tequila for me. I drink it in our Botangas. But as you've seen when I tasted it today, it is one that I can drink. It is beautifully made and it is budget friendly and it truly does deserve a little bit more respect than what this gets. If this changed how you think about mixedos, hit that like button. Subscribe Drop me a comment if you've had this tequila, tell me about it and tell me your thoughts. If you want more real tequila education, you're in the right place. You know, I say drink what you enjoy and I'm today enjoying this mixto. Thanks for watching.
