Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Is tequila anything like bourbon when it comes to complexity? Because bourbon drinkers love talking about the hundred tasty notes. Vanilla, caramel, oak, spice, leather, tobacco. So here's the real question. Can tequila be just as complex or maybe even more complex than bourbon? Let's talk about it. Look, bourbon's incredible. I've drank bourbon for a long time. You got the corn sweetness, the chard, oak, the barrel spice, caramelized sugars. And yes, you can get dozens of identical flavors over time. Time. But here's the key that most people don't realize. A huge percentage of bourbon's flavor comes from the barrel. The charred new American oak barrel does a lot of the heavy lifting. It brings you the caramel, the vanilla, the toffee, the baking spice, the smoke, the coconut. And that's not a knock. It makes bourbon great. Tequila just plays a little different game. Think about it. Tequila's complexity starts before the wood. And that makes a big difference. Agave is not a grain. It takes six to 10 years to mature, absorbs minerals from the earth and the soil expresses the terroir in many ways that bourbon can't. And that's why I put a blanco up here. This is a tequila that'll rival these two bourbons. And it has not been in a barrel. Two agaves grown different altitudes, different soil, different rainfall will taste completely different before fermentation ever begins. That's already a complexity that bourbon doesn't have with its raw material level. And tequila builds complexity in layers. Cooking method, a brick oven gives a deep cooked agave sweetness. Autoclaves give you a brighter, sharper notes. Fermentation changes a lot too. Wild yeast based on terroir, controlled yeast, open air, all of those things can change the way that tequila is going to taste. That's where you get the fruit, the florals, the funk, the lactic notes, those herbal notes. Distillation can be different as well. Copper pots versus stainless steel pots that have copper coils. That's going to change the mouthfeel, the spice. Those cutting points are going to change richness in the heat. Still, string high proof blancos carry far more aroma compounds similar to a barrel proof bourbon. And here's the kicker. It all happens without the oak. So when people say tequila is simple, that usually means they've only had mass marketed diffuser style tequila. Now let's be honest. Chemically with bourbon and tequila contain hundreds of flavors and aroma compounds. Sensory wise, most bourbon drinkers detect 10 to 25 notes. Most tequila drinkers get 8 to 20 notes. Elite tasters can push that to 30 or 40 notes. So no, neither spirit has more than 100 tasty notes at once. But tequila can absolutely match bourbon's complexity. It's just expressed differently. Bourbon complexity is barrel driven. Tequila complexity is agave process driven. And when tequila hits the oak, reposados, anejos and extra anejos, now you're stacking agave complexity on top of barrel influence and that's where this gets really interesting. If you love bourbon, tequila offers something bourbon can't a single plant spirit terroir. You can take split complexity without sweetness overload, still strength expressions that rival barrel proof bourbons and a flavor profile that evolves in ways grain spirits don't. Start with clean free blancos, high proof and still strength tequilas traditionally made reposados. Don't shoot it. Don't mix it. Sip it like you would a good bourbon, you might be surprised how familiar, how different it really feels. If you're a bourbon drinker that's looking for great tequila information to find out what tequilas you should drink first, hit that subscribe button, that like button and put in the comments what you would like to know and I can give you some recommendations. If you're a bourbon drinker who's been curious about tequila, this is your sign. Drop a comment if you've crossed over from bourbon to tequila or you're just thinking about it. If you want honest tequila reviews or deep dives or conversations with people who actually like this stuff, stick around because tequila deserves a seat at a serious spirit table. Cheers.
