By
George Brozowski
I
must
be getting jaded, calloused and corrupted in my old age and
to top it off I hadn't really even noticed that transition
from an open minded inquisitive person to a closed minded
subjective jerk. Now that may seem like a brutal self assessment
so let me put forth the following example.
I
have been receiving bottles of booze for years for reviews
and have concluded, and not necessarily correctly all the
time, that the more fancy pants and expensive the bottle and
packaging and the higher the price, the better the booze is
supposed to be. Well, that's true about half the time. As
a matter of fact, I have tasted some extremely expensive hooch
encased in bottles hand crafted of Swarovski crystal and finished
in gold trim that tasted like overpriced skunk urine. Now,
it's not that I've had much experience in drinking skunk urine
but I have certainly experienced my fair share of the stink
of skunk road kill, and I have a fertile imagination and an
acute nose, and it doesn't take much for me to jump to wild
and improbable if not impossible conclusions.
Once
hooch begins to encroach upon that hundred dollar price point
and even exceeds it to float around, at or above a thousand
dollars my red flags start flying. My nose gets bent out of
shape and the short hairs on the back of my neck stand up
and my mind narrows and my attitude gets surly and I make
doubting Thomas look like he never doubted anything.
All
that being said, please don't get me totally wrong as I have
had the rare privilege of tasting spirits that were definitely
worth $100.00 or even several hundreds of dollars not to mention
certain wines that were worth every penny of $200.00 or more.
Although I believe that rarity and scarcity played as much
a factor in the pricing as the taste.
The
winner take all of packaging and marketing and over blown
pricing is Russian Russo-Baltique Vodka which costs $1.3 million
dollars, and yes, that's for just one 750 ml. bottle. Of course,
there's a lot of gold and a free SUV involved in the package.
You get an SUV on steroids called the Diamond or L4P included
in that price. The actual packaging consists of a 20-pound
case made of solid gold. As far as I know, no one has ever
tasted and reviewed the Vodka. I would like to volunteer to
be the first to taste drive their vodka and they don't need
to send me the SUV but the packaging would be greatly appreciated.
So
that was what started to go through my mind as these two bottles
of Clase Azul Tequila arrived at my desk. They came in some
of the fanciest bottles I have ever seen. I mean they were
works of art. They were formed in swooping curves and pinches
and stamped with designs and one was even hand painted. It's
called a "Talavera" style bottle and it is unique
in its shape and beautiful in its design. Every bottle is
handcrafted by local Mexican artists.
I
jumped on the computer and quickly discovered that the Plata,
silver Tequila sold for about $70.00 per 750 ml. bottle while
the golden hued Reposado Ultra Premium sold for between $80.00
to $100.00 per 750 ml. bottle. They also produce an extra
exclusive Ultra that that retails for $1,699.99 but they didn't
send me a taste so I won't be getting into that one although
I sure would like to!! Before I even get to tasting this stuff,
let's go check out their history and hype.
Clase
Azul is an ultra premium, 100% Weber Blue Agave Tequila.
It's produced and bottled in the Jesus Maria region of Arandas,
Jalisco, and the Ultra Premium Reposado is
aged for a minimum of 5 years in heavily charred, sherry oak
casks. This ultra-premium Tequila is produced in limited quantity
of no more than 100 bottles per production run.
Mature,
certified organic agaves are baked in stone ovens ("hornos")
for three days before being slowly fermented with a proprietary
strain of yeast. The 100% agave Tequila is double-distilled
in small batches in a copper alembic still, and the water
goes through a five-step refining process before marrying
with the tequila. The spirit is filtered three times before
entering the bottle and being reduced to 80 proof.
Tequila
Plata
Enough talk, let's taste this hooch. The Plata has a full,
oily complex yet soft and smooth aroma. It is full of tender
Agave fragrance and hints of vanilla but there is something
more interesting going on in the background. There is a trace
of terroir and char and sweet wine that combines with the
agave and vanilla that turns this nose into one of the most
inviting and unique of any Tequila I have inhaled.
A
small dram poured from my snifter settles upon my palate and
allows me to taste just a hint of the vegetative agave and
even when swirling it around my mouth it continues to just
tease my palate with subtle flavors. But it's when I finally
swallow that the fireworks of taste go off and I mean that
in the spirit of joy and awe that a 5 year old child experiences
when first seeing a huge 4th of July display live, up close
and personal for the very first time. OMG!! The agave and
vanilla come into focus, a pleasant peppery spice tingles
all my senses; the body of the liquid is oily and thick and
creamy and coats my mouth with pleasure; there's an underlying
sweetness and all this goodness is tied up nicely in a little
taste package that is the most pleasant representation of
what quality Tequila should be all about.
The
finish is, of course, smooth and flavorful and long lasting
not just in the back of the throat but upon the full palate.
The agave lingers as does the sweetness and the wonderful
oiliness. Only a great cigar and wild sex could make this
experience better. Actually, I take that back, not wild sex
but prolonged, intimate, warm, tasty, cultivated, insanely
titillating and possibly 50 shades of gray sex and a great
cigar is what I really meant to say. This Tequila is some
really-really good hooch and I mean it.
WOW
if the silver, un-aged, Plata is that good I can't wait to
see what the aged Reposado Ultra Premium tastes like?!?!?
Initial
sniff of the Reposado indicates a touch of oakiness added
to the agave and vanilla although the Plata was more distinct
and dare I say more dramatic. The Reposado nose is muddled
with the aromas mixing and playing nicely together apparently
because they are more homogenized after spending years together
in close quarters in a damp dark place. The palate experience
is identical to the Plata in that it starts out smooth and
slow and subdued although a bit more oaky and smoky. The swallow
is smooooother with a few less big bangs but still with enough
skyrockets to make the moment memorable. The finish is long
and smoky and smooth as it should be - even a bit Scotch like
but with the agave still front and center, definitely another
really wonderful sipper.
Tequila
Reposado
These are both Ultra Premium taste treats that deserve the
hype and the price point. This is expensive Tequila, but it
is worth it because you will not experience these delights
with less care, cheaper ingredients or cut corners. And yes,
the bottles are beautiful but all the love and attention to
detail did not just go into the bottles; it went into what's
inside the bottles. Buy these and set them aside for special
occasions and drink them from snifters straight up for maximum
enjoyment. Do not use ice. Do not use other ingredients. Do
not use mixes. Do not use exotic fruits or vegetables. Do
not use a straw. Do not include other spirits. Lock the door
to your library so you won't be disturbed, fire up a great
cigar, sit back, put your feet up, turn off the cell phone,
turn off the TV, turn off the computer, kick anyone not drinking
and smoking with you out of the room and finally you just
might really be able to appreciate this wonderful tequila.
ENJOY!!
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