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Tequilas we tasted on TODAY:
Asombroso: Located in Tala, Mexico, Asombroso tequilas are aged seven to 10 years from 100 percent blue agave plants.
El Platino (Silver): Old fashioned methods using state of the art modern technology; prepared with only the best hand selected agave plants. Best served neat and chilled or as the basis for many mixed drinks.
$39.00 to $43.00
La Rosa Reposado: World's first tequila aged three months in French Oak barrels once used for vintage Bordeaux wine. Pink hue color due to the influence of the barrels. Best served neat and chilled in a snifter or in a martini.
Aged three months: $43 to $48.00; aged 11 months: $48 to $55
Añejo: Extra aged at least five years in French Oak casks. Comparable to an aged cognac or Armagnac. Smooth and mellow, sipping tequila. Best served at or below room temperature in a snifter. Named "Best of the Best" by the prestigious Robb Report.
$189.00 to $210.00
Don Julio: In 1942, Don Julio Gonzalez opened his first distillery, La Primavera, in a little town called Atotonilco, and began producing the most prestigious tequila brand in Mexico. Tequila Don Julio is made from 100 percent pure blue agave plants grown in Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco — the country’s most exclusive agave-growing region. Each plant matures for seven to ten years, longer than the legal standard, to deliver a more mellow, fully developed agave flavor.
- Don Julio Blanco: Light, clean and dry, with a touch of black pepper. Nose of fresh agave. Serve over ice or as essential margarita ingredient.
$40 - Don Julio Reposado: Rested in oak barrels for up to 11 months. Light and sweet with nose of vanilla and chocolate. Silky and smooth profile with slight hints of dark chocolate. Refreshing over ice or with citrus soda as a La Paloma Suprema.
$45 - Don Julio Añejo: Rested in oak barrels for over a year to impart a golden hue, with nose of lime, grapefruit and mandarin. Smooth and rich with a touch of wild honey. Savor neat or over ice.
$55
Patrón: In 1989 two visionaries, Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder, John Paul DeJoria and entrepreneur Martin Crowley formed The Patrón Spirits Company with the singular goal of producing “the best tequila in the world”. They took the100% pure Waeber blue agave, grown in the hills of Jalisco Mexico, and blended traditional techniques with modern technology. They created the world’s first ultra-premium tequila. Under the stewardship of DeJoria and former Seagram executive Ed Brown, a new distilling factory was built in Jalisco. With the guidance of the renown master distiller Francisco Alcarez, the new factory was designed to be state-of-the-art with a core steeped in tradition.
- Gran Patrón Platinum (80 proof): This starts with hand selecting the most exceptional agave plants from the harvest, meticulously removing any leftover sprouts to eliminate any bitterness before baking. This ultra-smooth silver tequila is triple distilled, aged for a limited time, and then blended to create the finest sipping tequila in the world. The handmade Gran Patrón Platinum etched crystal bottle comes in a handcrafted maple wood box.
$199.00 - Patrón Silver (80 proof): This is a crystal clear, pure ultra-premium tequila. This soft and light tequila is characterized by a fresh, smooth taste, without the flavor of oak. Delicious neat or on the rocks, Patrón Silver is also a perfect ingredient in a mixed cocktail or margarita.
$42.99 - Patrón Añejo (80 proof): This is a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas, all aged in small whiteoak barrels for a minimum of 12 months. Similar to winemaking, each vintage of Patrón Añejo is carefully blended to produce a smooth and distinctive-tasting tequila. $52.99
- Patrón Reposado (80 proof): Aged in oak barrels for an average of six months, Patrón Reposado is blended to combine the fresh clean taste of Patrón Silver with a hint of the oak flavor found in Patrón Añejo. Excellent as a sipping tequila, Patrón Reposado is also a key ingredient in an ultra-premium margarita or tequila cocktail.
$46.99
Frida Kahlo: Mexico's most famous female artist and style icon, Frida Kahlo, is the inspiration for a new super premium tequila, Frida Kahlo Tequila. Frida Kahlo Tequila is made from 100% pure blue agave and hand-crafted to the highest standards. Frida Kahlo Tequila is made in Jesus Maria, in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
- Frida Kahlo Tequila Blanco is naturally fermented for up to four days; the agave juices are then double-distilled in antique copper stills and bottled un-aged. The result is a smooth, super-premium tequila that mixes perfectly with your favorite drink.
$46.99 - Frida Kahlo Tequila Reposado is aged after fermentation in American Oak casks for six to nine months before bottling. The result is a smooth, super-premium tequila to enjoy by itself or mixed in a cocktail.
$54.99 - Frida Kahlo Tequila Añejo is aged after fermentation in American Oak casks for at least three years before bottling. The result is exquisitely smooth, super-premium tequila that, like a fine cognac, is meant to be sipped and savored.
$90
Trago Tequila is produced at the Los Alambiques Distillery, located in the higher altitude of the Arandas region in Central Mexico. Los Alambiques is owned and operated by Felipe Camarena, son of the famous Don Felipe, who is known and revered throughout the world as "the Father of Tequila." The Camarena family has been producing tequila for over 150 years.
- Trago Silver: Crystal clear, smooth, clean agave taste. Trago Silver has a little spicy, smoky taste which is identifiable amongst tequila connoisseurs as pure agave flavor. The nose has a hint of pepper, citrus, mint and herbal aromas. The taste has the full bodied agave flavor that makes it the perfect base for any cocktail such as a margarita, a mojito or a martini.
$49.95 to $54.95 - Trago Reposado: Rested for four months in American oak barrels for smoothness. It still has a full agave flavor but sweetened with the subtle tones of vanilla and caramel that comes from the oak. Its color is slightly yellow. The palate is very smooth and well rounded with a long lasting finish. Ideal to make a top-shelf margaritas, enjoying on the rocks, or just to sip and savor, neat or in a snifter.
$56.95 to $62.95 - Trago Anejo: This 100% agave tequila is aged for 18 months in used bourbon American Oak barrels. Medium-brown with orange-golden color attributed to the aging; to the nose hints of vanilla, maple and almond aromas together with an undeniable smoke-peppery smell that comes from the agave plant. To the palate it is even better; having the full agave flavor surrounded by caramel, vanilla, chocolate, nuts and almond flavors which comes from the tannins of the oak. The finish is long lasting and the after-taste is still awesome; over 20 minutes after you drink the Anejo, you still will experience the agave "oaky" flavor in the back of your palate. There is only one word to describe Trago Anejo Tequila: unforgettable.
$64.95 to $69.95
And by the way ... about "that worm" ... it's an invention of Hollywood! Tequila never contains a worm. Mezcal is another spirit made from agave plants other than the blue agave, and is distilled only once. A worm (white worms are more desirable than red ones) is placed in the bottle because the worm actually feeds off the agave plant and contains a concentrated essence of the plant and enhances the flavor.
And of course, drink responsibly and never over indulge. Over consumption of any alcohol has been linked to many safety and health problems.
Phil Lempert is food editor of the “Today” show. He welcomes questions and comments, which can be sent to phil.lempert@nbc.com or by using the mail box below. For more about the latest trends on the supermarket shelves, visit Phil’s Web site at SuperMarketGuru.com.
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