The tequila was served in a shot glass & I sat outside on the decking above the mighty River Shannon to enjoy the contents, scenery & sunshine.
Nice smooth oily palate displaying an attractive richness of depth & flavour. Wholesome earthy agave with that signature peppery spice coming through on the finish.
Information on the web was scant – but it appears the brand went through a number of multi-national owners over the years.
Seagrams previously owned Don Julio, followed by Jose Cuervo – who gained Bushmills in a deal with Diageo when they in turn acquired full control of Don Julio in 2014.
My bottle is probably sometime before Diageo’s involvement with Don Julio – which began in 2003 – making this bottle around 20 years old!
There’s also odd labelling too.
It simply states ‘aged’.
No reposado or anejo.
Another indicator this predates the ‘Official Mexican Standards For Tequila‘ issued in 2005.
So I cracked it open to have a taste of tequila history!
Once it’s poured from the dumpy brown bottle a very pale yellowing colour presents itself.
What it’s aged in or for how long isn’t divulged – but from the colour it would probably come under the current reposado category.
There’s a lovely richness to the nose – classic earthy agave with a black pepper spice.
Very smooth in the mouth – oily too.
A growing warmth develops before leaving with that signature dry pepper spice which pleases my palate.
I don’t know about you – but I find the flavour variation within tequila to be narrower than that of whiskey.
Partly it’s due to all tequila being made with blue weber agave – rather than mixed mash-bills of barley ,rye, wheat & oats.
There are subtle differences – but often I find them hard to pick out unless on a back-to-back tasting.
Don Angel Tequila Blanco is a case in point.
I came across it in a hotel bar in Ayr.
Don Angel delivered all the classic 100% tequila signature flavours – pungent earthy agave nose, smooth & silky mouthfeel, prickly pepper spice on the rear – & was satisfying.
Perhaps just not as rich & warming as some I’ve had.
There’s scant information on the web for the brand – apart from it’s available widely.
An Amazon site suggested it’s a Diageo brand – which would explain the distribution – if not the obscurity of detail.
Distributors & brand builders Ankers Amsterdam Spirits have it listed on their site.
Having failed to photograph the bottle – which usually reveals additional data – Don Angel’s origins remain a bit of a mystery
I have a decision to make when reaching for Tequila.
Do I choose the influence of the raw materials used in production or the influence of wood in the maturation of that product?
Blue Agave is the raw material – 100% in this Corazón Tequila – but there are a few different production methods that can effect the taste – earthen pits vs brick ovens vs autoclave to cook the agave being some.
I didn’t check which method Corazón used before drinking & have yet to do a back to back taste test of all 3 methods to discern any resultant differences.
However I have done a back to back tasting of Blanco Tequila – unaged – vs Reposado – aged between 2 & 11 months – vs Anejo – aged for more than 1 year – and it does make a noticeable taste variation.
With Blanco it’s all about the agave. The rich earthy notes I love complimented by a spicy pepperiness on the finish usually topped off by an oily mouthfeel.
With Anejo those agave notes are somewhat diminished by the influence of wood. Oaky tannins, vanillas & caramel all make an appearance resulting in a softer more rounded drinking experience.
I begin to encounter flavours associated with aged whiskey – where it’s all about the wood – & therefore generally prefer Blanco.
That’s not to say Corazón Anejo isn’t a fine Tequila – it is.
Smooth & silky, those agave notes are blended expertly with warm woodiness building engaging flavours – but for an alternative to my usual whiskey tipple – Blanco is the way to go.
What’s your preference in a Tequila?
Sláinte
For an article on Tequila production methods read here.
Vegetal agave notes mix with stimulating spice on an engagingly long lasting finish.
Class.
Reposado, 55%
Quite a spirity nose.
Only when I got out the magnifying glass did I realise this one’s at a stonking 55%!
Not encountered that before in Tequila!
Sadly – on my palate – the higher ABV gave a mouth blowing experience accentuating the peppery spice at the expense of the more subtle yet alluring agave notes.
Glad to have tried it – but not for me.
Anejo, 40%
Back to a richer, fuller flavoured & rounder drinking experience at 40%.
Less spice, more vegetal agave with a topping of oakiness.
A juicy lip-smacking finish.
Nice.
Thoughts
As is my personal palate preference – Blanco wins out.
The richness & influence of the agave raw ingredients are at their most pronounced with Blanco.
The 55% Reposado is something unique – but detracted from the warm flavours for me.
Anejo was lovely & complex with barrel ageing – just not engaging enough for my palate.
KAH have produced an extremely attractively packaged trio of tasty tequila.
Many may find them gimmicky – but I think both the Mexican Skulls & the rich agave notes within demonstrate & celebrate the joyfully long heritage of Tequila making.
I’ve been enjoying AC/DC’s brand of rock from the mid 1970’s.
Bon Scott was the singer back then – for the last live shows Axel Rose was fronting – but Brian Johnson is back for their latest release – Power Up.
I’ve been enjoying Tequila ever since encountering it on a WSET course.
Exploring the different flavours & heritage of Mexican Tequila has expanded my knowledge & appreciation of distilled spirits.
Thunderstruck! c/othewhiskeynut
Combining music & drink together just seems natural – so sipping on Thunderstruck Tequila while strolling down memory lane listening to early AC/DC was a joyous interlude in an otherwise chaotic world.
Tequila is a highly regulated industry.
Have A Drink On Me! c/othewhiskeynut
It can only be made in certain areas of Mexico from blue agave – 100% in Thunderstruck’s case – and always shows the distillery of origin on the bottle – NOM 1472 here – allowing you to look up what other brands the distillery makes – over 20!
Thunderstruck comes in several varieties – I went for the Blanco – or unaged – looking for the influence of the raw ingredients on the distillation process. When you start maturing in wood – Reposado & Anejo – the cask influence can often impart flavours similar to that found in aged whiskey – and I was looking for something different.
Get It Hot c/othewhiskeynut
The bottle is suitably chunky & solid – much like the music.
The liquid is clear & colourless – as expected.
The nose is rich & pungent – redolent of agave – earthy with a touch of pepper on the back.
An oily mouth coating palate.
The peppery spice gradually bursts through – much like Angus strutting his heavy guitar solos from the solid back beat of the rhythm section.
This is no nonsense Tequila from a no nonsense rock band!
As it’s Day Of The Dead – I thought a Mexican Tequila would be in order to celebrate all those that have gone before.
Agavales Blanco c/othewhiskeynut
Part of my miniature haul purchased back at the start of the pandemic – Agavales Blanco is a 100% Agave from a distillery in Jalisco – NOM 1438 – that produces many brands.
Classic clear colourless blanco.
Prominent & pleasing agave pungency.
A tad soft & easy on the palate – which may reflect the 35% ABV.
Opens up on the finish with prickly peppery spice & an enlivening bite too!
WestmeathWhiskeyWorld 