Tasting Tequila with Brad

Best Tequila Brands for Every Back Bar? | Must-Have Tequila Picks If you're opening a tequila bar or building an agave-focused restaurant, what tequila brands should be on your back bar? In this video, I share the tequila brands I believe every serious back bar should consider. We discuss additive-free favorites including Fortaleza, G4, Ocho, Cascahuín, Don Fulano, Siempre, Lost Lore, Zumbador, Ch...

Desolas Blanco vs Reposado Review | Can Low-Smoke Mezcal Change Your Mind? Is Desolas Mezcal changing the way people think about mezcal? In this review, I take a deep dive into both the Desolas Blanco and Desolas Reposado, a unique low-smoke mezcal crafted from 100% Salmiana agave in San Luis Potosí, Mexico (AAMA 178). Unlike traditional mezcals that are cooked in underground earthen pits, Desolas...

Espíritu Bramido Master Distiller Interview | Can Chapala Make Great Tequila? Can a new tequila region change the future of additive-free tequila? In this exclusive interview, I sit down with 29-year-old Master Distiller Oswaldo González of Tequila Espíritu Bramido to discuss how he's creating one of the most exciting new additive-free tequilas in Mexico. Oswaldo shares the story behind Espíritu B...

Arette x The Tequila Report Single Barrel Reposado Review | Is It Worth Buying? Is this the most unique Arette ever bottled? Today, I take a deep dive into the Arette x The Tequila Report Single Barrel Reposado, a limited-edition release with only 258 bottles produced. Crafted at El Llano Distillery (NOM 1109) by the Orendain family, this special reposado was aged for just under five months in a N...

Chamucos Extra Añejo Cask Strength Review | Is It Worth Buying? Is Chamucos Extra Añejo Cask Strength (88.8 Proof) worth buying? In this review, I take a deep dive into Chamucos Extra Añejo Cask Strength, an additive-free tequila produced at NOM 1586 Casa de Piedra. We explore the history of Chamucos, its traditional production methods, and the unique blend of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old Extra Añejo te...

Casa Azul Orgánico Tequila Blanco Review | Is It Worth Buying? Is Casa Azul Orgánico Tequila Blanco worth buying? In this review, I take an in-depth look at Casa Azul Orgánico Tequila Blanco, an additive-free, USDA Certified Organic tequila now produced at NOM 1646 (Destiladora La Roca). We discuss why founder Lance Collins, known for building brands like Fuze, CORE Hydration, and BodyArmor, enter...

Xoloitzcuintle Extra Añejo | French White Oak vs American White Oak Tequila Review Can French White Oak and American White Oak create completely different Extra Añejo tequilas? In this review, I compare two rare Xoloitzcuintle Extra Añejo Tequilas produced at NOM 1545. One is the French White Oak Cask Strength Extra Añejo (54.73% ABV), while the other is the American White Oak Single Barrel Extra...

Acrónimo Sotol Blanco Review | Traditional Sotol from Chihuahua What makes sotol one of Mexico's most exciting emerging spirits? In this review, Brad explores Acrónimo Sotol Blanco, a traditional, family-owned, female-led spirit produced at Casa Inspiración in Aldama, Chihuahua by fourth-generation Maestro Sotolero Gerardo Ruelas. Using a unique blend of Cedrosanum and Wheeleri Dasylirion species,...

Mezcal Vago Elote Review | The Most Unique Artisanal Mezcal? Is Mezcal Vago Elote one of the most unique artisanal mezcals ever made? In this comprehensive review, Brad explores Mezcal Vago Elote, an exceptional artisanal mezcal produced in Oaxaca using traditional methods passed down through generations. Learn how 100% Espadín agave is roasted in an underground pit oven, crushed with a tahona, na...

Jimmy Villalobos Sauza Interview | Tequila Production & Fermentation What truly creates flavor in tequila? In this exclusive interview, Brad Niccum sits down with fifth-generation tequila producer and master distiller Jimmy Villalobos Sauza for an in-depth conversation covering tequila production, sensory analysis, fermentation, Tahona vs. Roller Mill extraction, and the science behind what cr...

Música Techno Plata Reserva High Proof Review | Can Music Change Tequila? Can music actually influence the way tequila tastes? In this review, we explore the limited-edition Música Techno Plata Reserva High Proof Tequila, an additive-free tequila handcrafted at NOM 1598 in the Valley of Jalisco, Mexico. Brad shares insights from his conversation with Música Tequila founder Chris, discussing the br...

Astral Tequila Blanco Review | Original NOM 1137 vs New NOM 1607 | Is It Still Worth Buying? What happens when an artisanal tequila brand is acquired by one of the world's largest spirits companies? Does the tequila improve, stay the same, or lose what made it special? In this video, we compare two generations of Astral Tequila Blanco side by side—the original NOM 1137 release and the newer NOM 16...

Poral Mexican Coffee Liqueur Review | Real Coffee Meets Cambio Tequila Most coffee liqueurs are loaded with sugar. Poral Mexican Coffee Liqueur takes a completely different approach by combining authentic coffee with premium tequila instead of overwhelming sweetness. In this review, we're taking a closer look at Poral Mexican Coffee Liqueur, created by the team behind Cambio Tequila, to find out w...

El Tesoro Mundial Collection | Basil Hayden Toast Edition I found this **El Tesoro Mundial Collection – Basil Hayden Toast Edition** sitting on a clearance rack at a local liquor store in Indianapolis, and today we're going to taste it and talk about the entire **Mundial Collection**. This limited release is made at **La Alteña Distillery NOM 1139** and is part of the Mundial Collection, a series...

Tierra de Ensueño Batch 9 Blanco | 50 Days in Weller Bourbon Barrels What does Weller Special Reserve and Tierra de Ensueño Batch 9  Blanco have in common? In this video, we talk about why Master Distiller Sergio Cruz and Master Blender Oscar Vázquez Camarena rested this Blanco 50 Days in Weller Bourbon Barrels, why it still drinks like a Blanco, and what makes Batch 9 unique. Topics in this video...

Why Is It So Hard to Find High Proof Tequila? | More Flavor, Not More Burn Why is it so hard to find **High Proof Tequila**? In this video, we explore why high proof tequila is still difficult to find in many liquor stores and why so many store owners say it "just doesn't sell." We discuss why many people assume higher proof means more burn, while experienced tequila enthusiasts, bartenders, and l...

Highland vs Valley Tequila Blind Test… Can You Tell the Difference? What if you had four glasses of agave spirits in front of you... and one of them wasn't even tequila? In today's blind tasting, I'm comparing four incredible agave spirits to see if I can actually identify where they're made based only on aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and finish. Today's lineup includes: Fortaleza Blanco (Lowlands/Val...

Cascahuin Single Barrel Reposado Review | Is This Private Barrel Pick Worth Hunting? What if the best tequila you'll ever taste is one you'll never be able to buy again? In today's review, I'm tasting an exclusive **Cascahuin Single Barrel Reposado**, specially selected by **High Spirits in Evansville, Indiana**. This private barrel selection was aged for **10 months in American Oak**, bottled at...

The Tequila That Started My Journey! | El Viejito Plata 50 Review (50% ABV) | NOM 1107 What if one tequila completely changed the way you looked at tequila forever? In this review, I take a deep dive into El Viejito Plata 50, a 50% ABV high-proof tequila produced at NOM 1107—the very distillery that started my tequila journey over 20 years ago. We'll explore the complete production process includi...

Which Gold Medal Añejo Tequila Wins Blind? | Solo Blind Challenge Can a brand-new Gold Medal winner beat some of my favorite añejo tequilas in a completely blind tasting? In this episode of the Solo Blind Series, I'm putting four Agavos Gold Medal-winning añejo tequilas head-to-head without knowing which is in the glass. Featured Tequilas: Insolito Añejo Pedro Furtivo Añejo Authentico Organic Añej...

Can House of Rare Make a Great Everyday Reposado? Can a brand known for limited releases and collector bottles create a great everyday sipping tequila? Today we're reviewing the House of Rare Reposado, the brand's core expression, and comparing it to the highly acclaimed House of Rare Cascahuín collaboration. Both tequilas spend 6 months aging in PX Sherry barrels, but there are some important dif...

Why Stills Matter More Than You Think in Tequila Production What if the biggest factor affecting tequila flavor isn't the agave, the ovens, or even the fermentation? In this episode, we dive deep into one of the most overlooked parts of tequila production: the still. Using the incredible Cambio Cellar Series No. 9 Still Strength Tequila as our tasting companion, we'll explore how different types o...

Can I Identify These Tequila Aromas Blind? | Train My Tequila Nose Welcome back to another episode of Train My Tequila Nose! In this blind aroma challenge, my wife selected three mystery aromas from the Wine Savant Nosing Kit and covered the labels. My challenge? Identify each aroma by smell alone and then see if I can find those same notes in two incredible tequilas: Nueve Uno Repo Deep and Inspi...

Cazcanes Nuestras Raíces Batch 2 Review | Can They Follow a Perfect 100-Point Spirit? Last year, Cazcanes Nuestras Raíces Batch 1 made history by becoming the first distilled spirit ever to receive a perfect 100-point score. That achievement created an enormous challenge: how do you follow perfection? In this review, we take a deep dive into Cazcanes Nuestras Raíces Batch 2, an extraordinary Desti...