Cuervo Especial Oro (Gold Cuervo)

[Gillman]

I am sipping this as I write. Before tasting this, the sum total of my experience with tequila was a sip each of Patron Silver and Patron Anejo, two sips of 4 Copas, and one or two Margaritas and Sunrises here and there over the years made with I don't know what.

First, the nose: it is evidently of tequila but there are also notes of perfume and smoke. Very nice.

The taste: sweetish and rich with a clear undertone of agave. No doubt this is sweetened with something and also I can taste the more neutral spirit underlying the tequila (it is kind of a vodka-like taste) but withal the taste is very much tequila, very "Mexico".

Aftertaste: herbal notes echoing on the palate.

Very good to drink straight, I can see how people shoot this, it is perfect for that. I find this an expertly blended product, better than the one I confected the other day from the South African "tequila". I think I can get closer to this Cuervo, by adding some sugar syrup and perhaps vodka instead of white rum to mix, or a better rum than I used.

This Cuervo Especial Oro is very good, a fine example of the blender's art.

These blenders know what they are doing.

Gary

[Gillman]

I picked up also Sauza Tequila Gold, to compare to the others I've tried.

I find this quite dry, I doubt any sweetening is added whereas Cuervo Especial Oro seems clearly sweetened with something. However the nose and taste of Sauza seem less fine to me than that of Cuervo. I wonder if more blue agave gets into the Cuervo blend than for Sauza. In fact the Sauza seems closer to me in palate to the South African Agava then to either Cuervo Oro or 4 Copas. The 4 Copas is in a different league but it also costs about double what the others do. Each is good and reasonable value, and I can see each suiting a particular market.

Gary

[Frodo]

I think there's something called "El Toro" - NGS with agave flavouring that can be found at the LCBO for about $22. As long as you are trying the value brands...