BajaNomad - Sleeper Tequila's?

Sleeper Tequila's?

castaway$ - 5-2-2008 at 07:52 PM

We all know the high end $h** , anybody have suggestions for excellent tequila's that are bargain priced, and, unfortunatley available in the states cause I ain't gettin back to Baja till June.

woody with a view - 5-2-2008 at 08:21 PM

sauza hornitos :yes:

castaway$ - 5-2-2008 at 08:26 PM

Iv'e heard thats a good one, Reposado or Anejo?

castaway$ - 5-2-2008 at 08:29 PM

I really like the Tres Generaciones Sauza makes but they are a bit spendy, is the hornitos close or do you get whaty you pay for?

Diver - 5-2-2008 at 08:37 PM

Don Julio

castaway$ - 5-2-2008 at 08:42 PM

Me and Don Julio are good friends!

Von - 5-2-2008 at 09:14 PM

That stuff they sell at Hueta right before you are about to cross the border

on the right hand side last store before crossing to the darkside

is cheap and will the job, cheap as in prices my friend......

bent-rim - 5-3-2008 at 06:52 AM

Tevado is a brand I've been purchasing in major grocery stores in Nor Cal. $30.00-$35.00 for a 1.75 liter bottle.

capt. mike - 5-3-2008 at 07:02 AM

i vote for Hornitos and Comemorativo as 2 very good ever day drinkin tequilas without busting the bank or dipping into IRAs. $17-$20 a bottle variously around town, like Bevmo and Osco.

keep it in the freezer and the shots are smooth.
chase it with homemade sangrita, ummmm.

ok that's what i'm having today. also makes a killer michelada.

1. beer, ice, lime, tequila, sangrita cap.

combine all tall rimmed glass, stir. drink. repeat till snockered. :bounce:

vandenberg - 5-3-2008 at 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike

1. beer, ice, lime, tequila, sangrita cap.

combine all tall rimmed glass, stir. drink. repeat till snockered. :bounce:

Now Mike, that should get you ready for some barnstorming/stuntflying. :lol:

Udo - 5-3-2008 at 11:24 AM

When in BAJA, I stop at Licores Don Pisto in Puerto Nuevo and load up on Tequila Jarana. They have the largest bottle (1 ltr.) for $7.00 US. Any cheaper than that and you can get the Viva Villa, and when mixed with margarita mix, will get you flat-lined rapido.
The best deal for US side tequila that tastes great is either Hornitos or Cazadores (the one with the Buck on the label). Either one you can get at Costco. BevMo is somewhat more expensive.
By the way, Don Pisto's has the best prices in all of Baja, and you get discounts by purchasing by the case...good luck in stashing it on the trip back to the US. I usually leave two bottles in a bag in the back seat and declare them to US customs. Just don't leave your dark glasses on and don't look nervous when answering questions. Pray that the car in front of you at the border gets searched and you'll be in the clear. :biggrin:

Udo

Udo - 5-3-2008 at 12:55 PM

Ey Lencho!
Viva Villa is actually the licor that the locals drink in most of Mexico. The way I learned to drink it from them was by adding hot sauce and lime to the shooter. It's not a sipping drink, but flat-lines you rapido. One positive side effect is that if you are spending the night with a chick and you don't drink too much of it, you can count on a couple of hours of hard time!

Then finish off the evening with a toque.
Udo

Iflyfish - 5-3-2008 at 12:57 PM

Mike
I'll belly up to your bar, sounds delicious!

Iflyfish

Udo - 5-3-2008 at 01:19 PM

I am guessing that my BB code did not work.
Does anyone use the schemes on the BBCode?
Perhaps someone can instruct me how to use them, and perhaps how to insert the fish that swims back & forth in Lencho's posting. I haven't been around this posting long enough to learn all the tricks!
[/red]Udo

Roberto - 5-3-2008 at 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by castaway$
Iv'e heard thats a good one, Reposado or Anejo?

Hornitos only comes in one version. And, it is a good tequila, but hardly a low-priced sleeper.

Roberto - 5-3-2008 at 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike
repeat till snockered. :bounce:

Full time occupation for you? :lol:

Bob and Susan - 5-3-2008 at 03:15 PM

what about...

Guaycura Licor de Damiaya

our friend doug gave us a bottle
we tried it

but...
we really dont know how to drink it "correctly"

well, not necessarily........

capt. mike - 5-3-2008 at 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike
repeat till snockered. :bounce:

Full time occupation for you? :lol:

but occasionally i enjoy going on a mission.
and if/when i set a goal i like to reach it.
sometimes drinking has a purpose, sometimes it does not.

and yes, iflyfish - we can buzz Vandy's place at Nopolo - but i'll be sober, you can pound a few Michiladas 1st - i'll make em, i do really well at that. :lol:

Udo - 5-3-2008 at 03:28 PM

To my knowledge, Cazadores does not make an anejo, only the reposado.
The word reposado is supposed to be used only with the best tequilas available, however, since there are no laws against using the word, most tequilas use the word.
Perhaps someone else knows about the Guaycura. I have never tasted it, but the bottle looks interesting!

Bob and Susan - 5-3-2008 at 03:46 PM

it's supposed to be an afro-di-si-ac (sp)

Sallysouth - 5-3-2008 at 05:15 PM

Guayacura is Damiana, and yes, is supposed to be an aphrodisiac.My dear old Mom(RIP) used to buy the herbs and ingredients in Baja, bring it home and make Sparklet water bottles(the big glass ones) to fill smaller bottles for Xmas presents for the family.Good stuff, but best as an apertif.

The Gull - 5-4-2008 at 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike1. beer, ice, lime, tequila, sangrita cap.

combine all tall rimmed glass, stir. drink. repeat till snockered. :bounce:

Careful Mike, there are those on the board who will preach you to death for those practices.

Hook - 5-4-2008 at 07:15 AM

My preference is for Hornitos, too, but Roberto is correct, it's not cheap anymore. I remember a time when it was cheaper than Conmemorativo but they flip-flopped about 10-15 years ago.

Milagro Reposado is another I like but, again, not cheap.

For inexpensive, I'd stick with Sauza Extra Gold. But it has more of the smokiness that I dislike in tequilas for the occasional shot. Hornitos is great for that.

I have Mexican friends that tell me Jimador is a good, inexpensive tequila. I havent had it straight.

[Edited on 5-4-2008 by Hook]

capt. mike - 5-4-2008 at 08:08 AM

Viva Villa........put in a spray atomizer bottle and it is good for quick starts on pesky carburators. :light:

Reposado simply means rested a minimum no. of months according to LAW last i heard. and yes they do have laws about tequila production and labeling. i think to qualify as a reposado it must be in casks 6 months.

for anejo its a min of 2 years. "aged".

i am no tequila expert so anyone correct me here. but they can't just slap labels on their product.

happy may 5th everyone. drink responsibly - don't spill any.

Natalie Ann - 5-4-2008 at 08:28 AM

Damiana.... made from an herb that grows only in Baja Sur, I'm told. It's a delicious liquor to sip, and when mixed with tequila makes for one yum! margarita.

SallySouth - Don't suppose you've got a copy of that recipe?

Nena

Baja&Back - 5-4-2008 at 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
what about...

Guaycura Licor de Damiaya

our friend doug gave us a bottle
we tried it

but...
we really dont know how to drink it "correctly"

Just sip it, and sip it, and sip it ....
The first sip tastes kind of medicinal, but, after the second sip, the drink SURE DO grow on ya!

The bars in Baja that make the best "killer" margaritas all use a dash to a half jigger of damiana in their Margaritas.

BTW: Which bar in Baja makes the best Marg of all. IYHO???
(or should this be a new thread?)

DENNIS - 5-4-2008 at 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by udowinkler
Viva Villa is actually the licor that the locals drink in most of Mexico.

The stuff doesn't even pretend to be tequila of any type. It's diluted Caña, sugar cane alcohol, known to be a reliable substitute for Drano.

Udo - 5-4-2008 at 12:04 PM

I am positive that we will have a very large new thread on this one...
However...
Most of you know of my travels in Baja, after 100's of margaritas my wife and I seem to make the margaritas at Villa Ortega's restaurant in Puerto Nuevo as the standard to beat.
Kinda like flan the standard was set at the Faro Restaurant at the end of the malecon in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Sonora.

capt. mike - 5-4-2008 at 12:15 PM

have to vote for Alex's at serenidad but many, no - just a couple - already said no to that.
i challenge anyone to dousch 3 grandes in an hour and not give a slurred speech. :lol:

Sallysouth - 5-4-2008 at 12:26 PM

Natalie, Sadly, my Mom passed away a few weeks ago, and I am pretty sure she took that recipe to her grave with her!!I know where her recipes are tho and will see if she may have left it behind somehow! :light:

Martyman - 5-5-2008 at 08:34 AM

Udo;
Cazadores does make an Anejo (available at Costco) and it is excellent but not cheap. For cheaper, my vote is for El Jimador.

fdt - 5-5-2008 at 08:43 AM

Cazadores also has a Blanco.

elgatoloco - 5-5-2008 at 02:25 PM

I just got a bottle of Cazadores Añejo for my birthday. Can't wait to try it.

I also got a bottle of Paradiso Añejo and a bottle of Don Julio 1942 to add to the collection.

Can you say tequila tasting party? :biggrin:

Too much fun!

[Edited on 5-5-2008 by elgatoloco]

tripledigitken - 5-5-2008 at 02:31 PM

Try Cien Anos it is definitely a sleeper.

We did a taste test in Mulege a couple of years back and it won over Patron at 1/2 the price.

I have seen it at Bev and More and in Baja Norte.

Ken

Hook - 5-5-2008 at 02:31 PM

Tres Generaciones ALSO has a blanco. Quite good.

DanO - 5-5-2008 at 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by elgatoloco
I just got a bottle of Cazadores Añejo for my birthday. Can't wait to try it.

It's good, but I actually prefer the Reposado. It is often available at Costco (Ensenada) at under $20 U.S. for a fifth, which is an absolute steal. That's my favorite mid-priced sipper, although the tall skinny bottle gets harder to stand up on its base as you progress through the evening. Not sure why that is . . .

I too go with Hornitos for a mixing tequila, but I don't understand why is it has increased so much in price.

DanO - 5-5-2008 at 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike
Viva Villa........put in a spray atomizer bottle and it is good for quick starts on pesky carburators. :light:

Brilliant! Also good for lighting barbecues and removing paint, degreasing tools.

backninedan - 5-5-2008 at 02:53 PM

Coralejo, quite smooth for an under 200 peso bottle.

mulegemichael - 5-5-2008 at 03:29 PM

Hornitos still has my vote for best bang for the buck, overall...you can spend as much as you like on tequila; i prefer to stop at Hornitos for a time.....damiana grows wild in large patches in a place i used to frequent on the east cape...we would go out and pick it and make tea; refer to earlier posts to understand "why"....makes a nice mellow semisweet tea....and....by far, no comparison, hands down, bar none, the best marguerita made in baja is by Manny at Hotel Punta Colorada on the beautiful east cape...no comparison!!!

A blender, filled with ice, 4 shots hornitos, 2 shots damiana,approx. 6 limons to taste. blend. pour. consume. nothing better.

sylens - 5-5-2008 at 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by udowinkler
Viva Villa is actually the licor that the locals drink in most of Mexico.

The stuff doesn't even pretend to be tequila of any type. It's diluted Caña, sugar cane alcohol, known to be a reliable substitute for Drano.

maybe drano, maybe sterno??? :?:

Natalie Ann - 5-5-2008 at 04:11 PM

El Tesoro de Don Felipe is imho perhaps the best tasting tequila there is. The reposado and anjejo are pricey. But they make a blanco - used to be Silver, believe it's now called Platinum - which can be bought in the US for $35 mas o menos. Not cheap.... but arguably the best tasting tequila blanco around and a bargain at that price.

El Tesoro Platinum is either not aged or barely aged, and carries a true taste of agave - flowers, herbs, something woodsy which I can't quite identify. It is quite a full bodied tequila for a blanco.
Try it - ya just might like it, too. :smug:

Nena

BMG - 5-6-2008 at 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by udowinkler
Viva Villa is actually the licor that the locals drink in most of Mexico.

The stuff doesn't even pretend to be tequila of any type. It's diluted Caña, sugar cane alcohol, known to be a reliable substitute for Drano.

Don't drink too much or you'll go blind.

I just drink it until the label starts to look like the bottles in this photo.

April_16_2008f.jpg - 46kB

capt. mike - 5-6-2008 at 04:22 PM

calling mulege michael from capt. mike, come in michael...... over,

re: "and....by far, no comparison, hands down, bar none, the best marguerita made in baja is by Manny at Hotel Punta Colorada on the beautiful east cape...no comparison!!!"

ok, i am intriqued , i assume you have slung a marg from Alex by now? since you are in mulege?
i have been at the bar at punta C many times staying there. me thinks it would be nice to go and meet Sr. Manny for the taste testage necessary to form an opinion. so it is on my list!

and i think i'll try your damiana repice soon. having a mom's day deal over here sunday - might be a fine starter!

oh, BBP reports punta colo pista just got a grooming!!vroooooooom!!!!!!

Hook - 5-6-2008 at 06:16 PM

Michael, did you actually just use the words blender and margarita in a serious discussion about margaritas?

castaway$ - 5-6-2008 at 07:48 PM

Hey Nina where do you get the El Tosoro de Don Felipe? I can't find it here in Oregon. Headed to TS in June I'll look there.

Mexpedition - 5-6-2008 at 11:06 PM

Can't remember if someone has suggested it, but, Trader Joes has its own brand of Tequila Reposado that is quite nice, and, 100% puro Agave. $19.99 (In San Diego). I was suspicious at first but now I am convinced. Much smoother than Hornitos, my old favorite.

I think Hornitos went downhill and became more expensive when the American company (Jim Beam?) bought Sauza. By the way, you can buy an "anejo" Hornitos at Bevmo, but it tastes as if they have added a lot of colour and flavorings, as opposed to aging it.

This opinion submitted by a bored Mormon (sorry Nomad Mormons), Jonesin' for Baja vice. :cool:

p.s. Always ask for Damiana in a Margarita when you are wooing a lady/man

Damiana Margs

Cardon Man - 5-7-2008 at 06:41 AM

I've recently been converted to the addition of Damiana to my margaritas. However, I add just a dash along with the traditional ingredients. I have tried a number of margs in which Damiana was used in lieu of Controy and I found that recipe to be somewhat foul. But just a Dibble of the Guyacura takes the drink to a good place indeed.

On the subject of "sleeper" tequilas...Costco here at Cabo San Lucas was carrying a brand called La Dona. It came in a 1000ml bottle and was going for about 140 pesos as I recall. Not a bad spirit. 100% agave. Worth checking out.

Natalie Ann - 5-7-2008 at 08:29 AM

castaway$ - here's a link for you. Sign in for the site - they want to be sure you're 'of age' :lol:

- look to the bottom left of the page which opens. Click the box, put in your zip code, they'll tell you where to buy Tesoro near you. Enjoy!
http://www.eltesorotequila.com/lpa/?lparefer=/

Couple of asides....

Hook's absolutely right - blender has no place in a discussion of how to handle tequila.

I agree with Cardon Man that small amounts of damiana make the best blend with tequila. Too much and you lose the flavor of each.

Nena

Bajamatic - 5-7-2008 at 09:25 AM

I had something called ARANTE I think. Was outstanding (but costly). Can anyone confirm the name of this?