tequila review

Tasting the Tequila Cazadores Trio

Filed under: Spirits

Tequila, the favored spirit of spring breakers far and wide, is often given a bad rap for being an amateur's liquor. A longtime fan of agave, I was thrilled to be a part of a trip to the tequila trail of Mexico in Jalisco, to learn more about this mysterious spirit. Although you'll find tequila aficionados experimenting with ultra-aged blends, for the masses there are three well-known types of tequila: silver, reposado and añejo. Extra añejo (for the ultra-aged) is gaining popularity among those who like their spirits saturated in oak,tequila purists would argue that too much aging overwhelms the delicate agave taste. And while I'm the first to say keep it in the barrel for most spirits, tequila is one of those rare liquids that has such an intense flavor and body all to its own (all credit due to the agave plant) that I'm the first to admit that anything aged over a year might negatively detract from the flavor of the tequila.

And beyond the tequila trinity, what about all this gold tequila we see everyone? As a devote to all things gold, these blends were most likely the bottles I was most drawn toward purchasing before being properly educated. But after learning the basics, say it ain't so, gold tequila is in most cases a lesser quality than silver tequila. Gold tequilas are more often than not silver tequilas with coloring or sugar additives. Fortunately for us, there wasn't a gold tequila in sight at the Cazadores distillery, except for the naturally aged reposados and añejos that naturally gain a slight coloring from oak barrel aging.

The story of Cazadores starts with Jose Maria Bañuelos, who created the recipe in 1922 and kept it in the family for three generations like all famly secrets deserve. It wasn't until his grandson Don Felix perfected the recipe and opened up a factory in 1973 that the special recipe was released to the public. He named the blend Cazadores, "hunters," in honor of his grandfather to signify a man hunting down his dream, and marked it with the symbol of a deer, the favorite animal of his grandfather, which he often watched at night mingling with the gorgeous blue agave plants in the field.

Gallery: Cazadores Distillery Bar