3 Calvados-Aged Tequilas in a Blind Taste Test… I Got Them All Wrong!
What happens when three añejo tequilas from different distilleries are aged in French apple brandy barrels? In this video, I put three Calvados barrel-aged tequilas through a three-way blind tasting to discover how they compare in aroma, flavor, minerality, cooked agave, apple, cinnamon, and barrel spice.
The three tequilas come from NOM 1123, NOM 1414, and NOM 1648. The lineup includes Cascahuín, Alma del Jaguar, and a House of Rare selection that was still aging in the barrel when it was sampled.
Each tequila has a different production story. The Cascahuín expression is cooked in stone ovens, crushed using a roller mill, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled in copper stills before aging in Calvados barrels. Alma del Jaguar comes from NOM 1414, where the agave is cooked in stone ovens, crushed using a roller mill, and fermented in stainless steel tanks with open-air fermentation, wild and cultivated yeast, and classical music played during fermentation. The House of Rare selection is also made using stone ovens, roller mill extraction, stainless steel fermentation, and distillation in stainless steel pots with copper coils.
Two of the tequilas were aged for 18 months. The third was still aging when it was sampled, so its exact aging time was unknown.
During the blind tasting, I compare the aromas and flavors of all three before revealing their identities. I also share my impressions of the apple, cooked agave, minerality, cinnamon, citrus, sweetness, and barrel spice found in each glass.
The results surprised me, and I got all three identifications wrong. All three were fantastic, but each had its own character.
Have you tried Calvados-aged tequila? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Cheers!
© Tasting Tequila with Brad
