We Have Moved!

WE MOVED AGAIN! Business keeps getting better, now you can shop online at healthyspirits.com

Our Beer, Whiskey and Agave Blogs have all been moved to our website: healthyspiritssf.com

Please visit us there to stay up to date on all things Healthy Spirits. Cheers!

Small Business Saturday Sale!

New Arrivals: Yellow Spot, Stranahan's Diamond Peak, Michter's Cask Strength Rye, Balcones True Blue and more...

Hey All,

Got some new stuff in the last week or so. A lot of these are going fast so if you don't grab em quick make sure you call in to see if we still have them. Castro and Clement also got slightly different allocations. Here's the list:

Balcones True Blue Cask Strength $99.99 (First time we've seen this is in a year and a half)
Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey $120.99
Stranahan's Diamond Peak $89.99 (Extra aged version of the original)
Michter's Cask Strength Rye $99.99
Yamazaki 18 Year Japanese Single Malt $299.99
Filibuster Cask Strength Sherry Finished Bourbon $89.99
Ardbeg Perpetuum $127.99 (New Ardbeg Day Release)
Jefferson's Reserve Groth Cask Finish $99.99 (Finished in French Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels)
Maker's Mark Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml $69.99
Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood $259.99

The hits keep coming. And on a side note, just a word to the wise, there's been a few releases lately that have been so tiny in quantity that we went a head and put them on the shelf without posting about them, as a reward for anyone who stops by the shop more frequently. This will happen from time to time with things we only get a bottle or two of, we think it adds a layer of fun and excitement to things that would otherwise sell out in 5 minutes. Just something to bare in mind. Cheers everyone!

Nate

Review: Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpiece Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks

Hey All,

Had the privilege of trying Jim Beam's relatively new Distiller's Masterpiece a few days ago and I have to say I was remarkably impressed. There's no age statement but my palate tells me its one of the oldest bourbons they've ever released considering how tannic and oak driven the flavor profile is. While Scotch producers have been using sherry barrels to age whiskey for centuries, it's a relatively new concept for American whiskey. Here are my tasting notes:

Aromas/Nose: Strong notes of sherry on the nose in the form of fruitcake, figs and marizapan. I also get aromas of candied ginger, firewood, granite stone, chocolate souffle and Italian sausage. The impressive heavy handedness of the oak seems to proliferate even the aromas, adding a density you wouldn't think possible. I get the sensation of being in a swamp where fallen trees and branches are slowly decomposing and a damp wood smell fills the air.

Taste: Wow this stuff's good. It's bold, it's viscous and resinous, it's everything I never knew Jim Beam could be. The initially flavors I get are earth, volcanic ash and gravel. Tannic and oak driven are an understatement, and I could see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm unabashedly smitten. All a board the oak train, we're riding this one till the wheels fall off. As it opens up I get notes of sticky toffee pudding, pumpernickel, cinnabons, espresso, cement and bran muffins. At 50% alcohol the flavors are perfectly concentrated without being overwhelming.

Finish: The finish is rustic and earthy, with a pronounced lingering minerality. There's some creaminess mid-palate but the finish is all beautiful leathery tannins that make your mouth water. Absolutely epic!

This for me is about as good as it gets bourbon wise. The richness of the sherry combines beautifully with the intensity of the oak. The price tag's a little steep at $200, but it's a one time release that's definitely worth seeking out. All things considered, you could pay $10,000 or more for a Scotch of equivalent quality. I'm sure I'll be taking home a few bottles of this for my cellar.

Available @ Both Shops!

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Black Maple Hill Rye and Bourbon, Black Saddle 12 Year Bourbon, Filibuster Sherry Finished Bourbon......

Hey All,

Got some great new stuff in recently and over the last month or two that I wanted to update everyone on. Here's the full new arrivals list:

Bourbon:
-Black Maple Hill Oregon Bourbon $89.99 (Castro Only)
-Black Saddle 12 Year Bourbon $51.99
-Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpiece (Finished in PX Sherry Casks) $199.99
-High West American Prairie Bourbon $49.99
-Forged Oak 15 Year Bourbon $89.99
-Maker's Mark Cask Strength Bourbon (750ml) $69.99

Rye:
-Black Maple Hill Oregon Rye $89.99 (Castro Only)
-Corbin Cash Rye $59.99
-Woodford Reserve Rye $47.99
-Smooth Ambler 8 Year Healthy Spirits Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel Rye $79.99
-Redemption 10 Year Cask Strength Rye $199.99 (Castro Only)

American:
-Seven Stills Fluxuate Coffee Porter Whiskey $45.99
-Mosswood Healthy Spirits Exclusive Espresso Barrel Cask Strength American Whiskey $75.99

Scotch:
-Alexander Murray 49 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch 1964' $1199.99 (Castro Only)
-Samaroli Glen Scotia Campbeltown 21 Year Sherry Cask Single Malt Scotch (only 360 bottles made) $299.99
-Blackadder Ledaig 13 Year "Raw Cask" 2001' Single Malt Scotch $169.99
-Blackadder Clynelish 22 Year "Raw Cask" 1992' Single Malt Scotch $269.99
-Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch (back in stock) $89.99

2015 World Whiskey Awards Annouced

Hey All,

Thought I'd share some of Whiskey Magazine's 2015 winners, always a good microcosm of the best whiskies from a given year.

World's Best Single Malt: Kavalan Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Barrel $179.99

World's Best Blended Malt: Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year Pure Malt Whisky $169.99

World's Best Canadian Whisky: Forty Creek Confederation Oak $69.99

World's Best Pot Still Whisky: Red Breast 15 Year Old Pot Still Whiskey $89.99

World's Best American Whiskey: Thomas Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey $99.99

Pretty decent selections if you ask me, and wouldn't you know it we carry every single one of these. Thomas Handy is the only one not currently in stock although we do carry it, but if your familiar with the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection you'll know that's a one day a year release. Does this mean Healthy Spirits has the best whiskey collection in the world?

If you want to see the rest of the results check them out here:

2015 World Whiskies Awards

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Jim Beam Signature Craft Oat and High Rye, Moylan's Double Barrel and American Single Malts!

Hey All,

Got some new gems in this week. We now have 6 offerings from the Jim Beam Signature Craft line, including the newest Oat and High Rye recipe bourbons. I get a smirk from people every time I recommend these but don't be fooled by the Jim Beam name. If they were the "Knob Creek Signature Craft" line no one would think twice, but it'd be coming from the same place. The four pictured above are part of the harvest collection where a new grain replaces rye in the mashbill, except for the high rye offering of course. We still have a little of the 11 year Red Wheat and 11 year Brown Rice left from the first release, and those were incredible as well.

Making a long awaited come back is the Moylan's line of whiskies. These are arguably the best single malt whiskies produced in the US and are shockingly hard to find. The crown jewel for me is the 8 year double barrel cask strength cherry wood smoked single malt. Aged in new charged oak barrels the color and texture are unbelievable. They use a percentage of cherry wood smoked barley so it's not overly smokey and actually has some wonderful red fruit and cherry like undertones. The "American Single Malt" is finished in orange brandy barrels and comes in regular or cask strength proofs. These two have some beautiful vanilla and candied orange undertones and are aged around 4 years. 

Get em while you can. Cheers

Nate

Healthy Spirits Clement 2nd Anniversary Van Winkle Raffle!

Tomorrow our Clement shop will celebrate its 2nd anniversary, and we've invited the Van Winkles!  Every hour beginning at noon, we'll be raffling off the right to purchase one of the Van Winkle bourbons.  The Schedule will go like this:

12pm: Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr

1pm: Van Winkle Lot B 12yr

2pm: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15yr

3pm: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20yr

4pm: Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23yr

Rules & Conditions

• Raffle tickets will become available one hour prior to each drawing.

• You may only enter a particular raffle once.  If you attempt to enter multiple times, you'll be disqualified from all raffles, and may God have mercy on your soul!

• You must be present when your number is called.  If you are not in the store, we will have no choice but to draw another ticket.

• THIS IS NOT A FREE BOTTLE GIVEAWAY!  You are entering to win the opportunity to purchase a particular bottle.  If you've ever attempted to find any of these products, you'll know that this is a fine prize indeed!

We hope you'll join us tomorrow for what is sure to be a darn good time.  In addition to a 10% discount store wide (15% for club members), we'll be featuring deep discounts on some select whiskeys.  Hope to see you there, and good luck!

-James

Clement's 2nd Anniversary, 3/21/15

Please join us for a day of beer, bourbon and discounts at our Clement location.

Its hard to believe that its been two years since we opened our Clement Street location. Your support and patronage has helped build the business into the success it is today, and we'd like to take this opportunity to say "thank you". To show our appreciation we are hosting an anniversary sale and raffle on Saturday, March 21st from 11am - 4pm. It's a great day to restock your cellar and pick up a few rarities, but make sure to get there early as we usually get lines for the best deals and vintage beers. 

Cellar Sale!

Cellar Stock Sale when doors open including Russian River, Cantillon, Anchorage, Perennial, Prairie, Goose Island and more!

Hourly Raffle!

Noon - Old Rip Van Winkle 10
1pm - Lot B
2pm - Pappy Van Winkle 15
3pm - Pappy Van Winkle 20
4pm - Pappy Van Winkle 23

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Cheers,
Healthy Spirits

New Arrivals: Lost Prophet 22 Year, Wild Turkey Diamond, Jefferson's Ocean Aged, Four Roses "Nate's Barrel"

Hello Bourbon Fans,

The train is back on the tracks, as we've got a couple new bourbons for ya. The crowning jewel is probably the new Orphan Barrel Project's: Lost Prophet 22 year bourbon. It uses a completely different recipe from the other three offerings and is sort of a perfect combination of age, complexity and smoothness. Definitely a little more tannic and oaky than say Barterhouse 20 year but a little more subtle and soft than Old Blowhard 26 year:

-Lost Prophet 22 Year Bourbon: $159.99

The next bourbon is a special celebration of Jimmy Russell's 60 years as Master Distiller at Wild Turkey. They call it "Diamond", and utilize specially selected casks ranging from 13 to 16 years old. This bourbon is delicate and perilessly drinkable. With some softer wild flower honey undertones and just the right amount of barrel char in the finish:

-Wild Turkey Diamond Bourbon: $149.99

Another bourbon that has been highly sought after but tough to come by is the Jefferson's Ocean Aged. This release Introduces a subtle briny-sea air element from being on a ship at sea, it's said the bourbon also ages faster as a result of the hot-humid climate and the gentle rocking of the boat:

-Jefferson's Ocean Aged Bourbon: $99.99

And last but not least after so much success with Exclusive Four Roses single barrels I had to grab another "Nate's Barrel". Like most of my offerings in the past I went with the higher rye mashbill and fruitier yeast strain. At 11 and a half years old and bottled at cask strength its got an incredible amount of depth and spice, and an exceedingly long and lingering finish:

-Healthy Spirits Exclusive Four Roses Single Barrel OBSF "Nate's Barrel": $79.99

That's all I got, enjoy everyone!

Nate

New Arrivals: Jim Beam Signature Craft 11 Year Wheat and Brown Rice Bourbon, Corsair Single Hop Whiskies!

Hey All,

What we have here is two massively different scale distilleries doing their version of innovation. The largest producer of bourbon in the world and one of the smallest, actually Corsair really doesn't make much bourbon, they're to busy changing the whiskey industry as we know it.

On the Beam side these two new offerings represent their 3rd and 4th release in the "Signature Craft" series. A series not unlike Buffalo Trace's "Experimental Collection". The first two releases were a 12 year bourbon and a Spanish brandy finished bourbon, both still available at the shop. For the new releases they've substituted rye in the mash for other types of grain, calling these the "Signature Craft Harvest Collection":

-Jim Beam Signature Craft 11 Year Red Wheat Bourbon: $49.99
-Jim Beam Signature Craft 11 Year Brown Rice Bourbon: $49.99

On the Corsair side Founder/Distillers Darek Bell and Andrew Webber continue to amaze be making whiskey out of any grain they can find including: quinoa, oats, spelt, buckwheat, and more, not to mention their use of bottle ready beer for distillation. And that's exactly what they've done with their latest offerings, taken extremely hoppy single hop IPA's and made them into whiskey. These are seriously some of the most sought after hop varietals on the market right now, so obtaining them for whiskey was probably no easy task.

-Corsair Citra Double IPA Whiskey: $59.99
-Corsair Mosaic IPA Whiskey: $59.99
-Corsair Galaxy IPA Whiskey: $59.99

Get em while you can! Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Mortlach 25 year and 18 year, Hibiki 21 year, Oban Little Bay and Bunnahabhain Ceobanach!

Hey All,

With the holidays firmly in the rear view mirror we're finally starting to catch up with all the new arrivals at the shop. Fortunately we're not alone in our holiday hangover as industry giant Diageo has just now begun releasing their rare malts and distiller's editions, offerings that normally hit shelves in November. Way to go Diageo, the most expensive whisky you have will probably sell much better in January. Actually that way of thinking reminds me of the immortal words of Homer Simpson:

Homer: "This year, I invested in pumpkins. They've been going up the whole month of October and I got a feeling they're going to peak right around January. Then, bang! That's when I'll cash in."

Some time later.....

Homer's Broker: "Homer, you knuckle-beak, I told you a hundred times: you've got to sell your pumpkin futures before Hallowe'en! Before!"

But I guess in some ways that may mean we have first pick of the litter since most shops aren't looking for the white whales right now. Here are some of the new Scotches and Japanese whiskies:

-Bunnahabhain Ceobanach (Batch 1): A new heavily peated 10 year single malt that's a throw back to the original Bunnahabhain recipe of the late 19th Century. $99.99

-Oban Little Bay: Following suit with Laphroaig and dozens of American micro distilleries Oban introduces their first small barrel whisky. For this release they've taken fully matured Oban 14 year and finished for a period of time in smaller barrels producing a darker color and richer flavor. $99.99

Mortlach 25 Year: The long wait is over, branded Mortlach is finally available in the US. This single malt has a cult following and has only ever been available in single barrels from Independent Bottlers. The rich-concentrated-sherry forward flavors remind me of distillers like Glendronach, Glenfarclas and Macallan. Mortlach is epic, if you can stomach the price it's totally worth it. $999.99

Mortlach 18 Year: $349.99

Hibiki 21 Year Japanese Whisky: Has the distinct title of winning best blended whisky in the world at the World Whisky Awards the last four years running. This is possibly the best Japanese whisky ever imported to the US outside of Yamazaki 25 year, and instead of dropping a full rent or mortgage payment on it like you would with the $1,800 Yamazki, Hibiki 21 year retails for the low low price of: $399.99.

Cheers everyone!

Nate

New Arrival: Mezcal Tosba

Elisandro Gonzalez was first introduced to me at meeting of agave geeks hosted by tequila critic and enthusiast, Kelly Cash almost two years ago.  He and his cousin produce Tosba Mezcal, a process that's been a decade in the making.

He shared with me an NPR audio story about their brand so I'm passing on the link right here.

So far I just brought in the Espadin at $76.99.  This Mezcal smells like sweet raisins and Blood Oranges. On the palate I get soft and round flavors of cloves and chai tea.  It has a long finish that dissipates nice and dryly, leaving lingering notes of chocolate malt.  Pairs beautifully with apples, salads, desserts and mixes well with citrus, dry sodas and chocolate bitters.

Tequila Alquimia

Hey Fam, Eli here.  I wanted to highlight another family owned brand tonight but since I know the owner, Dr. Adolfo Murillo personally I reached out to him and asked if he wanted to write tonights 'Tequila highlight'.  So without further ado,
here's the scoop on Alquima Tequila.

Alquimia Organic Tequila

Our handcrafted Alquimia Organic Tequila is 100 % natural, USDA Certified Organic, and made of 100% blue agave Tequilana Weber. All of our certified organic agave is estate grown on our family ranch in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico.  We personally supervise all aspects of the growing and harvesting of our agave, as well as the production of our tequila.

 We carefully select the best and healthiest agaves, only harvesting plants that are at their peak of quality and ripeness. Our quality control process demands that we closely monitor the cooking, fermentation and distillation at every single step. This ensures that our tequilas are consistently of the highest quality possible.

 Our project is completely sustainable and eco-friendly. Our tequilas are bottled in specially designed bottles made of recycled glass by a family of glass blowers in Tonalá, Jalisco. All aspects of our artisanal production reflect a proper balance of the old world and the new: a combination of alchemy, modern science, and tradition-rich culture. The making of Tequila Alquimia is just as much an art as it is a science.

 Our tequilas have won a total of 34 gold medals in the past 7 years in the two most prestigious international spirits competitions: the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (where our Reposado and our Añejo were “Best in Class”) and the Chicago Beverage Testing Institute’s International Review of Spirits.  Tequila Alquimia was voted the #1 tequila by GQ Magazine's men.style.com, and was also voted “Overall Favorite” by Huffington Post.

As a family owned company, Tequila Alquimia allows us to contribute to our communities, both in the United States and in Mexico.  Tequila Alquimia is our vehicle for the promotion of organics and sustainable agriculture. Our organic protocol, which we teach to growers throughout Mexico, is the tool we use to improve the quality of our soils, protect the health of the farm workers and consumers, and make a positive impact on the environment.

We hope you enjoy our tequila as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.  SALUD!

Meet the Marqués.

I'm really excited to introduce you to Mezcal Marqués de Jaral De Berrio.  It is made from Agave Salmiana which is a big agave with large droopy leaves.  I had never heard of this varietal but have been doing a bit of research and it seems as if these agaves don't yield as many sugars as other agaves and because of that, they are seldom used in commercial products.  This is however a very special mezcal made in Guanajuato Mexico.  We brought the Plata and the Reposado in the shop and both are super smooth and are pack very little heat.  The Plata is creamy with delicate vegetal notes reminiscent of sweet brussel sprouts and fresh greens.  The Reposado is barreled just enough to nudge the vegetal flavor in exchange for light accents of vanilla.


Available now at the Castro store for $49.99 & $54.99

Info to geek out on:

Distiller: Daniel Botello

Distillery: Embotelladora Jaral de Berrio SA de CV

Oven: Conic Stone

Fermentation: Inox open containers

Milling: Tahona (large stone wheel)

Distillation: Copper Still (alambique)/2x

Agave Elevation: 6,824' (Highland)

Soil Type: Sub angular blocky structure, consistency ranging from firm to very firm texture and from argillaceous to sandy loam.  Its origin is colluvial to alluvial, pH of 6 to 7.8

Climate: Semi desert, warm weather with cooler winter season.  Average annual temperature is 16.7 C.  Rainfall is 473.4 ml.

Water: Well (thermal)

Tequila Cabeza: Designed with bartenders in mind

Hi guys, I wanted to showcase this great tequila.  With it's slightly higher ABV, it's designed for mixing but drinks great alone.  Being that it's designed for bartenders the website offers a lot of transparency in regards to it's production.  Available now for $39.99 at the Castro shop.

Here's the highlights all of which are directly sourced from The86co.com

THE AGAVE:

Tequila Cabeza is made from

100% estate owned agave that is

grown in the Los Altos region

in Arandas. The agave are grown

by the Vivanco family, who have

been cultivating agaves on their

800-heactare mountainside land for

five generations, and handpicked

by the Jimadores at seven to nine

years of age when the agave has a

sugar content of 23-28%. It is grown

without pesticides on land that has

been used for the cultivation of

agave for over 100 years.

COOKING AND MILLING:

The piñas are cooked in brick ovens

for 24 hours at 100 C°. They are

then left to cool for 24 hours

before being fed manually into the

shredder. This is where the agave

juice is extracted and the fibers are

separated. Natural spring water is

added to aid this process.

FERMENTATION:

The pure sweet agave juice (mosto)

is fermented with the aid of a

champagne yeast in cooper tanks

during the winter months. The cooler

temperature allows for an extended

mash period (approximately 10 days)

giving fruitier agave flavors.

Once the fermentation is finished,

the mash sits for two days before

distillation.

WATER AND ABV:

They add distilled natural spring

water to cut the tequila down to 43%

ABV (86 proof). The ABV was increased

from 40% during our mixed drink

testing sessions because we found

the extra ABV boosted the tequila’s

presence in cocktails. Tequila Cabeza

hasn’t been oxygenated; we believe

this helps retain more of the flavors

from the terroir in the tequila.

RESTING:

Tequila Cabeza is rested in stainless

steel for 60 days before bottling.

TASTING NOTES:

On the nose there is a bouquet of

highland agave that captures both

the earthiness and the honey of the

agave while adding complex layers of

green vegetables and a nice dose of

minerality.

More of the green vegetables,

earthiness and some green pepper

enter softly on the palate at the

start before you are hit with a

robust and earthy agave bomb on the

mid-palate that comes with a dash

of light citrus on the sides of

the palate. It is medium to full-bodied

with a velvety mouth feel and

finishes with a light bitter citrus,

more cooked agave flavors and black

pepper. This Tequila is all about

earthy cooked & raw agave flavors.

So many steps are taken to preserve

as much of the agave’s true flavor

as possible - the agaves are picked

at the peak of their maturity and

slow cooked in brick ovens. Winter

fermentation is used to bring out

more fruit characteristics from the

agaves; it is only filtered after

the first distillation, and no

oxygenation techniques are used to

smooth it out.

The 86 Co. wanted Tequila Cabeza

to taste of agave, and the Vivanco

family took these steps to give us

what we wanted. The final touch was

increasing the ABV for some extra

kick in cocktails. 

Tequila Ocho

Tomas Estes

If you love tequila and haven't explored Tequila Ocho yet, I'm happy to say we the 2014 Blanco and Reposado and the 2012 Anejo.  The intention behind Ocho is to focus on the terroir of specific ranchos in and around Arandas Jalisco.  This is a partnership between Carlos Camarena whose family has been producing tequila for 80 years give or take.  I'm not exactly sure how many times the barrels are used but they taste like they give lightly which I think was done on purpose to preserve the terroir of the agave.

As a brand, I think Tequila Ocho has done a great job in educating their fan base about the key component to any tequila, the agave itself.  Blue agaves are growing on the ground for about 8 years and pick up so much of the earth in its distilled state that unlike whiskeys that are complex after barrel aging, tequilas and other agave spirits are most complex as blancos (silvers, platas).

About two years ago I reached out to Tomas Estes via email and 3 months later he responded with his phone number so I gave him a ring.  I needed some insight from someone who's been in my shoes and Tomas lent me an ear a gave me some solid insight.  Just another reason why I'm a fan.  In fact I met Carlos Camerena at a lunch catering to agave nerds.  We had a nice discussion regarding agriculture and harvests.  Tequila is full of good peeps, gotta love it.

So I got the Ocho line here at the Castro shop for $49.99, $54.99 and $59.99.  A great price for great quality tequilas.  I also have Carlos Camarena's Tapatio Anejo for $49.99.  Same Master Distiller, different product altogether however.

Carlos Camarena and I with Marko in the background.

Hacienda de Chihuahua: Yelpy yet stoic.

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol

Glorious days friends, this is your friendly neighborhood tequila guy.  I want to talk to you about Hacienda de Chihuahu Sotol, while not made from agave I thought it’d be interesting to bring in.  It’s made from wild harvested stools, which are spiny dessert plants that while may look like a cousin of agave, it’s definitely not agave.  These spirits are sweet, earthy and light.  I’m carrying the Reposado and Anejo which I found to be nice and smooth with pleasant injection of the New French Oak.

Reposado: $25.99

Anejo: $35.99

http://www.sotol.cl/

PS.  I’m not that used to Windows keyboards so I’m not sure how to make the accented ‘n’ on this laptop.  Whenever you see the word ‘anejo’ use your imagination to make a lil swiggly over the ‘n’.  This makes the ‘nyeh’ sound and is adequately accomplished by pushing your tongue off the roof of your mouth.  If you know how to do it and can fill me in I’d really appreciate it.  Until next time folks.

Eli

Arte Nom: For the Tequila Geek in you

I met Jake Lustig at the San Francisco Craft Spirits Carnival earlier this year.  I was standing at a booth where a woman was pouring Mina Real Mezcal and Arte Nom.  I had tried the Arte Nom stuff before but had a lot of questions which I directed towards the poor lady who had no idea how to answer them.  That's when Jake who was standing 3' to my left jumped in and took control of the situation.  We must of geeked out about tequila and mezcal for ten minutes and at the end of tasting through the line we actually hugged it out.

Jake has been knee deep in agaves for a very long time.  He worked as the agave spirits purveyor for Southern Wine and Spirits for over a decade and over time felt that the way the industry was structured promoted mediocrity in the tequila world.  Particularly the laws which state that a brand's Blanco, Repo and Añejo must come from the same distillery.

Jake, a self admitted agave geek eventually embarked on a journey to highlight agave and distilleries in a whole new way.  The tequilas of Arte Nom are meant to showcase just that.  On each label you clearly see the distillery's identification number (1079, 1414 and 1146 in this case) along with the information you can really geek out on such as the name of the rancho, the master distiller and even the elevation and brix count of the agave used.

For someone like me who really appreciates the terroir of agave and the transparency of the process, this tequila does it for me.

In addition to this project, Jake has also built his own distillery making a line of mezcals called Mina Real which are fantastic though we do not carry them at this time.

I highly suggest this tequila for the agave geeks out there.  The flavor profiles differ from the Blanco, Repo and Añejo because they do not share the same base agaves but they are unique and quality driven.

Arte Nom Seleccion de 1079 - 54.99 (Blanco)

Arte Nom Seleccion de 1414 - 59.99 (Reposado)

Arte Nom Seleccion de  1146 - 69.99 (Añejo)

Eli

more info at http://www.deltequila.com/

Tequila Highlight: Tequila Revolucion

Hi Guys Eli here with another Tequila Highlight.  Today I'm highlighting the Tequila Revolucion line up.  It's a brand that I've seen from time to time but it wasn't until a few weeks back that I had a chance to sit down and taste it.

The verdict? It's good!

The line up is smooth across the board leaning towards slightly sweeter tones.  The Repo and Añejo are aged in casks that have been used for no less than 20 years so the agave notes are never over oaked.  There is absolutely no artificial sweetener or color added.  Add to that incredibly reasonable price points and you have a winner.

Who's this tequila for?

This tequila is for everybody and anybody.  I especially recommend it if you are looking to buy a bottle for someone who may not drink tequila and you want to introduce them to the category.  It's definitely a fantastic gateway tequila and a superb choice as an everyday drinker.

Revolucion Organic Silver - 39.99

Revolucion Reposado - 43.99

Revolucion Añejo - 48.99

Revolucion Extra Añejo - 109.99

Visit them on the web at www.tequilarevolucion.com