tequila

a friend gave me a bottle of tequila reposado from the armanetti's at grand and western. it was only $10/ 375ml. bottle (thats a tall but skinny bottle). the brand is carmessi and it's 100% agave. i like tequila, but have no tequila expertise at all. i think this is really good. very smooth. tastes great from the freezer, no lime, no salt. does anyone know anything about this particular brand? or whether the price is unusually low? thanks, justjoan

Are you sure about that price? That is dirt cheap for any 100% Agave, let alone carmessi, which sells for around $24/375ml. The brand just got picked up by a new distributor. Maybe it was some close out stock from the old distributor or something.

justjoan wrote:a friend gave me a bottle of tequila reposado from the armanetti's at grand and western. it was only $10/ 375ml. bottle (thats a tall but skinny bottle). the brand is carmessi and it's 100% agave. i like tequila, but have no tequila expertise at all. i think this is really good. very smooth. tastes great from the freezer, no lime, no salt. does anyone know anything about this particular brand? or whether the price is unusually low? thanks, justjoan

According to a quick Google search, $10/bottle does seem like a good deal:

Sam's page

Beverages and More page.

I haven't tried this brand, so thanks for the recommendation and pointer to Armanetti's.

By the way, you might try the tequila at room temperature or slightly chilled, rather than at a freezer temperature. I've read that makers of cheap, awful tequila (e.g. Cuervo) advocate storing tequila in the freezer because it masks the harshness. I think you are missing something when you drink a real good tequila so cold. (Having said that, I've also read that tequila that is kept in the freezer and then returned to room temperature is not as good as if it never went into the freezer in the first place....)

thanks for the tip about the freezer. but what about all the vodka and gin, etc. that people store in the freezer for iced drinks? are they losing out on the best flavor?? justjoan

justjoan wrote:thanks for the tip about the freezer. but what about all the vodka and gin, etc. that people store in the freezer for iced drinks? are they losing out on the best flavor?? justjoan

Good question. In my personal experience, there are two reasons why people keep spirits in the freezer. First, because they want to drink it "straight up" but not at room temperature. Second, because they want to add the spirit to a mixed drink and having it ice-cold will not prematurely melt the ice.

My view is that if you want to drink something chilled but straight up, it is better to stir or shake it in ice and then strain it into a cocktail glass. I think the answer to your question is that, yes, a good gin that is stored at zero degrees F will not have the complexity of flavor as gin chilled to 32 degrees (which is about the temperature it will be if stirred or shaken in ice).

Vodka does not have much flavor to begin with, so I suspect you don't lose anything by drinking it straight from the fridge. But I'm not a fan of straight vodka and I'd be curious what others think about this.

The other reason people chill their spirits is so the ice won't melt too fast in their cocktail. (It stands to reason, after all, that warm liquor will melt ice faster than cold liquor.) But I think a little ice melting is good. This obviously comes down to personal preference (and how fast or slow you drink!), but I think most drinks taste a little better when a little of the ice has melted and watered down the drink just a bit.

I was surprised to learn on a trip to a distillery in Scotland that a traditional way to drink Scotch is to cut it with a little bit of room temperature water. I found that you experience more of the nuances of flavor compared to drinking it on the rocks. So temperature definitely affects the taste of spirits.

If I am drinking good tequila straight up, I usually opt to have it at room temperature. I've never tried it slightly chilled (say at 60 degrees), but that could be interesting.

d4v3 wrote:Are you sure about that price? That is dirt cheap for any 100% Agave, let alone carmessi, which sells for around $24/375ml. The brand just got picked up by a new distributor. Maybe it was some close out stock from the old distributor or something.

yes, i' m sure about the price. and it could be old stock. my friend is going back to buy more, she said there werent many bottles left. justjoan

On Argyle St. this afternoon, I stopped into Foremost and bought a bottle of Jeppson's Malort ($10). The nice lady behind the counter suggested I keep it in the refrigerator and drink it as cold as possible.

i dont know what jeppson's malort is. it doesnt sound like the name of a tequila.(?)

From Wikipedia:

Malört, a distilled beverage, is the name of a Swedish style of snaps flavored with wormwood. The word malört is the Swedish word for the wormwood plant. The smell and taste is musty and extremely bitter. Malört is popularly alleged to be a cure for indigestion.

* From the label of Jeppson's Malört:

"Most first-time drinkers of Jeppson Malort reject our liquor. Its strong, sharp taste is not for everyone. Our liquor is rugged and unrelenting (even brutal) to the palate. During almost 60 years of American distribution, we found only 1 out of 49 men will drink Jeppson Malort. During the lifetime of our founder, Carl Jeppson was apt to say, 'My Malort is produced for that unique group of drinkers who disdain light flavor or neutral spirits.'

It is not possible to forget our two-fisted liquor. The taste just lingers and lasts - seemingly forever. The first shot is hard to swallow! PERSERVERE [sic]. Make it past two 'shock-glasses' and with the third you could be ours...forever"[1]

The only distributor of Malört in the United States is the Carl Jeppson company of Chicago, named after a Swedish immigrant who popularized and sold the liquor in Chicago. Made in Chicago until the 70's, Malört is currently produced in Florida exclusively for Jeppson's.[2] Jeppson's Malört is a staple of Chicago area taverns, but not well known elsewhere in the United States.

Sounds like "cold as possible" might not be cold enough!

David Hammond wrote:On Argyle St. this afternoon, I stopped into Foremost and bought a bottle of Jeppson's Malort ($10). The nice lady behind the counter suggested I keep it in the refrigerator and drink it as cold as possible.

There is no cold enough possible for me with malort.

G Wiv wrote:

David Hammond wrote:On Argyle St. this afternoon, I stopped into Foremost and bought a bottle of Jeppson's Malort ($10). The nice lady behind the counter suggested I keep it in the refrigerator and drink it as cold as possible.

There is no cold enough possible for me with malort.

Yeah, I keep remembering what you said about wandering blind with nausea from the bar where you had it. I'm screwing up my nerve...meanwhile, the malort chills in my freezer.

I've never heard of the brand, and it doesn't sound Mexican to me, so I "googled" the tequila name and no hits came up, which is surprising. I could be wrong, but I suspect the tequila is contriband - maybe not even tequila, and I wouldn't drink it.

I've never heard of the brand, and it doesn't sound Mexican to me, so I "googled" the tequila name and no hits came up, which is surprising. I could be wrong, but I suspect the tequila is contriband - maybe not even tequila, and I wouldn't drink it.

I agree, Joan, under no circumstances should you drink it. Give it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.

Just kidding, of course. Carmesí tequila is quite real.

Rene G wrote:Just kidding, of course. Carmesí tequila is quite real.

Here is a link to a picture of a bottle labeled Carmessi, with 2 S's. What's up with that? I know a new importer is offering the stuff now. I wonder what the subtle name change is about? Damn, my Rolux watch just quit working.
http://www.beveragewarehouse.com/images ... s/4378.jpg

Following the links in Darren72's post above, the name is also spelled differently in the 2 images of the bottles, but both sites spell it with 2 S's in the product titles.

Calling Nancy Drew...

my bottle has the 2 's's in the it. i dont know what accounts for the different spelling. and is bill kidding about it not being real tequila?? i did try drinking it at room temperature, cold and from the freezer and i thought it had a much fuller flavor and bouquet at room temp.

JustJoan - may I suggest another 100% blue agave tequila near this price point - Tres Mujeres. I buy it for $22 for 750 ml at Friar Tuck's downstate and I know it's imported by a company out of Valparaiso, IN but cannot recall the name of the importer. I assume you could find it in Chicago at Sam's or Binny's and it's a great tequila for the price.

This is very good reposado tequila. At room temp it is solid and there is never a need for lime and salt However, I think the flavor becomes more intense when served at around 40 degrees F. The citrus and floral notes are much more focused when chilled and it is truly delightful to sip and savor.

Davooda

thanks davooda for the recommendation. i'm not actually much of a drinker (quantitywise). though it might sound like i've had a drunken weekend, i had only a little tequila, several ways. (i also mixed it with pineapple and pomegranate juice, which might make some of you serious tequila lovers cringe. but the carmessi is cheap, and it was delicious). jj

i dont know if anyone has any interest in buying the carmessi tequila that i mentioned earlier, but the $10 bottles at the armenettis at grand and western are gone. but their regular price is $15.99 (still much cheaper than the $23-24 bottles in other stores). this is a great location for cheap tequilas and mexican beers, because of the high hispanic population around here. my friend, who bought up all the $10 bottles, says that each store in the armenettis chain has different prices, so dont assume you'll find this at another store in the chain. fyi, justjoan

Here's a link to the distiller's website in Mexico:

http://www.sanmatias.com/Default.aspx

It's anybody's guess why there's a different spelling on the label, from what the distiller displays - maybe the marketing people had a change of mind.

From what I saw of prices being charged for a bottle of this in Mexico (about 1/2 of what it sells for in Chicago), this tequila appears to be at or near the bottom of the quality ratings. But in the end, the only thing that counts is if the persons drinking the product are satisfied.

If the bottles you see continue to have the two "ss" on them, I'd still be a little cautious - until that was explained - because of adulterated product "issues" in Mexico.

Just saw this today. Don’t know about the Tequila nor am I a Motley Crue fan, but thought someone out there might find this ad interesting.

"Vince Neal of Motley Crue will be at Di Carlo Wine tonight Friday, August 3rd at 5:00 pm sampling his new tequila Tres Rios, signing bottles, and taking pictures with fans. We are expecting a large turnout so I suggest getting here early to get your picture taken and bottle of Tres Rios Tequila autographed. There is no charge for this event."

DiCarlo Fine Wines & Spirits
425 Townline Road
Mundelein IL

D.

dodger wrote:Just saw this today. Don’t know about the Tequila nor am I a Motley Crue fan, but thought someone out there might find this ad interesting.

"Vince Neal of Motley Crue will be at Di Carlo Wine tonight Friday, August 3rd at 5:00 pm sampling his new tequila Tres Rios, signing bottles, and taking pictures with fans. We are expecting a large turnout so I suggest getting here early to get your picture taken and bottle of Tres Rios Tequila autographed. There is no charge for this event."

DiCarlo Fine Wines & Spirits
425 Townline Road
Mundelein IL

D.

How the mighty have fallen!

David "Ozymandius" Hammond

Don’t know about the Tequila nor am I a Motley Crue fan, but thought someone out there might find this ad interesting.

"Vince Neal of Motley Crue will be at Di Carlo Wine tonight Friday, August 3rd at 5:00 pm sampling his new tequila Tres Rios, signing bottles, and taking pictures with fans.

I've been known to rock a Motley Crue song a time or two, and I think it's sad that a guy that killed people in a drunk driving crash is shilling for booze.

Is it sadder for Vince or is it sadder for this tequila company? I don't know.

I just got back from Binny's in Highland Park.
They have Cesar Monterrey Reserva tequilas for $9.99 a bottle. As of today there were Anejo, Reposado, and Blanco available.
It's 100% agave and while I'd give the reposado a C for sipping, it definitely makes the grade for margaritas.
You need to be a Binnys member to get the price but you can sign up at the register when you check out.

Binnys
153 Skokie Valley Highway
Cross Roads Shopping Center
Highland Park, IL 60035
847-831-5400

dos gusanos. say hello to the grub worms.

http://asia.air-nifty.com/chai/photo/tequila.jpg

and yes, you can eat the worms... hopefully after you finish a good portion of the tequila