{"id":2368,"date":"2012-01-13T17:23:39","date_gmt":"2012-01-14T01:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/?p=2368"},"modified":"2012-05-04T11:51:14","modified_gmt":"2012-05-04T18:51:14","slug":"favorite-tequilas-of-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/?p=2368","title":{"rendered":"Favorite TEQUILAS of 2011 (episode 105)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"450\" height=\"360\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.livestream.com\/embed\/toutsocial?layout=4&amp;clip=pla_3bce1389-fcf3-4798-8806-d96efca2d818&amp;height=360&amp;width=450&amp;autoPlay=false&amp;mute=false\" style=\"border:0;outline:0\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 11px;padding-top:10px;text-align:center;width:450px\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>Lippy<\/strong> presents his <strong>\u201cFavorite Tequilas of 2011\u201d<\/strong> in a special guest appearance at the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.toutsuite.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">ToutSuite Social Club<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 Will your <strong>Tequila Whispere<\/strong>r find his \u201ctequila legs\u201d in an unfamiliar environment, or will he drown in a sea of runaway conversation? \u00a0Watch and see!<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Th\u2019 Lip<\/strong> ventures out of his Man-Cave (finally!) and finds himself in the wilds of the Napa Valley wine country. \u00a0On this special edition show, <strong>Lippy<\/strong> is joined by winemakers, <strong>David Long<\/strong> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.davidarthur.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">David Arthur Vineyards<\/a>), <strong>Steve Reynolds<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reynoldsfamilywinery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">(Reynolds Family Winery<\/a>), <strong>Marko Karakasevic<\/strong> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.charbay.com\/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=TEQ7\" target=\"_blank\">Charbay Tequila<\/a>), and <strong>Mark Pope<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bountyhunterwine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">(Bounty Hunter Wine<\/a>).\u00a0 It\u2019s an all-star lineup of tequila-fanatic, Wine-eroos!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.toutsuite.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2373\" title=\"ToutLogo_01\" src=\"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ToutLogo_01-e1326501602364.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"572\" height=\"188\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Lippy&#8217;s FAVORITE TEQUILAS of 2011 :<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">BRAND:<\/span><\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.milagrotequila.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/a><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.milagrotequila.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">MILAGRO SELECT BARREL RESERVE<\/a> blanco<\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">NOM:<\/span><\/strong>1559,<strong> <span style=\"color: #800000;\">AGAVE SOURCE:<\/span><\/strong> HIGHLANDS<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">BRAND<\/span>:<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.charbay.com\/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=TEQ7\" target=\"_blank\"> <strong>CHARBAY<\/strong><\/a> blanco,\u00a0<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">NOM:<\/span><\/strong>1474,<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\"> AGAVE SOURCE:<\/span><\/strong> HIGHLANDS<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">BRAND:<\/span><\/strong> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.excelliatequila.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">EXCELLIA<\/a><\/strong> reposado,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>NOM:<\/strong>11139<\/span>,<strong> <span style=\"color: #800000;\">AGAVE SOURCE:<\/span><\/strong> HIGHLANDS<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>BRAND:<\/strong> <\/span><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.t1tequila.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">t1 TEQUILA UNO &#8220;ESTELAR&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> anejo,\u00a0<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">NOM:<\/span><\/strong>1146,<strong> <span style=\"color: #800000;\">AGAVE SOURCE:<\/span><\/strong> HIGHLANDS<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">BRAND:<\/span><\/strong> <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.crotalotequila.com\/\">CROTALO &#8220;RESERVA&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> extra anejo,\u00a0<strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">NOM:<\/span><\/strong>1509,<strong> <span style=\"color: #800000;\">AGAVE SOURCE:<\/span><\/strong> HIGHLANDS<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">GENERAL TASTING NOTES:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lippy<\/strong> started the tasting with one of his favorite blancos from the 2011 season of <strong>\u201cWhisperer\u201d<\/strong> shows: <strong>Milagro Select Barrel Reserve blanco<\/strong>.\u00a0 This <strong>Milagro<\/strong> blanco was a winning favorite.\u00a0 It brings a thick slather of supple pepper (oxymoron?) and heavy vanilla notes to the flavor party.\u00a0 Your <strong>Tequila Whisperer<\/strong> is not exactly sure how <strong>Milagro<\/strong> gets vanilla tastes from an unaged spirit, but kudos to the team at <strong>Milagro<\/strong> for creating an interesting triple-distilled <strong>blanco<\/strong> that rewards continual sipping.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Marko Karakasevic<\/strong> showed up and brought some samples of his <strong>Charbay<\/strong> tequila <strong>blanco<\/strong> to set the stage for the <strong>reposado<\/strong> to come.\u00a0 Both <strong>Charbay<\/strong> and <strong>Excellia<\/strong> are created at <strong>Carlos Camarena\u2019s \u201cLa Altena\u201d<\/strong> highlands distillery, but the <strong>Karakasevic<\/strong> family (13 generations of Master Distillers!) had a very hands-on approach to making their blanco their way down at <strong>NOM 1139<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong> Charbay blanco<\/strong> is a delightfully easy <strong>blanco<\/strong> to sip, and features perhaps the most balanced and nuanced <strong>blanco<\/strong> currently created at La Altena.\u00a0 Got a friend who is eager to try some great gourmet tequila, but is skittish about \u201cthe burn\u201d?\u00a0 Set them up with<strong> Charbay<\/strong> and watch the grin grow wide and strong.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Th\u2019 Lip<\/strong> is always talking about how difficult it is to make a great\u00a0<strong>reposado<\/strong> tequila.\u00a0 Many <strong>repos<\/strong> seem to be simply stopped because their legal aging time is reached (they can only be aged for 364 days) regardless of how the tequila actually tastes.\u00a0 Has it reached an expression which is markedly singular and commands its own flavor properties and quirks? Then it its time to bottle. \u00a0Happily, <strong>Carlos Camarena\u2019s Excellia<\/strong> defines a great <strong>reposado<\/strong>.\u00a0 The interplay between the herbaceous highlands <strong>blanco<\/strong> is married to some superior barrel-blending of <strong>Gran Cru Sauternes<\/strong> and <strong>Brandy<\/strong> barrels.\u00a0 The sweet bottom notes of this barrel blend is a taste signature for <strong>Excellia<\/strong> and plays exceptionally well with the rich agave notes of the <strong>blanco<\/strong>.\u00a0 This <strong>reposado<\/strong> is an absolute pleasure from top to bottom!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lippy<\/strong> was very excited to be able to present the just-released <strong>t1 \u201cEstelar\u201d anejo<\/strong>, aged 20 months in <strong>Scotch<\/strong> barrels.\u00a0 <strong>T1<\/strong> is the newest tequila brand from Master Distiller, <strong>German Gonzalez<\/strong> of the mighty<strong> Chinaco<\/strong> brand.\u00a0<strong> German <\/strong>and his family have a long history of creating magic by aging their tequilas to feature interesting taste profiles with long finishes \u2013while always protecting the agave notes within the mix.\u00a0 <strong>Estelar <\/strong>does not disappoint in this regard, and the <strong>Scotch<\/strong> notes present a wonderfully \u201cdry\u201d taste and finish for this <strong>anejo<\/strong>.\u00a0 Perhaps the driest anejo your <strong>Tequila Whisperer<\/strong> has ever tasted!\u00a0 <strong>Lippy<\/strong> found himself taking this <strong>anejo<\/strong> along with him to the after party at St. Helena\u2019s new <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lacondesanapavalley.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cLa Condesa\u201d<\/a><\/strong> gourmet Mexican restaurant (with a fabulous TEQUILA bar selection).\u00a0 Needless to say, the bottle was drained<strong> \u201ctout de suite\u201d<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>The evening was brought to a crescendo when <strong>Th\u2019Lip <\/strong>pulled out the Big Gun: <strong>Crotalo 5 year Extra Anejo \u201cReserva\u201d<\/strong>.\u00a0 <strong>Lippy<\/strong> is always looking for a chance to sip him some \u201cSnake\u201d (crotalo means \u201crattlesnake\u201d in Spanish) and he was extra pleased the tasting group found this<strong> XA<\/strong> to be an especially singular tequila.\u00a0 What is quite amazing about <strong>Crotalo<\/strong> is the interplay between sweet and dry, smooth and spiky, bottom richness and top note brightness.\u00a0 It\u2019s all here in a wonderful orgy of exciting flavors.\u00a0 <strong>Crotalo<\/strong> is a great new brand for aficionados, by aficionados.\u00a0 Look for it in California and Nevada (other States coming soon) and of course online.\u00a0 All ages are worthy and delicious.<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s the wrap-up, Friends.\u00a0 Thanks for your continued support of the <strong>Tequila Whisperer Show<\/strong>.\u00a0 Your interest has made a big difference in the gourmet tequila world.\u00a0 The industry is listening to your voice and your preferences.\u00a0 You are helping to shape the next generation of tequilas \u2013 and you\u2019re doing it all by sitting back and sipping along with <strong>Th\u2019 Lip!<\/strong> Is there a more delicious way to make a difference? Doubtful.<\/p>\n<p>Salud,<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Lippy<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ToutSuite_Lip_01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ToutSuite_Lip_01.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"ToutSuite_Lip_01\" width=\"443\" height=\"334\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ToutSuite_Lip_01.jpg 443w, https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/ToutSuite_Lip_01-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 443px) 100vw, 443px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lippy presents his \u201cFavorite Tequilas of 2011\u201d in a special guest appearance at the ToutSuite Social Club.\u00a0 Will your Tequila Whisperer find his \u201ctequila legs\u201d in an unfamiliar environment, or will he drown in a sea of runaway conversation? \u00a0Watch and see!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[225],"tags":[476,22,31,353,36,243,341,428,96,482,364,166,484,506,483,190,193,481,218],"class_list":["post-2368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-show","tag-476","tag-anejo","tag-barrel","tag-best","tag-blanco","tag-charbay","tag-crotalo","tag-excellia","tag-extra-anejo","tag-favorite","tag-milagro","tag-reposado","tag-reserve","tag-reviews","tag-select","tag-t1","tag-tequila","tag-tequilas","tag-whisperer"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2368"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2447,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368\/revisions\/2447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tequilawhisperer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}