Ladies, Gentlemen, and corporate conglomerates, the Guillotine has chosen a new target! Volare Banana is long past ripe and, as such, has fallen from its tree, making room for today’s victim!
So far the bottles up for execution have been chosen due to the length of time they’ve been in my collection, however today our guest has done more than merely overstay its welcome; I downright dislike it.
Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado is, of course, a tequila. Tequila is a spirit I believe gets the most abuse by the industry, as it seems increasingly rare that a bottle of tequila is going to actually be enjoyable to drink. Some argue I say this because I dislike tequila, but that’s not true. Don Julio makes tequila I genuinely enjoy neat, the same way I do whisky or rum! It’s a nice spirit because they clearly put a lot of passion and care into the spirit.
Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado is a great example of why I think tequila has developed the reputation it has now: despite not being the cheapest bottle on the shelf, it tastes awful, be it neat or diluted (and yes, even with lime and salt). The sad part is that people expect tequila to taste like this, and are oftentimes shocked when I mention the way I enjoy tequilas like Don Julio. Not just that, Mezcals like QuiQuiriQui are also really enjoyable, because they too have care put into them.
Unlike the other spirits in the Guillotine, this one’s personal. Both for the taste of the spirit itself and what it represents about Tequila nowadays. It’s going to take a while for me to get through this one, but despite that I just have one thing to say: good riddance.
(On a lighter note, my dog came to interrupt the photo shoot again!)
Addendum:
After having Jose Cuervo in the Guillotine for a bit, I want to walk back my stance a bit. I was judging it mainly on how I remembered it tasting back when I was first starting my spirits journey, which doesn’t reflect the palate I have today. Is it intense? Yep, but is it bad? I’m coming around to saying no on that one. Although I do feel no-one gives tequila the respect it deserves, I need to concede that this is not from the distillers end, but our own as consumers.
I apologise to Jose Cuervo, your tequila is actually alright! I do recommend people try this with ginger ale; I find the earthy tones of both the tequila and the ale to mix really nicely!
I say all this to emphasise the importance of trying things you’ve formed your opinion on already, as down the line your views may change drastically, like mine have! This is also part of why I use the Guillotine as a concept, being forced to try something you otherwise wouldn’t can either reinforce your opinion, or it can show what you missed all along!
This post’s recommended song is: “Truth Is” – The Levellers
