Greater Atlanta Tequila Tour, Part II

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my quest to find the greatest source of tequila in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Despite this, my search has continued. Scott mentioned a place near him where tequila takes up a whole isle of the store, several shelves high (or something like that). Unfortunately, I do not believe that exists here in Atlanta in one single place. My great city must be too far from the source for such a diverse selection of agave nectar to journey to a single store. However, collectively, the stores I’ve visited over the course of the tour here do seem to have at the very least a “very good” selection. Several of the stores have gone so far as to have Don Julio Real (even though I’m told it’s not worth the $350 pricetag), Herredura Selection Suprema (about $240), and, to a much lesser degree Asombroso Añejo (about $200). The only problem is that each of these stores are scattered about as far apart as possible without going outside Metro Atlanta! I fully realize that each store could probably order something for me if they didn’t have it, but I’m an instant-gratification type of guy. I don’t want to have to wait more than a few hours for something, especially tequila. I didn’t really count the miles I put on my Camry, but I know I burned about a third of a tank of gas and was gone for about four and a half hours My wife was having a ladies’ tea party during this time and as such kicked me out of the house. She actually suggested that I go find some new tequilas. So, without further adieu, my purchases since Part I of this report (not all were purchased on the tea party day)…

Gran Centenario Añejo – This is not the first time I’ve had this well revered tequila. The first bottle I purchased was back in 2005 a couple nights before my wedding, for the specific purpose of consumption by my groomsmen after the rehearsal dinner. I hadn’t planned to buy another bottle today, but one store I visited was selling it for $30, which is almost half of the price at which it is normally sold! So I decided to partake!

Much has been previously written by others regarding the quality of this product, so for the most part I won’t repeat it. I will say that I like how the flavor is so well balanced between the smoky flavors imparted by the oak barrels and the flavor of the agave itself. The flavor is strong, but manageable. This is definitely a tequila that I could drink all night (well, until I run out or pass out)! A great by the fire tequila.

Gran Centenario Reposado – This was also somewhat of a last minute decision. Since I struck gold with the GCA, I decided that it would be fun to have this one so I could compare them. I find that the flavor is very similar to the GCA, however the smoky/oaky/woodsy flavor is much less prevalent. It is much more crisp. Seems like it’s got a similar “base” flavor, but less of a flavor imparted by the barrels (I guess that makes perfect sense, seeing as this spent much less time in the barrel- I’m a genius!). This is a tequila that I would recommend to the budding connoisseur. It doesn’t have the over powering flavor (or price) of some añejos, however it’s got enough to wet your whistle. Seems like a great tequila to drink while sitting outside in the sun at the beach or watching birds.


Don Julio Reposado – I’ve had a few glasses of this since I bought it, and every time, when I swirl and sniff the tequila in the glass, it makes my nose burn. This was a huge surprise to me as many have marked this as their favorite tequila. Despite those comments, I was a little nervous. I would like to simply say that my apprehension went down my throat with the DJR! When I taste or smell it, the first thing that comes to mind is fresh squeezed apple juice. Or perhaps a little bit like a nice refreshing iced tea. In any case it has a very different smell than the GCR. To continue the fruit theme, I would attribute the GCR more to pears than apples. Nothing against pears, however I would rank the DJR a notch above the GCR. All in all DJR is another good option for someone who is just getting into tequila.

El Tesoro Paraiso – Another one that is on the list of “exotic” tequilas. My wife better be happy that I’m into exotic tequilas and not exotic cars! It was not my specific mission today to find a bottle of this (as was the Part I of the tequila tour when I was out to find some 1942). I visited five new stores, and only found it at the fourth one. I was intrigued by others comments about it, as well as the cognac connection (although I don’t really drink cognac). My hand numbered bottle is number 23,707. It has a very interesting color. It seems cloudy, although you can see right through it. Amongst its golden hue is a tinge of purple or deep amber.

I served myself up a healthy portion, and prepared myself for paradise…………Hmmm…………the tequila utopia that I was anticipating never showed up. It was much rougher and not nearly as flavorful as I was hoping. I went through a couple glasses, but remained a little down that such an expensive tequila was not going to live up to its expectation.

Well folks, that was yesterday. Today, I opened the bottle and was greeted with something with great mystery. Today I smelled hot cinnamon candies (red hots) and ginger. And marshmallows. Today I definitely detected the magical cognac influence upon the tequila. The first thought that came to my mind after sipping today (which happened literally seconds ago) was a nice, fresh, juicy, warm country ham. As silly as that sounds, I’m serious. There are definite fireworks here. 1942 is very mellow and relaxing. This tequila is very exciting. It makes me want to party!


El Tesoro Platinum – I like to keep a couple of blancos in the house to use in my top shelf margaritas. These consist of tequila, triple sec, and limejuice. Absolutely NO mix. I love the fresh, raw taste that great blancos have, along with their very pleasant bite! They are very invigorating on a Friday after I get home from work. Occasionally I’ll sip them, but when I want to sip something I am usually in a relaxed mood, and while enjoyable, blancos don’t relax.

El Tesoro Platinum is no different. It has a very clean flavor, yet it appears to have a slight coloration from something (in the flavor, not the physical color of the liquid). I don’t buy blancos that often, so I don’t have as much of a basis for comparison as I do reposados or añejos. However, this does appear to be a winner. Smooth and sippable, yet raw and unforgiving.

Chinaco Blanco – This bottle is hand numbered too. It’s obviously been around for a while as the ballpoint pen ink has nearly faded. It has a bit of a permanent marker or metallic essence to it. While this is a definite negative, it’s not so strong that the tequila is undrinkable. I don’t know that I’d go around sipping this one, but it makes great crisp margaritas. Would I buy it again? Probably. Would it be my first choice? Probably not.


Chinaco Añejo – Again, a hand numbered bottle. I have been searching for this one for quite some time. Many talk about how great it is, but I could only locate its baby brother. I had it in a restaurant, but failed to ask if anyone knew where to get it. Today, I found it on the shelves of three of the five stores I visited. This is probably my favorite in the “About $50 a bottle” category. It has a very hot flavor. Not hot like cinnamon (or red hots), but it makes me feel hot and fuzzy. I smell a little bit of roasted almonds or maybe walnuts, along with some cinnamon. This is a tequila that would be great after a nice juicy new york strip steak, or maybe some arrachera.

Cazadores Añejo – I’m not sure that I have too much to say on this one. It’s a definite winner in that it’s very good, and relatively speaking (in comparison to the others in this report) is inexpensive. I guess I could say that it’s got great bang-for-the-buck. But on the other hand there’s nothing that blows me away about it. Nothing that stands out in my mind that makes this tequila stand out from the others. It’s another one that I would put in to the “lighter” category. A great tequila for sipping on a warm summer night.

Asombroso La Rosa – This was another case of a big disappointment initially followed by a positive second tasting. When I opened the bottle and poured my first glass, I imagined a warm hearty taste of Bordeaux-influenced tequila. Instead I was slapped in the face with something that seemed undrinkable. I finished the glass, hoping that it would come around, but it didn’t. About a week or so later I decided to give it a second chance. The firewater I experienced before seemed to have changed itself into something quite complex and intriguing. I could definitely taste the red-wine. This is a 3 month reposado, but due to the Bordeaux influence I think it’s got the flavor of an añejo. Apparently there’s a 6 or 7 month version too, but I’ve never seen it.

El Conquistador Añejo – This one seems to have a very bright, summery taste. Despite it being a thick añejo, it is still one I would enjoy while sitting out in the sun. Very refreshing. There is a definite sweetness to it, almost like a cream or cold milk. It’s also in a way cool hand-blown bottle. The glass is dark and loaded with air bubbles. The bottle is also not even or straight, as it rocks back and forth and the neck is crooked.

El Diamante Del Cielo Añejo – Along with its younger siblings, Cielo seems to be a newcomer to the tequila scene, at least in my neck of the woods. The bottle says, “Since 1855…,” so it’s probably been in production for some time, but simply unavailable as I don’t recall ever having seen it. In any case, it’s a very welcome addition to the line (and to my shelf)! When I sniff this one, I detect strawberries or maybe raspberries. Maybe a little bit of hazelnut and amaretto as well. Very little burn on the throat or tingling on the tongue. I definitely want to give the reposado and blanco a shot (in more than one sense)!

So that’s it for Part II of the Greater Atlanta Tequila Tour. Eleven tequilas. Dang! I'm suprised there aren't greenish blue spikes growing out of my head now. Don’t worry, there will be a Part III, and perhaps a Part IV. There are still many tequilas that I have seen that I want to try. I also want to begin focusing on some that don’t seem to get a lot of press here and on playa.info. I’m sure that some of them have received bad press for fitting reasons, however I’m sure there’s a hidden gem or two out there somewhere!