Tequila and Mezcal tasting - Northbrae Bottle Shop
Attended a tequila and mezcal tasting last night at Northbrae Bottle Shop.
Got to try the usual three (blanco, reposado, anejo) by Mi Casa Tequila. Eli, a member of the family who started the company, was informative and told good stories while sharing with the group the background and talking us through the tasting. I found all three to be very clean-tasting, with the blanco nicely floral. I expected more depth and complexity with the other two, but maybe I should've taken more time with them. Barrels for the aged ones from Heaven Hill. Eli mentioned in passing that he got some barrels from Hudson, specifically used in making the Maple Cask Rye, which I tried and liked at last year's WhiskyFest in San Francisco. I later asked him about it and he said it was an experiment, but hoped to make it available to the public in a year. I voiced my interest, so he gave me his number and said to text him if I wanted a sample. I think I'm going to text him. Hee!
Mi Casa tequila with Eli in the background.
A Wahaka Mezcal business partner was on hand to pour five different mezcal from their line-up. He also told good stories. Started out with the (Joven) Espadin, the most familiar unaged, which was nicely smoky. Next pours were Tobala (a wild agave found in the mountains, still smoky and more floral/sweet) and Madre-Cuishe (another wild agave from valley areas, less sweet and more minerally). The last two were pechugas with no animal product, unlike others I've had that contain some tiny amount of poultry or other meat, due to the process. Both made with the same Espadin as a base, the Manzanita, we were told, was made with heirloom apples (not exactly fruity, but under the smoke had different aromas and flavors). The Botaniko was very different, kind of like a gin, with juniper and cardamom in the mix.
(The "Wahaka" brand amuses me because last year when I was in London I went with friends to a restaurant named "Wahaca" -- LOL!)
Wahaka mezcal
The not-very-formal tasting was a lot of fun, though I didn't have conversations with the other attendees. I hope to get to more Northbrae events. :)
Got to try the usual three (blanco, reposado, anejo) by Mi Casa Tequila. Eli, a member of the family who started the company, was informative and told good stories while sharing with the group the background and talking us through the tasting. I found all three to be very clean-tasting, with the blanco nicely floral. I expected more depth and complexity with the other two, but maybe I should've taken more time with them. Barrels for the aged ones from Heaven Hill. Eli mentioned in passing that he got some barrels from Hudson, specifically used in making the Maple Cask Rye, which I tried and liked at last year's WhiskyFest in San Francisco. I later asked him about it and he said it was an experiment, but hoped to make it available to the public in a year. I voiced my interest, so he gave me his number and said to text him if I wanted a sample. I think I'm going to text him. Hee!
Mi Casa tequila with Eli in the background.
A Wahaka Mezcal business partner was on hand to pour five different mezcal from their line-up. He also told good stories. Started out with the (Joven) Espadin, the most familiar unaged, which was nicely smoky. Next pours were Tobala (a wild agave found in the mountains, still smoky and more floral/sweet) and Madre-Cuishe (another wild agave from valley areas, less sweet and more minerally). The last two were pechugas with no animal product, unlike others I've had that contain some tiny amount of poultry or other meat, due to the process. Both made with the same Espadin as a base, the Manzanita, we were told, was made with heirloom apples (not exactly fruity, but under the smoke had different aromas and flavors). The Botaniko was very different, kind of like a gin, with juniper and cardamom in the mix.
(The "Wahaka" brand amuses me because last year when I was in London I went with friends to a restaurant named "Wahaca" -- LOL!)
Wahaka mezcal
The not-very-formal tasting was a lot of fun, though I didn't have conversations with the other attendees. I hope to get to more Northbrae events. :)