Tequila,
by its very nature, is known to be fiery and, at the very
least, a spirited spirit. Granted that over the years, it's
gotten smoother, tamer and tastier, so why in the world would
anyone infuse Anejo Tequila with Serrano peppers and cinnamon?
To most folks that would seem like a step backwards but not
to David Weissman, who I'm guessing has a palate and stomach
made of steel.
After
two and a half years of R&D, David and his team finally
came up with their secret formula, as well as their secret
distilling process. However, they do share that their tequila
is small batch, hand crafted, ultra-premium, 100% blue agave
and fermented with Chilean winemaking yeast and aged 28 months
in American white oak and then macerated with locally sourced
Mexican green Serrano peppers and cinnamon. Soltado
Tequila, 80 proof, is available at $30.00 per 750ML
bottle, so let's stop dilly dallying and open a bottle and
see if Mr. Weissman got it right!
Soltado
Tequila comes in a black bottle emblazoned with licks
of red flames, and very close to the bottom of that bottle,
there is a small red pepper with the word PICANTE all in caps:
fair warning! In the nose, the peppers and cinnamon take a
back seat, aroma wise, to the tequila scent that bears a touch
of oaky flavor. The nose is not really spicy, as such, but
quite aromatic. On the palate, the picante remains somewhat
tame and features the tequila, a touch of cinnamon a hint
of the roasted peppers and roasted agave. However, all hell
breaks loose picante wise when you swallow. The sweetness
and spice and PICANTE all rush to fill the back of the mouth
and throat. You really get a big blast of the Serrano peppers
followed by the cinnamon with the tequila and oak sheepishly
bringing up the rear, leaving a spicy and tingling tongue
and throat. What started out as a pleasant, flavored tequila
ends up with a spicy bang at the finish line.
I
don't know that I'd make this my stand alone tequila, as I
really like the simple taste of agave and oak, but I sure
wouldn't hesitate to make a mess of mixed drinks with this
tequila. As crazy as it might sound, I think I would substitute
Soltado Tequila for vodka in a Bloody Mary.
The spiciness would be perfect in that drink. If you think
starting your day with vodka is a kick, you ought to try starting
your day with this tequila!!
By George Brozowski
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://soltadotequila.com/
