Founded in 2007, Drinkhacker Chinese is a San Francisco-based beverage blog site that is popular abroad. Recently, the website released a year-end inventory - The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2022.
Below, a brief compilation is sent to you for the reference of tequila lovers.
1. Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: 600 US dollars
The wine is named "Ultima" because the blue Weber agave used was grown by Don Julio González (who died 10 years ago) and his family in 2006. The first batch of wines was launched in 2021 and the second batch in 2022. The second batch is aged in Solera, aged for 36 months in bourbon barrels and then finished in Madeira wine flavouring vats.
The wine has complex aromas such as caramel, sweet tea, lemon cake and coconut, with a bright palate with strong notes of cinnamon cookies, brown sugar, vanilla and chocolate, and an aftertaste reminiscent of chocolate mousse and white pepper.
2. Expresiones del Corazon Barrel-Aged Tequila George T. Stagg Anejo 2021
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: $95
The wine comes from Corazon Distillery. The distillery has partnered with Bourbon Barrels, a subsidiary of the American Sazerac Company, to explore the flavor effects of barrel aging on agave. The wine was written by George S. Aged for 22 months, T. Stagg bourbon barrels present a hint of straw color and notes of coconut and almonds, rich but clear, opening with brown sugar and cocoa powder, accompanied by grassy notes and notes of star anise, cardamom and cinnamon.
3. Maestro Dobel 50 1967 Tequila
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: $950
The wine was introduced by Maestro Dobel to commemorate the 50th birthday of founder Juan Dobel, born in 1967. Made from 100% blue Weber agave, the wine is aged in American and French oak barrels for at least 3 years before being finished in sherry barrels.
The wine is very docile, with aromas of caramel, cinnamon and ripe fruit as well as notes of cloves and toasted coconut, and the taste buds present a lot of cinnamon, followed by nutmeg, ginger, brown butter filling the mouth with a mild but silky body with a slight hint of burnt orange peel and pepper, and an aftertaste of almond nougat and surprising coffee notes.
4. Calirosa Tequila Rosa Blanco
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: 50 US dollars
Aged for 30 days in California red wine barrels, the wine has an attractive peppery flavor, a pronounced rose petal flavor, a slightly pink body that also has the same taste on the palate, plus the taste of white chocolate, giving it a creamy consistency and complementing the aromatic floral elements; The aftertaste has a hint of lemon oil, a hint of spicy dill, and a hint of butter.
5. Mal de Amor Tobala Mezcal
Alcohol content: 46% ABV, international average price: 100 US dollars
The Mal de Amor distillery is located in Matatlán, Santiago, Oaxaca, Mexico. Mar Amotto Balamezkar belongs to the new wine (joven), which has not been aged in oak barrels. The wine has a distinctly agave botanical character, with a mild palate accompanied by lemon and slightly sweet herbs, as well as lemon, vanilla and a hint of smokiness, all of which are balanced to be so complex yet approachable.
6. Mico Tequila Anejo
Alcohol content: 46% ABV, international average price: 46 US dollars
Mico is a new tequila brand that means "monkey" in Spanish, and the logo is a man with a monkey face. Made from 100% blue Weber agave, the wine is double-distilled, then aged in American oak bourbon barrels and then finished in Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon barrels for 16 months. The wines have a large number of fruity and floral aromas, and the palate is complex, smooth and full-bodied, with a pleasant sweetness.
7. Tequila Gran Diamante Reposado
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: $62
Aged in French oak barrels for 8 months, the wine blends spicy agave with mild lemon, citrus and vanilla for a pronounced citrus flavour, a light vanilla blend of mild herbs and an aftertaste of cinnamon and pepper.
8. El Tequileno Reposado Rare
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: 200 US dollars
Reposado is not allowed to age for more than 1 year, but wine circumvents these rules and ages for up to 6 years in 25,000-liter American oak pipón. The wine offers a real treat, with aromas of crushed pineapple, crispy agave syrup and paprika, rich and full-bodied, honey and melon mixed with black pepper and vanilla, and leaving a faint oak note in the mouth. With a ripe agave finish, lemon sweetness and cherry flavors, the aftertaste is simply unparalleled.
Montagave Tequila Blanco "Heritage" (Lot 237)
Alcohol content: 41% ABV, international average price: $75
The wines are aged for 57 days in Bordeaux d'Or barrels for the second use. The smell has strong spicy and peppery notes, as well as black pepper and some kind of rustic notes, as well as light notes of roasted meat and bushes. The taste has a certain sweetness, somewhere between coconut water and cane syrup, mixed with more notes of black pepper, green pepper, lemon zest, grapefruit, oxidized wine, and some sesame oil.
10. Xicala Mezcal Anejo
Alcohol content: 40% ABV, international average price: 60 US dollars
After 1 year of aging in American oak barrels and French cognac barrels, and then finished in oak barrels for 9 months, the wine is soft and fruity, and its smoky flavor is balanced with strong herbaceous notes and later cooked wine elements; The aftertaste has chocolate and peppery flavors.
Great Sue: WSET (International Foundation for Wine and Spirits Education) Advanced Certification, SMWA (Scottish Single Malt College) Advanced Certification, dedicated to the educational promotion of wine and spirits. Welcome to follow.