NOM: 1487 – 40% vol
Found on a supermarket shelf for under £25. It appeared in my basket, didn’t even notice until I got to the checkout. Things happen like that, one day I’ll either figure it out or admit it. And although I’m a bit dubious when it comes to a cheaper bottle, you learn quickly that price doesn’t mean quality, sometimes.
The story goes that Cazadores was founded around 1973 (great year) in Arandas but it goes further back to 1922 when Don Jose Maria Bañuelos looked out from his window in the highlands of Jalisco and saw a deer standing amongst the agave. He figured it was the perfect metaphor for his tequila recipe and so named it Cazadores or, The Hunters. He kept the recipe hidden in the walls of his house until his grandson decided to go commercial with the family spirit and built a distillery in the very same field that 50 years earlier the stag had wandered. The stuff of legend, eh?
Maybe so but this legend is now owned by the behemoth that is Bacardi and had a rebrand. And although Cazadores use a “…seven-step fully sustainable and zero waste production process to make production completely sustainable, headed under Maestro Tequilero Jesus Susunaga using the Mozart Method” while going on to add that “…today’s production process has evolved to reflect the growing demand” it appears certain production methods have changed with it as several people attest that the juice in this bottle isn’t the same as previous ones.
That might be an autoclave and diffuser then.
Aroma: Slight Agave and quite a bit of alcohol, some pepper. Maybe fruit, like bananas or pudding, dessert fruit. Cooked.
Taste: Vodkaish. In fact, if I was blind tasting this and was told it was vodka I’d happily accept it other than complaining that it was vodka. Floral aftertaste, maybe a hint of All Spice which would explain the pepper. The agave and alcohol hit first on the back of the palate while the lighter flavours roll under and disappear sooner, leaving you with an almost sweet aftertaste of agave. Very dry and the sweetness is almost artificial and caramel. Gets better the more you drink but not a lot. Finishes on the palate like you’ve had mint, refreshed but I found it heavy on the chest.
It would work well with mixers and cocktails, especially a Paloma (salud) or a Margarita as the alcohol and agave cut through immediately to leave a caramel finish.
In all it’s in the same price range as a mixto but better. Certainly easier on the head, being 100% agave. It’s not all that bad, especially for the price. If you’ve 20 notes and change, start digging the pockets to add a mixer at the till.
Sure ain’t no sipper.