February 2008 – Science Of Drink

February 24, 2008April 6, 2008

My first 100% Agava tequila – Los Arango Reposado and my first Margarita

I have my first bottle of 100% agave tequila in my liquor cabinet. It is Los Arango Reposado (41 USD for 0,75 l bottle).

Los Arango Tequila Reposado – The name “Los Arango” is in honor of Doroteo Arango, better known to history as “Pancho Villa”, a famous revolutionary leader and one of Mexico’s great heroes. Los Arango Tequila is expertly crafted at an 18th century hacienda distillery, and is dedicated to Pancho Villa’s name and memory. The secret behind this premium Tequila is 100% agave, hand crafted, and bottled by hand.Hacienda practices old-school, artisanal methods of tequila production, including aging in barrels crafted from three kinds of oak. Los Arango is considered the ultimate example of the tequila distillers art. From www.tequila.net

The smell and taste of this tequila at room temperature (from snifter) are perfect! For sure this tequila is sip-worthy liquor. After first sip of Los Arango I decided to compare over my tequilas with this excellent tequila. The results are:

Pepe Lopez Premium Silver (24 USD 0,75 л) – very bad (vrong smell and taste);

Sierra Reposado Gold (26 USD 0,7 л) – very bad (very spirituose smell and taste);

Olmeca Blanco (25 USD 0,75 л) – not very bad, but bad (aromatic smell with little of spitituose, hard taste);

El Charro Gold & Blanco (26 USD 1,0 л) – not bad (not bad smell and taste, for this money ;) );

Jose Cuervo Blanco (37 USD 1,0 л) – good (very aromatic tequila with right taste).

Of course I tested my new tequila in cocktail. I prepare my first Margarita!

Margarita

30 ml tequila (100% agave)
30 ml fresh lime juice
20 ml Cointreau
Shake with a lot of cracked ice. Cocktail glass (or magarita, or champagne saucer) with coarse salt.

Admirable cocktail! Perfect taste of tequila with acute freshness of lime is very good for me. But I prefer to increase of amount of tequila.

February 23, 2008February 23, 2008

Prince George Cocktail

I think the composition of rum (I use anejo – Havana Club 7 Anos), Grand Marnier and lime juice is so good.

Prince George Cocktail

45 ml light rum
15 ml Grand Marnier
15 ml fresh lime juice
Shake. Cocktail glass with lemon twist.

Admirable!

February 21, 2008February 21, 2008

My rums – Bacardi 8 vs Havana Club 7 Anos comparsion

I have new bottle of rum in my bar today. My new rum is Bacardi 8 – aged rum from Bacardi family. I decide to compare it with my favorite aged rum – Havana Club 7 Anos.

The results of comparsion are:

Color:

Bacardi 8 – amber-gold colour with light red tones

Havana Club 7 Anos – Deep amber color? with red tones. This rum has more intensive and deep color.

Nose:

Bacardi 8 – High aromatic, rich but little so strong flavor with sweet undertones of caramel, vanilla, chocolate;

Havana Club 7 Anos – Delicate and rich flavor with bright taste of wood. This rum has outstanding bouquet wih complex notes of fruit, vanilla, cocoa…

Taste

Bacardi 8 – The taste has light woody base, the taste are rich, crisp and full with undertones of fruit.

Havana Club 7 Anos – This rum has exellent, rich, complex taste with delicate woody base and sweet and mellow undertones of vanilla, sugarcane, caramel, fruits. The taste is so complex, rich and smotth like good cognac.

Finish and aftertaste:

Bacardi 8 – The aftertaste is not very long, sweet and rumy;

Havana Club 7 Anos – Has rich, bright and long aftertaste with bright sugarcane notes.

As tasting area for coctail using I choose the Rum Sidecar recipe.

David Wondrich advice to use an aged Cuban-style rum, such as Brugal A?ejo, Bacardi 8, or, if you can get it, Havana Club 7 (not just Cuban-style, but actually Cuban).

The classic recipe of Sidecar was investigated by me with some ex-USSR brandyes last month. And I think is very good classical recipe.

Rum Sidecar

45 ml rum
20 ml Cointreau
20 ml fresh lemon juice
Shake. Cocktail glass with sugar rim.

Exellent drink! The aged rums work well in this cocktail. Drink has perfect balance of strong, sour and sweet taste.

I like more cocktail with Havana Club 7, which has rich and compose taste. The Rum Sidecar with Bacardi 8 has more sweet and no such compose, but bright taste.

Resume: Both rums are pretty good, but for me Havana Club 7 Anos has more rich and unique flavor and taste; and it work in my Rum Sidecar more better.