Product Review- Partida Anejo Tequila

What can I say about Partida tequila that hasn't already been said? Paul Pacult gave the line 5 stars across the board when Partida came out, the only tequila to ever achieve that feat. I've tasted the blanco, reposado and, now, the anejo, and I have to say that they are all some of the finest spirits that I have personally tasted. I have yet to sample the Partida Elegante , billed as "extra anejo" and at the $350 price point, its probably out of my league for now.

Back to the anejo though, because thats what I'm here to discuss. The first thing I noticed about this tequila is its rich bronze coloring. By law, anejo tequilas age at least one year. Partida likes to use once used Jack Daniel's barrels for their anejo, and you can tell by the warm color that its been laid down for some time (18 months actually). Next, the bouquet, something I don't usually like in tequilas, is exceptionally nice. There is a soft oakiness up front, followed by subtle hints of vanilla and honeysuckle with just a hint of green chili pepper lurking underneath. It makes for a heady aroma, and my mouth started watering in anticipation of the flavors to come. Luckily for me, the Partida anejo didn't disappoint. Opening up with a certain earthiness on the palate, it follows with some big vanilla and caramel notes. After the vanilla and caramel begin to fade, a slight whisky flavor emerges, only to be replaced by some citrus and smoke notes. Finally, hints of agave sweetness begin to appear, providing a nice counterbalance to the smokiness. There is a bit of an alcohol bite to this, but I like a bit of sharpness to my tequilas so I really enjoyed tasting the alcohol. The finish is moderate, with more smoke, and some dried fruit on the back end. This is a very well made tequila and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm now really intrigued by the Partida Elegante as I'd like to see what this tequila does with a few more years in oak.

Highly Recommended

While I don't usually mix with anejo tequilas, this is a fun and interesting cocktail that highlights Partida Anejo's best qualities. I might suggest making this delicious flip for your special tequila afficionado this Valentines Day.

Partida Anejo Flip
2 oz Partida Anejo tequila
3 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 egg
cinnamon and nutmeg to dust

Place all ingredients (except cinnamon and nutmeg) in a mixing pint. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a wine glass. Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg and serve.

Drink du jour- The Monkeytown Cocktail

Its been blazing hot here in Portland, unseasonably so, and I've been looking for something new to cool off with. Yesterday, I was at Uwajimaya, the best asian grocery store in the area and I spotted some interesting drinks. I ran across Yeo's Sugar Cane drink, and I thought that it might make a great base for a cocktail, so I picked up a few cans.
After rolling it around in my head for a while, I realized that I had a bottle of Cabana Cachaca that had been generously provided to me for blogging about Tales of the Cocktail. I've been really intrigued with cachaca recently, and have really enjoyed having Cabana in the house. It seemed like a natural fit, a distilled cane sugar spirit with a cane sugar beverage, but I wanted a little more complexity, something to add depth and interest to the drink and keep it from being too one dimensional. So I turned to an old standby, green chartreuse, and a new favorite, Bittermens Xocolatl Chocolate Mole Bitters. Both added needed notes to this drink, and the combo of green chartreuse and Bittermens chocolate mole bitters won't be soon forgotten.
The only downside that I can think of with this drink is that it did come out almost the same color as Midori, an almost neon green, but the drink is both tasty and complex, so I'll live with the color.
One last thing, as I'm sure people are going to ask. What or where is Monkeytown? Well, I liked the name, and its a suburb of Monroe Utah, and I have no idea why that area is called Monkeytown. I just felt like calling something Monkeytown more than anything. So there you have it, the Monkeytown cocktail.

The Monkeytown Cocktail

1oz Cabana Cachaca
1/2 oz green Chartreuse
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Chocolate Mole Bitters
4 oz Yeo's Sugar Cane Drink

Build dry
add ice
enjoy