I came in pretty late on the evening of Friday the 13th, as I had been out ‘toasting with a few fellow boaters & drowning my sorrows’ at missing the great First Annual Lake Powell Gun Toters & Varmit Shooters reunion at this fine lake. I had run into an old companeros of mine earlier at the Cantina who had re-introduced me to a nice sippin’ tequila that a good friend of mine always has around - Del Padre.
As you gentle readers are beginning to discern, I'm a big tequila fan, but he is an even bigger one. The dusty group of companeros I hang with seem to have an unhealthy fondness of all things ‘Patron’. Don Julio is very nice as well, but this stuff is simply marvelous. Haven't bought a bottle myself yet so I don't know what the hell it costs. He had somehow also acquired a pair of Habanos - Romeo y Julieta Robusto Els. Appearance and Construction were superb: great colorado color, veins nearly imperceptible, firm end-to-end, nicely box-pressed. Only the smallest of blemishes (hey don’t ask me, I was just the innocent victim here…...). But again, I digress…
With the palette well greased and diarrhea of the brain now in full flow, we proceeded into an informational venture to discuss and share our vast ignorance about tequila's cousin Mescal. I thought I would pick up a few new bottles to try this magic Mexican elixir anew.
Mescal is now attempting to become a connoisseur’s drink, as is most everything, and a fair amount of producers have begun to leave the worm out of the bottle due to its bad reputation and misconceptions (Worms revolt!). Sadly, you will no longer find said worm in MANY of today’s higher classed/priced bottles of Mescal.
For starters, let me clarify the ol’ "Worm" myth.
Originally the maguey worm was added to bottles of mescal to adjust alcohol content. The worm lives and feeds off the Agave plant that Mexican's use to make the Mescal and they would add the worm to the bottle. If the worm floated to the top, the alcohol content was not strong enough and they would continue the distillation process... If it sank to the bottom and remained there...It was ok to drink. I suppose the thought process goes something like ‘Dead Worm – good for the whole system???? – Drink up!’
That being said... I have now tried the well-rated Monte Alban con gusano (with worm) and found it to be a smooth blend of spice and floral arrangements (for the dead worm, mayhaps?). It tasted slightly oaky about mid-way through but it indeed warmed the palate on the way down. It retained a slightly bitter (not bad just a tinge of a kick) aftertaste, but that subsided after some time in the glass (maybe I fell asleep for a while… I dunno). :sleeping:
I will eat the worm when this bottle is done. It is supposed to have "mythical powers" and other intriguing storied Mexican legends. I will save it for a time when I really need it, when Fairy Dust is in short supply! Interestingly, as a side note... each bottle also includes a packet of gusano salt (red salt, spices and dried crushed manguey worms) which is supposed to be an excellent spice, my friend tells me. I’ll let you know. :shock:
As you gentle readers are beginning to discern, I'm a big tequila fan, but he is an even bigger one. The dusty group of companeros I hang with seem to have an unhealthy fondness of all things ‘Patron’. Don Julio is very nice as well, but this stuff is simply marvelous. Haven't bought a bottle myself yet so I don't know what the hell it costs. He had somehow also acquired a pair of Habanos - Romeo y Julieta Robusto Els. Appearance and Construction were superb: great colorado color, veins nearly imperceptible, firm end-to-end, nicely box-pressed. Only the smallest of blemishes (hey don’t ask me, I was just the innocent victim here…...). But again, I digress…
With the palette well greased and diarrhea of the brain now in full flow, we proceeded into an informational venture to discuss and share our vast ignorance about tequila's cousin Mescal. I thought I would pick up a few new bottles to try this magic Mexican elixir anew.
Mescal is now attempting to become a connoisseur’s drink, as is most everything, and a fair amount of producers have begun to leave the worm out of the bottle due to its bad reputation and misconceptions (Worms revolt!). Sadly, you will no longer find said worm in MANY of today’s higher classed/priced bottles of Mescal.
For starters, let me clarify the ol’ "Worm" myth.
Originally the maguey worm was added to bottles of mescal to adjust alcohol content. The worm lives and feeds off the Agave plant that Mexican's use to make the Mescal and they would add the worm to the bottle. If the worm floated to the top, the alcohol content was not strong enough and they would continue the distillation process... If it sank to the bottom and remained there...It was ok to drink. I suppose the thought process goes something like ‘Dead Worm – good for the whole system???? – Drink up!’
That being said... I have now tried the well-rated Monte Alban con gusano (with worm) and found it to be a smooth blend of spice and floral arrangements (for the dead worm, mayhaps?). It tasted slightly oaky about mid-way through but it indeed warmed the palate on the way down. It retained a slightly bitter (not bad just a tinge of a kick) aftertaste, but that subsided after some time in the glass (maybe I fell asleep for a while… I dunno). :sleeping:
I will eat the worm when this bottle is done. It is supposed to have "mythical powers" and other intriguing storied Mexican legends. I will save it for a time when I really need it, when Fairy Dust is in short supply! Interestingly, as a side note... each bottle also includes a packet of gusano salt (red salt, spices and dried crushed manguey worms) which is supposed to be an excellent spice, my friend tells me. I’ll let you know. :shock:
mg: