Cavalino Tequila: Smooth 100% de Agave Heaven
Posted on December 30, 2007 by Derrick Schommer
Filed Under Agave, Great Value, Tequila, Top Shelf |
How does one react to 750ml of heaven in a bottle? With a smile of course! Cavalino Reposado is a smooth tasting tequila with a complex flavor that’s hard to put into words…but that’s my job. First, the smell of Cavalino will impact your nose with a sense of mature tequila without the fake sweetness you’ll smell off a whiff of Jose Cuervo Gold. It will only take a second to realize this isn’t a bottom of the barrel tequila.
Is it fair to compare Cavalino Reposado to a mixto like Cuervo which is only 51% agave? Mildly, yes, because many non-tequila drinkers may taste Cavalino and say, “hmm, tastes like tequila, you know… like a Jose Cuervo.” Then you pull out a Cuervo Gold and put them side-by-side and tell them to try it again… a sip of Cavalino or even just the sent compared to a standard mixto makes them cringe. They are nothing alike at all. The mixto smells like a foul sweet distilled sugar candy while Cavalino hints at an aromatic tequila you’d expect to taste on the pallet.
Cavalino Blanco, a perfect silver tequila also changes your perspective of about the Mexican spirit. Both the Reposado and Blanco will change your perspective on tequila and how it should taste compared to how people think it should taste. “One is as good as another,” I hear often, but must giggle under my breath because they’re so incorrect it almost gives me a hangover pondering their unenlightened little minds.
How does Cavalino Reposado compare to a well-known “top shelf” brand like Cabo Wabo Reposado? One of our folks thought the Cabo Wabo had a smoother taste but pointed out the Cabo Wabo Reposado had a sour finish while Cavalino’s Reposado finished with a smooth flavor that doesn’t make you pucker. It may come down to preference on this one, but Cabo Wabo’s Reposado will run you between USD $45.00 and USD $55.00 depending on what state you live in (perhaps more or less in some states) while Cavalino will cost roughly $26.99 in areas around Texas.
The downfall to Cavalino? It isn’t available in all liquor stores while Cabo Wabo seems to be easily purchasable around the United States. Personally, I prefer the taste of Cavalino Reposado to Cabo Wabo but I’d not refuse either as a gift or in a drink. If you’re not a big Tequila drinker I’d highly suggest drinking a more top-shelf tequila to get a sense of the fine spirit, it’s easy to dislike something when you’re tasting the worse tequila swill you can get for ten bucks.
If you’re looking for complex flavor but less potent tequila impact, the Cavalino Blanco may be the way to go. As I’ve discussed in the past, there are many different types of tequila each having their own great properties. Most importantly, you want something that is 100% agave for a traditional great tasting tequila and most types of tequila can be made correctly, besides that of a standard Oro (”gold”) which isn’t usually 100% agave.
Blanco, or “white tequila” is an un-aged version of the reposado (”rested”) tequila so it will have less potent “tequila flavor.” I find this goes great in mixed drinks for a lighter style Margarita which still maintains a great the Mexican heritage. There is some people that suggest using lower grade tequila for mixed drinks but I’m of the opinion that you should always maintain high quality in a mixed drink given the core of the drink is based on your alcohol of choice, thus, a Reposado like Cavalino or Cabo Wabo works perfect for a Margarita without destroying it by putting in a lower grade. I don’t care for low grade mixed drinks just as I don’t care for low grade alcohol.
However, sipping a Cavalino Blanco is highly enjoyable and a bit of a change from its stronger Reposado counterpart. I really can’t say anything bad about this silver style beverage as it’s complex enough to be a tasty white tequila and doesn’t taste a bit watered down like some of the competing blanco’s in the industry.
If you’re given the chance to get your hands on a few bottles of Cavalino, don’t hesitate to invest in one of the higher end tequilas for a low end price. If too many people figure out just how great Cavalino is, it may end up being trendy and growing a life of it’s own (and a price to match). Remember, don’t buy tequila based on price, purchase a bottle of tequila based on its history and its taste. If you’re not sure, ask a tequila drinker or a professional in the industry or keep an open mind and try different styles and brands to find one that works best.
If you want to try Cavalino for yourself, you can try these stores.
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