Tequila Mini-Mania: Sauza, 1800, Don Julio, Codigo 1530, and Casamigos 50ml reviews

Are you stuck in a Cleveland suburb and you absolutely must buy a mass-produced, mass-distribution, minimal-ABV tequila, because Reasons? Not to worry, I've rounded up a ton of 50ml miniatures and we're going to try to find a decent one among a no-notes flight of nine. Or, if not find a decent one, at least flag the absolute worst options (and on that note, skip to 24:05 for the Casamigos reaction). But here's the whole lineup: Sauza Hacienda Silver Tequila (NOM 1102; diffuser-extracted, column-distilled blue agave, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 68/100 1800 Blanco Tequila (NOM 1122; autoclave-cooked, column-distilled blue agave, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 73/100 Don Julio Blanco Tequila (NOM 1449; oven-cooked, pot-distilled Los Altos blue agave, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 71/100 Codigo 1530 Blanco Tequila (NOM 1616; autoclave-cooked, pot-distilled Los Valles blue agave, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 76/100 Casamigos Blanco Tequila (NOM 1609' oven-cooked, pot-distilled Los Altos blue agave; bottled circa 2023, or so the internet claims; 40%), 27/100 Sauza Hacienda Gold Tequila (NOM 1102; diffuser-extracted, column-distilled blue agave, bottled circa 2023; 40%) 71/100 1800 Reposado Tequila (NOM 1122; autoclave-cooked, column-distilled blue agave, matured in oak for six months, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 72/100 Don Julio Reposado Tequila (NOM 1122; oven-cooked, pot-distilled Los Altos blue agave, aged eight months in American white-oak barrels, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 74/100 Don Julio Añejo Tequila (NOM 1122; oven-cooked, pot-distilled Los Altos blue agave, aged eighteen months in American white-oak barrels, bottled circa 2023; 40%), 73/100 I'mma give it to you straight: none of these are good. By my scoring heuristics, in fact (see    • Sh*t, Suck, Good, Great, and 100-Point Sca...   ), almost all of these are shit. I derped and completely forgot about the Codigo at the end - fair enough, it's a brand I kind of forget about often - but that's your overall winner here. The Codigo is a pretty textbook "lowlands" profile which would easily put at least five points on its score with better presentation, but it's up against pretty weak competition. That said, I'm a cheapskate, and if I were getting something pretty meh anyhow I'd probably spend half the money and get the 1800 Blanco. Actually, a lot of the shock here was seeing how relatively "flat" the quality curve was despite huge differences in pricing and production techniques. And then there's the Casamigos. Various internet sites claim this stuff is produced in "traditional ovens" with roller mill extraction and pot stills, but that's not the bottle nor the Casamigos site itself, and I get absolutely no such character. To the contrary, this stuff gives poorly-made, harsh, high-rectification ethanol that's been watered down to the legal limit and then further drowned in additives, and not even good additives. It's a grotesque insult to the integrity of the category and should be avoided and shamed, especially when it's pushing nearly fifty bucks. Yikes. And there you have it. Next week we'll see if the whiskey minis can do any better... Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon (  / differentspirits  ) - Eric Amig Jamie Brown Kingsbury bushcraft Rob D Liam Davitt Joe Devine Stephen Eckert Steve Frazee Ian Gendler John Halliday Jason Newquist Kyaru No Thanks Matthew Ruiz RumSquirrel Dallas Shatel Chris Sherman Gordon W Zach W