Luna Nueva 2012 – silver, reposado, anejo tequila review (episode 109)

December 21, 2012 in Show with 0 Comments


It’s the (Mayan) End of the World as we know it, and your TEQUILA WHISPERER is feeling fine because he’s got a Man-Cave loaded with fabulous tequilas and some of the best BEEF JERKY in the USA!

Join Lippy as he tastes his way through all 6(!) bottles of the Luna Nueva brand, and manages to sort through 6 different Jerky brands to pair with them.  It’s a Tequila/Jerky-off, and YOU are there!

Tequila Details:
BRAND:  LUNA NUEVA
NOM: 1558
AGAVE SOURCE: Lowlands & Highlands, French Oak barrel aging

BRAND: LUNA NUEVA 2012
NOM: 1107
AGAVE SOURCE: Lowlands & Highlands, Bourboned White Oak aging

GENERAL TASTING NOTES:
In this episode we learned that Luna Nueva has two completely different brand variants: the basic “clear-bottled” Luna Nueva brand (NOM 1558), and the frosted-bottled, Luna Nueva 2012 edition (NOM 1107).  The “clear” juice is formulated specifically for an “introductory” palate, and it lives up to that mission statement quite well.  Your Tequila Whisperer found the blanco to be well-integrated in its flavors of citrus (with a pleasing side-note of thyme) and cooked agave.  The repo and anejo brought forth a kind of “cotton candy” sweetness to the flavor profile that ultimately turned him off.  Newer devotees to tequila may enjoy this addition of sweetness, so don’t walk from this brand so fast.  It could make you many friends at a Holiday party of tequila newbies.

The “frosted 2012” juice (NOM 1107) is a completely different story.  This juice was formulated at the older, traditional, “El Viejito” distillery in the Jalisco lowlands.  The flavor profile completely bespeaks its traditional heritage.  These flavors feature a softer and rounder profile (as opposed to the clear’s bright and thin tastes).  While tasting the reposado, the addition of aged bourbon oak barrels create a massively full and wonderfully complex interplay with the blanco.  This creates a repo that has immense staying power over an evening’s worth of tequila drinking.  Lip says you will NOT grow bored of this repo after a few glasses!  The anejo continues the oak –influenced deep sweetness, but lacks the complexity that the blanco tastes brought to the repo.  While the anejo’s finish was long and lovely, in the end your Tequila Whisperer chose the repo as the brand’s winning variant.  Fans of ultimate sweet-softness with an ongoing spice component will find a lot to like in the anejo, so why not buy all three ages and thoroughly enjoy an evening off?

RECCOMENDED BUY:
LUNA NUEVA 2012 Reposado (though ALL the ages of this variant are completely worthy and affordable)

JERKYS TASTED:
Green Light Jerky Company
Chef Craig’s Original Beef Jerky
Trails West Buffalo Jerky
Jeff’s Famous Beef Jerky
Phil’s Beef Jerky
Angelo’s Beef Jerky

RECOMMENDED BUY: Jeff’s Famous Beef Jerky



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