Barcoa Agaveria offers tequila tastings and teachings
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A mezcalrita and a shot of tequila at Barcoa Agaveria. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
Regular readers are used to my whiskey reviews and recommendations, but in honor of National Tequila Day, I figured I'd branch out.
State of play: For the past year I've been meaning to check out Barcoa Agaveria, which opened in a historic building at First Avenue and Roosevelt in 2021.
- I stopped by last week with my wife and a visiting colleague to sample their wares and broaden my horizons.
What I ordered: I asked owner David Tyda what he would recommend for whiskey drinkers who prefer their liquor neat, and he laid out a few options:
- For bourbon lovers, he recommended Corcel Extra Añejo, which he described as dark, caramel and oaky, and that sounded up my alley.
- He suggested a few others, including Fortaleza añejos — but I went with their reposado instead.
Between the lines: I definitely tasted the caramel and oakiness in the Corcel, and a hint of cinnamon, too.
- Its flavor was unlike any tequila I've ever had, and was super smooth and easy to drink. I'm already planning to grab a bottle of my own.
- The Fortaleza was tasty too, with more of a traditional flavor.
- I also enjoyed the smokiness of the mezcalritas — margaritas made with mezcal instead.
Zoom in: Before your own tasting, it's worth knowing what some of the labels on tequilas mean:
- Blanco means it's aged no more than two months; reposado is Spanish for "rested" and is barrel-aged two to 12 months; añejo is aged one to three years.
- The longer a tequila ages, the more color it takes in from the barrels, so blancos are clear while reposados and añejos have darker hues.
- The less aged a tequila is, the more it maintains its original agave flavor; while older tequilas take on flavor from the wood, Tyda explained.
The intrigue: Tyda stocks his bar primarily with small family-owned brands that produce additive-free tequila, and he urges customers to steer clear of celebrity-owned brands.
- He likes to start every tasting by offering Tierra Noble Tequila Blanco.
- For beginners who might be intimidated by blancos, he offers La Gritona, a primarily women-produced and -owned brand. It's aged in bourbon barrels for eight months, giving a hint of oakiness while allowing the agave's vegetal notes to come through.
- Though he favors smaller brands, for whiskey drinkers he also recommends Herradura Legend, a recent release, aged for 60 months in Old Forester bourbon barrels.
Of note: Barcoa is closed Mondays, so you'll have to head elsewhere to enjoy a margarita or a shot for National Tequila Day. Fortunately, this being the Valley, ther are plenty of options.