What does Josh Brolin have to do with tequila?
Probably not much, beyond that it wouldn’t surprise me if the famed actor enjoyed the odd drink of the stuff. Yet as I stare at the label of Espolon Blanco after a night of trying to get the bub to sleep, my brain is converting “Espolon” into “Josh Brolin”, and I’m suddenly thinking of Josh Brolin drinking tequila.
An artistic interpretation of Josh Brolin drinking tequila later (thank you, Midjourney), I’m also thinking about what sipping Espolon’s clear and white style of tequila did for my enjoyment of the category, which is to say it improved it a whole lot.
In years past, I’ve connected tequila primarily with Jose Cuervo, which isn’t bad at all, but is the main tequila I associate with shots and margaritas. That’s fine, though I’ve never spent time just sipping and enjoying tequila.
As we sat down to watch the last episode of Better Call Saul, a celebratory send-off drink in hand, we tipped out tongues and tastebuds into a tequila we’d not tried, Espolon’s Tequila Blanco.
A product of Mexico but owned by Campari’s vast alcohol empire, El Espolon produces a good five tequila styles, from the white and clear blanco, the gold reposado and anejo, a slightly more amber reposado matured in Chardonnay barrels, and another clear variety, cristalino, which we’re assuming is the premium of the Espolon Blanco we’re checking out.
Different from the drink we associate only with shots and mixing, Espolon Blanco is is smooth and friendly. Sipped neat with no additions, the roast flavour is there, but so too is a smell that almost reads as fruit, creating a nice and not at all harsh drinking style.
It makes me feel like I’m a tequila newbie — which is totally fine!
Espolon Blanco doesn’t seem as overwhelming complex as the gin we’re used to swilling, but the lack of an enforced edge makes it just as enjoyable to drink.
As such, Espolon’s Blanco a perfect tequila for beginners. For that reason, I’ll be coming back to tequila a little more often.
