Clase Azul Tequila at Bailey's Corner Pub

Last Tuesday I felt like watching the National League Wild Card game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates in a more social environment than just watching it at home. I decided to visit my friend Pete who tends bar on Tuesday nights at Bailey's Corner Pub, 1607 York Ave (Corner of 85th Street), New York, NY 10028, (212) 650-1341.

As per routine, I like to try new beers and spirits that I would not normally find available to me either at work or at my local stops. Today was no different. I tasted a number of different beers from the pleasant line of Leinenkugel Shandys to the solid Victoria to god awful Flying Dog Doggie Style IPA. One thing truly stood out to me in my tasting adventure: Clase Azul Tequila.

Pete brings out this ornate tall white bottle with blue designs and a rounded silver cap and says "You need to taste this bro". I was intrigued. He pours me a little taste with the information that this is $20 bucks a shot. Now I am even more intrigued. I stick my nose in the glass and immediately note that this is Tequila but with a difference. You ever notice when people smell tequila they either shudder or move back from the smell. I attribute that to people having bad experiences with some rotgut tequila. The difference for me was that I didn't do that. The aroma coming from the little bit of caramel colored tequila was amazing. Here is how Clase Azul describes their Tequila Reposado:

For many years, tequila connoisseurs have praised Clase Azul Reposado for its superior taste and stunning handmade decanter. By definition, reposado translates to "rested" or "calm" which can certainly influence the experience of sipping this particular Clase Azul which is aged in used American oak barrels for eight months after it has gone through the distillation process. Each bottle is made with high quality white ceramic and then hand painted by artisans in our bottling facility. Attention to detail comes second to none, which is evident when admiring what is considered an iconic bottle.

Now for the tasting. Without a shadow of a doubt, I have to say that this Clase Azul Tequila Reposado is the best tequila that I have ever had. It was smooth like butter. You get none of the harshness that you would find with your basic tequila reposado but with all of the flavor that you should be getting from a tequila. I sipped on the reposado as it was poured. No need for ice. No need for mixing. Doing so would ruin the experience.

I also had a small taste of the Clase Azul Tequila Plata. While I was leaning towards the Reposado, the Plata was also a superb tequila. Here is how the Plata is described by Clase Azul:

Clase Azul Plata is a fresh tasting blanco tequila produced from 100% organic blue weber agave. The agave is slow cooked in traditional brick ovens for 72 hours and then distilled using a proprietary yeast developed by our master distiller. Plata is not aged and the natural colors that come from the slow cooking are filtered out prior to bottling in a stunning crystal clear bottle with blue accent at its base.

The proprietor of Bailey's Sean aka NASCAR has a tremendous rotating selection of Tequilas that you should make sure to check out on a regular basis. Head over there on either a Tuesday or a Saturday and ask for Pete. Tell him Sisco sent you.

Until Then Happy Drinking,
Sisco Vanilla