When the good people at Charbay sent me some of their R5 Whiskey to sample, they also sent me some testers of Tequila Tapatio, Anejo, Blanco and Reposado.  . Tequila Tapatio is 100% blue agave, and distilled by Master Distiller, Carlos Camarena for La Altena. The Anejo is aged for 18 months in used Jim Bean American Oak Barrels.
Tequila Tapatio is a well known and beloved tequila brand and has been available only in Mexico. "It's the 75 year old icon of Tequila," says Eric Johnson , co-owner/ respected bartender of San Francisco's Bar Agricole. A frequent Tequila seeker, he's been waiting for years to pour it here in the U.S. His wait is now over; Charbay recently began importing this brand into the United States.
Carlos Camarena 's La Altena Family Distillery distills its Tequila only from estate grown blue agave plants. According to Charbay's press release, when Charbay's father and son team decided to distill their own Charbay Tequila, the Camarenas invited the distillers to distill with them. The two families shared their distilling methods. The friendship expanded into Charbay becoming the exclusive USA Importer of the Tequila Tapatio brand.
On Friday night I thought I would put the Tequila Tapatio, Anejo to the test with the El Manhattan recipe from the PDT Cocktail Book. The Anejo is a very smooth tequila, with cocoa, wood, cinnamon and clove on the palate. It made for one great cocktail.
El Manhattan
2 oz Tequila Tapatio Anejo
1oz Punt e Mes
Dash Orange Bitters
Shake, serve up in a coupe; garnish with a burnt orange peel.
Lawyer and Ameture Mixologist. It's Time For a Drink
