For most of us, our first encounter with Tequila included licking some salt off of our hands and biting on a lime, much like cowboys used to bite on a bullet to ease the pain. The subtleties, aroma and taste never crossed our hazy, alcohol impaired brains. The ritual wasn’t intended to raise our level of appreciation of Tequila. It was a quick means to an end, an end that usually resulted in a pounding headache the next morning while we searched for the aspirin bottle and swore that it would never happen again…until the next time.

Thankfully, for many of us this is a distant memory. Tequila is finally coming into its own and garnering the respect it deserves. It is a complex and complicated spirit that takes time to appreciate and discern. This idea is the evolution of TEQUILARACK™. The International Tasting Group has sourced several of the finest boutique Tequileras in Mexico and assembled their products of Micro Tequilas as a collection to be sampled and compared. Each Tequila has its own unique story. The flavor variations come from the differences in the soil within the appellation of origin where the Weber Blue Agaves are grown, as well as the kinds of water and yeast used in the distillation process and the length of time and types of barrels used for aging. The color of each brand depends on how long it has been aged and what type of barrel was used. These differences all combine to give an array of flavors, aromas, textures and mouth-feels to our collection of Mexico’s finest Tequilas. (more below)

Rather than just offer one brand, TEQUILARACK™ is offering six distinctly different Reposados for consumers to begin their Tequila journey. TEQUILARACK™ offers a Tasting Kit with 3 specific brands, two Riedel tasting glasses, a measuring jigger and a DVD that gives a brief overview of Tequila. In addition this website, www.TequilaRack.com has more in-depth information on Tequila, how to host a Tequila tasting party, what equipment should be used, what foods to serve and even what type of music can be played to enhance the experience.

As the nuances of Tequila are learned and the differences among brands are appreciated, favorite brands will begin to emerge. Since each person's palette is different, there may be several favorites among friends. Consensus is not required or even sought at a tasting party. Discussion and even debate are encouraged. Participants will be encouraged to formalize their findings by inputting the tasting results so that they can be compared with those of other tastings. In effect, TEQUILARACK™ intends to foster an interested, loyal Tequila community that understands and appreciates Tequila for what it is, a complex spirit that deserves to be considered in the same genre as Single Malt Scotch, Small Batch Bourbon and Craft beers.