What if a single insect could destroy an agave plant that took 6 to 8 years to grow?

In this episode of Tasting Tequila with Brad, we’re diving into one of the biggest threats facing agave farmers today: the Agave Snout Weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus). This tiny beetle has the potential to devastate entire agave fields by attacking plants from the inside out, introducing bacteria and rot that can kill mature agaves before they’re ever harvested for tequila.

We’ll explore:

✅ What the Agave Snout Weevil is
✅ How it attacks and kills agave plants
✅ Why infestations are so dangerous for tequila production
✅ How farmers monitor and control outbreaks
✅ The importance of sustainable farming practices
✅ Why healthy agave fields are critical to the future of tequila

Most tequila lovers focus on what’s happening inside the bottle, but every great tequila begins in the field. Understanding the challenges agave farmers face helps us appreciate the incredible work that goes into producing the spirits we love.

If you enjoy learning about tequila production, agave cultivation, additive-free tequila, traditional production methods, and the people behind the industry, you’re in the right place.

Subscribe for weekly tequila reviews, interviews, distillery tours, industry education, and blind tastings.

#Tequila #Agave #AdditiveFreeTequila #TequilaEducation #AgaveSnoutWeevil #TequilaFarming #TequilaIndustry #TastingTequilaWithBrad #AgaveFields #TequilaProduction

Volcán de Mi Tierra sent me their newest batch and believed it was showing significantly better than previous releases. Instead of taking their word for it, I tracked down an older batch, poured both blind, and put them head-to-head.

No labels.
No marketing.
No bias.

Just tequila in the glass.

Did Volcán de Mi Tierra actually improve their tequila? Is the newest batch worthy of a higher score on Tequila Matchmaker? Or was the older batch still the better pour?

Watch as I compare both batches blind and reveal which one I preferred before finding out which bottle was which.

Have you noticed a difference between Volcán de Mi Tierra batches? Let me know in the comments.

Subscribe for honest tequila reviews, blind tastings, distillery interviews, and tequila education.

#Tequila #VolcanDeMiTierra #BlindTasteTest #TequilaReview #AdditiveFreeTequila #TequilaMatchmaker #BlancoTequila #AgaveSpirits #TastingTequilaWithBrad

Can a distillery with every modern production option available still choose tradition?

Today I’m reviewing Casa Loy Piedra y Agave Blanco 49, a high-proof tequila produced at NOM 1633 in the Southern Highlands of Jalisco. What makes this tequila so interesting is that the distillery has access to multiple production methods, yet for this release they chose a traditional approach focused on flavor and character.

This tequila is made using stone brick ovens, tahona extraction, spontaneous open-air fermentation with fibers, deep well water, and double distillation in copper pot stills before being bottled at a bold 49% ABV (98 proof).

I also had the opportunity to meet Luis Loy in Guadalajara during my 2025 trip to Mexico. We spent time tasting tequila, discussing the project, and talking about the vision behind Casa Loy. After seeing the passion behind the brand, I was excited to finally sit down and review this bottle.

In this review we’ll cover:

✅ Aroma and tasting notes
✅ Traditional production methods
✅ High-proof tequila character
✅ Casa Loy’s philosophy
✅ Whether Piedra y Agave Blanco 49 is worth adding to your collection

If you enjoy additive-free tequila, traditional tequila production, tahona-made tequila, high-proof blancos, and deep dives into how tequila is actually made, you’re in the right place.

Have you tried Casa Loy Piedra y Agave Blanco 49? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Subscribe for weekly tequila reviews, blind tastings, distillery interviews, tequila education, and agave spirit adventures.

#Tequila #CasaLoy #AdditiveFreeTequila #BlancoTequila #HighProofTequila #Tahona #TequilaReview #AgaveSpirits #NOM1633 #TastingTequilaWithBrad

Most tequila fans have never heard of Charanda, but they may have already tasted its influence.

In this video, I review Uruapan Charanda Blanco, a protected Denomination of Origin spirit from Michoacán, Mexico, produced by the Pacheco family since 1907. While Charanda isn’t an agave spirit, it shares many of the same values tequila enthusiasts appreciate: tradition, terroir, family legacy, and authentic production methods.

Made from locally grown sugarcane cultivated in volcanic soils, Uruapan Charanda Blanco combines fresh-pressed sugarcane juice distilled in wood-fired copper pot stills with molasses distilled in French column stills. The result is a complex spirit with earthy, grassy, fruity, and briny characteristics that remind many enthusiasts of French rhum agricole.

We’ll discuss:
✅ What Charanda is
✅ The Denomination of Origin of Charanda
✅ How Uruapan Charanda is made
✅ Why volcanic soil matters
✅ How it compares to rum and tequila
✅ The connection to Fortaleza Winter Blend
✅ Tasting notes and final thoughts

If you enjoy additive-free tequila, mezcal, terroir-driven spirits, and traditional production methods, this is a category worth exploring.

Subscribe for tequila reviews, blind tastings, interviews with brand owners and master distillers, tequila education, and authentic agave spirits content.

#Charanda #UruapanCharanda #Fortaleza #Tequila #MexicanSpirits #RumReview #AdditiveFreeTequila #TastingTequilaWithBrad

Can a brand-new tequila distillery actually compete with established reposado brands in a completely blind tasting?

In this episode of Tasting Tequila with Brad, I put four reposados head-to-head in a true blind tequila tasting featuring:

No labels.
No hype.
No price bias.

Just aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, finish, and overall balance.

One of the biggest surprises in this blind repo battle was Primo Tequila coming from a newer distillery and going up against some seriously strong competition. This is why blind tequila tastings matter — the bottle disappears and the tequila has to speak for itself.

If you love additive-free tequila, reposado tequila reviews, blind tastings, tequila education, or agave spirits content, this one is for you.

Let me know in the comments:
Which reposado would YOU pick blind?

#Tequila #Reposado #BlindTasting #AdditiveFreeTequila #TequilaReview #Agave #TequilaCommunity #TastingTequilaWithBrad

The second I nosed this tequila… I knew it was different.

The new 2026 Lágrimas del Valle “La Mesa del Charco” Plata might honestly be one of the most exciting blanco tequila releases of the year. This is the FIRST single estate release fully owned and farmed by the Rosales family of Cascahuín (NOM 1123), and you can immediately taste and smell the difference.

Using traditional brick ovens, a blend of tahona and roller mill extraction, and mixed fermentation with stainless steel and wood tanks with fibers, this tequila delivers incredible cooked agave, floral notes, minerality, citrus, pepper, and a subtle eucalyptus character that absolutely jumps out of the glass.

In this review, I break down:

Special thanks to Brandon Cummings from Altamar Brands for the interview and insight into this incredible project.

Tequila Reviewed:
Lágrimas del Valle “La Mesa del Charco” Plata 2026

Distillery:
Cascahuín NOM 1123

#Tequila #LagrimasDelValle #Cascahuin #AdditiveFreeTequila #BlancoTequila #TequilaReview

What if everything most people think they know about tequila is wrong?

In this episode of Tasting Tequila with Brad, I sit down with Adam Fodor, co-founder of the International Tequila Academy, for one of the deepest tequila conversations I’ve had on the channel. We talk tequila education, additives, tequila myths, distillery tours, tequila sommeliers, production methods, NOM confusion, tequila culture, and why most people still think tequila is just shots, salt, and lime.

Adam shares his journey from Hungary to Mexico, how the International Tequila Academy was created, and why understanding tequila goes way beyond just “smooth” or “additive free.” We also dive into tequila tasting, sensory training, distillery experiences, tequila business mistakes, and how tequila culture is evolving around the world.

If you love additive-free tequila, traditional tequila production, tequila education, tequila distillery tours, or want to understand tequila at a deeper level, this interview is packed with value.

Topics Covered:
• International Tequila Academy
• Tequila Sommelier Courses
• Additives in Tequila
• Tequila Myths Debunked
• NOM Numbers Explained
• Tequila Distillery Tours
• Sergio Cruz & Distillation
• Cascahuín, Tapatio, Viva Mexico & More
• Why Tequila Tastes Different
• Tequila Sensory Training
• Traditional vs Modern Tequila

Let me know in the comments:
What tequila changed the way YOU think about tequila?

#Tequila #AdditiveFreeTequila #TequilaReview #TequilaEducation #InternationalTequilaAcademy

Pink Red Bull and tequila sounded like a great idea… until I actually tried it. ⚡

In today’s episode of Tequila & Red Bull Cocktail Lab, I mix the Red Bull Pink Edition Wild Berries with Cambio Blanco tequila to see if this berry tequila cocktail combo actually works.

Spoiler alert:
This one got weird FAST.

The Pink Edition features raspberry flavors and herbal verbena notes, and I thought the citrus, agave-forward profile of Cambio Blanco might balance it out perfectly.

Yeah… not exactly.

This cocktail experiment proves that not every tequila and Red Bull combination is a winner — even when you use a quality additive-free tequila.

Cocktail Name:
The Pink Coyote

Featuring:

If you enjoy tequila reviews, tequila cocktails, additive-free tequila, high-proof tequila, cocktail experiments, and agave content, subscribe to Tasting Tequila with Brad.

#tequila #redbull #cocktails #agavespirits #tequilacocktail #additivefreetequila #mixology #energydrink #tequilareview #tastingtequila

Can you actually identify black pepper and clove completely blind?

Welcome back to Episode 3 of Training My Tequila Nose, the tequila sensory training series where I use a professional sommelier aroma kit to improve my ability to identify tequila aromas, tasting notes, and flavor profiles.

In this episode, I focus on spice and pepper notes while comparing two very different tequilas:

Bramido High Proof Blanco
Tierra de Ensueño Reposado

Using blind aroma training, I test black pepper and clove completely blind to see if aroma recognition actually changes the way tequila tastes in the glass.

This episode dives deeper into:

The more I do this series, the more I realize tequila tasting is not about making up fancy notes — it’s about training your brain to recognize aromas you already know inside a much more complex experience.

If you enjoy tequila reviews, additive-free tequila, high-proof blancos, reposados, blind tastings, agave spirits, bourbon, whiskey, and tequila education, this series is for you.

Subscribe for weekly tequila reviews, interviews, blind tastings, and agave education content.

#Tequila #BlindTasting #TequilaReview #AgaveSpirits #AdditiveFreeTequila #HighProofTequila #ReposadoTequila

Most celebrity tequila brands focus on marketing first and tequila second… but Tequila Providencia Reposado might be different. In this review, I break down the production methods, tasting notes, and why this additive-free reposado coming from NOM 1465 in Arandas, Jalisco actually impressed me.

Tequila Providencia is co-founded by MLB superstar Mookie Betts along with Rodd Rafieha and Mia, but what really stands out is the commitment to traditional tequila-making techniques and transparency. This reposado is made using 100% Blue Weber agave grown in the Highlands of Jalisco, slow-cooked in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, open-air fermented, and double distilled.

In this video, we dive into:

Tasting Notes:

If you enjoy honest tequila reviews, additive-free tequila content, tequila education, distillery interviews, and deep dives into tequila production methods, make sure to subscribe.

#Tequila #Reposado #AdditiveFreeTequila #TequilaReview #TequilaProvidencia #MookieBetts #CelebrityTequila #Agave #TequilaTube #TastingTequilaWithBrad