Customer Reviews

The Book of Tequila: A Complete Guide

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bob Emmons has done his homework. He is painstakingly accurate. His tequila facts read a bit like a textbook and his stories, one from almost every distillery, read like prose. You cannot ask for.

He lets the reader know what an NOM number is and what it means. He shows which distilleries make only one unique brand and which make dozens of brands using the same tequila in all brands

If you are serious about tequila, this book is a must.

I have just read this book. I never thought I could read a book about any distilled spirit, much less tequila, all the way through. "We all think we know what tequila is," says Emmons, but we're wrong! Tequila is something totally different. Most of the tequila sold in the U.S. is complete crud, and Emmons explains exactly why. I've never read a book before that made me feel like a total expert overnight. The only tequila worth tasting is 100 percent agave. Emmons explains how the agave plant is grown, and what they do to the lowlife tequilas to make them taste so bad. Some surprises here: There is never a worm in tequila (there is sometimes a worm in mescal, a totally different drink, but never in the best quality mescals). Tequila is not made from cactus. The best tequila no longer comes from the town of Tequila, but from the high mountain slopes to the east. Something like tequila has been drunk by both sides in all civil conflicts in Mexico for centuries--and mixed with salt and citrus juice. The most totally fun thing about this book is that you can do what I did--rush out to Sam's liquor store, buy half a dozen of the labels Emmons says are the best ones, and then hold a tasting with your friends. You can read out Emmons's colorful descriptions of what these different tequilas taste, smell, and look like, and then compare your impressions with Emmons's. We were all amazed at the total felicity of his write-ups. It's not giving away any secrets to mention Patron as a great tequila, but check out Chinaco. Take Emmons's surprising advice and don't pay too much attention to the anejos (the really aged tequilas). Go for the blancos, or if they're too much of a shock to your bourgeois sensibilities, start with the reposados. This is totally a Damascus Road experience. Salud, companeros

This book will not sit on your bookshelf!

New tequilas have come to the market since this book was written. But the reference guide in the book is so complete that it's easy to look up a NOM, find which distillery it was made at, and see which other products on the market are made from that same distillery. There is also a lot of personal tasting notes on all the major tequilas available written by Bob Emmons that I find very interesting.

This book has helped me immensely and I recommend it to anyone interested in setting up their own tasting panels, mixing margaritas or drinking straight super premium tequilas, or even visiting the tequila producing areas and distilleries that actually Bob does not recommend.

I found this book to be very comprehensive on the history and process of tequilla making. The focus on the process is more in depth than the Mesa Grill Guide to Tequila. The book surveys various quality tequilla producers and distilleries. There is also a section on organizing a tequilla tasting. I would recommend this book if you are the type of person who enjoys developing hobbies over a medium to long term timeframe, or if you are a seasoned wine or beer taster. The content is beginning to show its age however, as descriptions of many newer brands tequilas I have encountered in restaurants cannot be found in the text.

Excellent book on the history of tequila as well as drink recipes. Glossy soft cover, coffee table quality.

If you know nothing at all about tequila then this book is for you. If you know anything about tequila then this book will bore you. It is too factual, too much about the distilleries that the average consumer would never need to know. Even though it was updated in '02 it is hopelessly out of date already. The price online is way too high. I bought it direct from the publisher for $37

Al autor:

He podido aprovechar el bagazo de agave y tambien sacar papel hecho a mano, de varios gramajes y calidades. excelentes para la portada o para el empaste, puede ser impreso en sergigrafia, ofset y litografia.