The Best Value in Tequila!

It is hard to believe, but in recent years sales of Tequila and other Agave spirits in the United States have surpassed those of American Whiskey.

Given this, and the enthusiastic response to our recent Mezcal offering, we've decided to put more of our energy behind this fascinating category. After all, while we are wine first at Vin Chicago, we do believe in celebrating ALL special beverages.

Today, we bring you two Tequilas from a producer that has earned a #2 ranking out of 139 distilleries on the much followed tastetequila.com website. The distillery is called El Pandillo, and they are outscored only by Los Abuelos, maker of the much beloved, and now nearly impossible to get your hands on, Fortaleza.

The primary product of El Pandillo is the G4 line of Tequila, and today we bring you their Blanco and tricky-to-find Reposado. After doing some comparative tastings, we understand why these spirits have been making such a stir. Made from Blue Weber Agave grown naturally in a biodiverse setting and painstakingly distilled by the highly respected Felipe Camarena, both offer tremendous character and, which is often NOT the case for highly regarded Tequila, both are priced right.

If you are Tequila curious, these represent an easy leap into the top end of the market. If you’re a spirited Tequila fan and have not tried G4, then you have really been missing out. Read on for our notes, then click the Big Green Button to get a bottle or two for your liquor cabinet!

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Destileria El Pandillo “G4” Tequila Blanco
Jalisco, Mexico
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The G4 Blanco is produced from the ranch’s rain and springwater, crafted without any additives and bottled at 40% ABV. Like a great wine, it separates itself from the others with its incredible sense of terroir. (Terruño!)

Capturing the unembellised purity and beauty of top-notch distillate, unaged agave like this is often the enthusiast’s choice. With a mineral-tinged core and loads of pepperiness, it comes across with an earthy intensity to the palate. Full-flavored without any sensation of sweetness, it leads with notes of cooked and fresh agave, black peppercorn, dried lemon peel, limestone minerality, roasted red pepper, zucchini blossom, vanilla, fresh grasses, jalapeño, pineapple and thyme. Isn’t fermentation amazing!

Compared to other premium Blanco Tequila, the G4 is definitely more mineral and earth-driven, more high-toned, less briny and buttery, and offers very impressive alcohol integration. It's not so much a quality distinction between the Tequila as a style preference. Do you like a Sancerre Blanc or a Russian River Valley Chardonnay? Both are excellent, just depends on what you feel like that night.

What really separates the G4 from other premium Tequila is the price. While it is a high-quality sipping Tequila, it is priced low enough to prevent guilt should you decide to mix it into a margarita, ranch water or paloma.

We suggest trying a surprising combination. Combine 1.5 ounces G4 Blanco, 1 ounce lime juice, ¾ ounce Creme de Cassis, ¼ ounce Cointreau (or Dry Curacao). Shake all that up to create a Sea of Cortez. Serve in a coupe with a lime wedge. Delicious!

The average online price for this fantastically popular Tequila is $54. We bring it to you today for quite a bit less. When it comes to value in premium Tequila, this pure, unaged bottling from Felipe Camarena is at the top of the list.

Vin Chicago’s Price: 39.99

Destileria El Pandillo “G4” Tequila Reposado
Jalisco, Mexico
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Using multi-level steam fed ovens, gravity-flow, open air aqueducts and a roller/shredder named "Felipestein," the Tequila making at the Camarena family's El Pandillo is a labor of love.

While barrel-rested Tequila like this Reposado may not be the agave obsessive’s first choice, holy cow is this smooth. A great way to introduce agave to a brown spirit devotee, the G4 Reposado is aged for just six months, predominantly in used George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey barrels. The effect is subtle, but transformative.

The agave, mineral and peppery personality are shifted into a gentler profile, with soft and distict flavors of singed orange, cinnamon, butterscotch, oregano and toast. Warming and long, it’s a delicately balanced Reposado that replaces gorgeous weightlessness of the Blanco with a little more gravity.

If you want to cocktail with this, an Oaxacan Old-Fashioned is an ideal candidate. Stir 1oz G4 Reposado, 1oz Mezcal, 1 tsp agave nectar, 2 dashes of bitters (your choice), before pouring over a large ice cube.

This aged bottling from G4 is more difficult to find in our market than the Blanco. Average online retail is $64, which is quite reasonable for the quality. Our price, as usual, is less!

Vin Chicago’s Price: 54.79