What's the Difference

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What's the Difference? - Siempre Plata Tequila vs Siempre Supremo Tequila (Verified Additive-Free)

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Photo by Prestige Beverage Group

Siempre Plata

The Plata label is double distilled in copper pot stills at the Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados distillery (NOM 1414) in Arandas, Jalisco, from 100 % blue Weber agave sourced from the Los Altos region. The agave is cooked in stone and brick ovens, crushed using a roller mill, and open-air fermented using a rum and Champagne yeast strain. The brand also has a unique fermentation process called the Mozart Method, where they play classical music to the yeast during fermentation. I wonder if it is always exclusively Mozart or if they rotate composers. The water source used comes from a deep well. The final product is bottled unaged at 80 proof (40 % ABV) and verified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker. Co-founder Monica Sanita wanted the Plata to be carefully balanced, soft enough for newcomers, yet complex enough for enthusiasts. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Plata is $49.99, but I have found it in my home market between $37 and $39.

Recommended Glassware - Riedel Drink Specific Double Rocks

Photo by Prestige Beverage Group

Siempre Supremo

Siempre Supremo is a complex old-world, high-proof, wild-fermented blanco tequila made from 100% tahona-crushed Supremo agave, known for its high price and superior sugar content. It is double distilled in stainless steel with copper parts at La Cofradia distillery (NOM 1137) in Tequila, Jalisco, from 100 % "supremo" blue Weber agave sourced from the Los Altos region. More on Supremo Agave later. The agave is cooked in stone and brick ovens, 100 % Tahona-crushed, and open-air wild fermented with the agave fibers. The water source used comes from a volcanic spring. The final product is bottled unaged at still-proof between 90-110 (45-55 % ABV) and is verified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the Supremo is $70, but I have found it in my home market between $78 and $81.

I wanted more clarification on what they meant by "supremo" agave, so I contacted an employee of the brand. They said, "Supremo means the agave was harvested at their peak maturity, anywhere from 6 to even sometimes 12 years. Hand-picked from every harvest, significantly larger and higher in brix content. Every time the agave is harvested, we receive a GUIA, which shows which location they were harvested from and the agave maturity. These factors determine whether or not we classify the agave as "Supremo."

Recommended Glassware - Riedel Tequila Tasting Glass

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What's the Difference? - Bushmills 10 Year-Old vs Bushmills 12 Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Bushmills Irish Whiskey - The Brand

Bushmills is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. King James granted the original license to distill on April 20, 1608. The brand specializes in two styles of whiskey: unpeated Irish Single Malt and Blended Irish Whiskey, with a high proportion of single malt whiskey in the final blend, unique for the Irish whiskey category. The distillery is located in Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the River Bush, where the mills initially processed the grain to make whiskey. The water from the River Bush is still used to distill and proof down the whiskey. This river is filtered through the volcanic bedrock and flows from the village of Bushmills to the world-famous Giant’s Causeway. Single Malt whiskey forms the backbone for all expressions of Bushmills. All their Single Malt whiskey is triple-distilled in traditional Irish copper pot, and the proprietary design has been the brand’s logo for three centuries. All barley is 100 % sourced from the Island of Ireland, and all Bourbon barrels are sourced from Kelvin Cooperage.

Bushmills 10-Year-Old Single Malt

The Bushmills 10-Year-Old is the gateway expression to the brand’s Single Malt line-up. Unlike the blended expressions, which contain a proportion of lighter grain whiskey distilled from corn or wheat, their Single Malt whiskey is triple distilled in copper pot stills from 100 % Irish malted barley at a single distillery. This style of Irish whiskey changed when the British Crown imposed a tax on malted barley in the mid-1800s, causing most distilleries to switch to corn or to include unmalted barley. Bushmills continues the original process, and their Single Malts are “pure malts” with no peat or smoked malt. The 10-Year-Old expression is matured for a minimum of ten years separately in ex-Bourbon barrels, sourced from the Kelvin Cooperage in Kentucky, and Oloroso Sherry casks, before being blended and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV). This product is the favorite of Bushmills Master Blender Helen Mulholland, Ireland’s first female Master Blender.

Bushmills 12-Year-Old Single Malt

The Bushmills 12-Year-Old expression is the newest addition to the single malt lineup and was designed to offer customers a bridge product between the 10 Year-old and 16-Year-Old expressions. This expression is triple distilled from 100 % Irish malted barley and matured for a minimum of 11 years in former sherry casks and bourbon barrels before combing and finishing for 6-9 months in Marsala wine casks, which is a fortified wine from Sicily, a large island south of the Italian Peninsula. This product is bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV).

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What's the Difference? - Penelope Toasted Bourbon vs Penelope Toasted Rye

Penelope - The Brand

Michael Paladini founded Penelope Bourbon. He and his wife, Kerry, struggled to conceive a child, but Kerry finally became pregnant. The couple knew they would have a girl and wanted to name her Penelope. Mike wanted to create a bourbon brand to celebrate this moment every day. Partnering with his lifelong friend Danny Polise, he sourced the spirit from MGP (Midwest Grain Products), now called Ross & Squibb, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. They chose a unique blend of three bourbon mash bills to set the brand apart from other MGP products. The brand began with the four-grain, white label, which is still the brand's flagship product. Penelope was later acquired by the Luxco & MGP parent company, which will give the brand access to older barrels and also elevate production. Items that may have been extremely limited in the past should have more volume across the board. Mike will still be very involved in innovations, and Danny will maintain his position as master blender.

Penelope Toasted Bourbon, Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The Toasted Series is distilled at the Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from a mash bill of 75 % corn, 21 % rye, and 4 % malted barley. Unlike the Four Grain and Barrel Strength, this mash bill is not a blend. The bourbon is aged 5 years in a charred new American Oak barrel and finished in a second new American Oak toasted barrel. The char level of the first barrel can range from # 1 to # 5, and the toast level of the second barrel can be light, medium, or heavy, depending on the batch. This product is non-chill filtered and bottled in small batches at 100 proof (50 % ABV). Charring a barrel is similar to flame-throwing the wood while toasting is more similar to holding a lighter to the wood. The comparison that is often used is toasting bread in a toaster. The Toasted won a gold medal in 2022 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

  • Aroma - Rich caramel & vanilla

  • Body - Bold on the palate with notes of marshmallow &vanilla

  • Finish - Long savory finish that leaves a nice hug

Penelope Toasted Rye, Straight Rye Whiskey

The Toasted Rye is also distilled at the Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, from a mash bill of 95 % rye and 5 % malted barley. Like the Toasted Bourbon label, this mash bill is not a blend. The rye whiskey is aged 6 years in charred new American Oak barrels and finished in new, freshly toasted barrels. My bottle (batch # 24-504) received a # 2 char and a heavy toast. This product is non-chill filtered and bottled in small batches at 100 proof (50 % ABV). The Toasted Rye won a double gold medal in 2024  at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

  • Aroma - Decadent on the nose with bold sweet caramel and hints of mint

  • Body - Vanilla, toasted marshmallow, hints of light tobacco and fruit

  • Finish - Long finish, sweet desert character, orange peel with a subtle spice note

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The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this website so that I can continue to bring you new content.

Please Drink Responsibly.