Last night, I put a bow on the Spirits 101 classroom series for the season at Divine Wine. It is certainly great to teach these courses, but now we start moving into more casual tastings out on the deck or more informal crash courses on a subject.

I was happy to close things out with Tequila 101. Nothing else on Earth smells or tastes like good quality Tequila. As you know, it is the base ingredient in the Margarita, which I have sung the praises of in the past. We had all styles on display. My favorite part of running this tasting is that we get to taste the standard range of products from one producer all together: Silver, Reposado, and Añejo Tequilas. Additionally, I like to feature a Resposado from two other regions of Tequila's permitted production zones. It gives the taster an idea of how the agave presents itself in different growing regions with a touch of aging to add extra layers of flavor.

This year's Tequila 101 class also featured Mezcal, the spirit that can be made from various species of agave (as opposed to Tequila featuring the blue Weber agave). It seems like with each passing month, our distributors are adding more Mezcal to their portfolios. Mezcal's smokier, higher-proof aggressiveness is something that parallels young, peated whiskey as far as its intensity of flavors and aromas.

One really fun thing about these classes is removing any preconceived notions a student might have. For instance, some in the classroom (along with some of you, I imagine) may have had a rough experience with Tequila. Since Jose Cuervo was about the only Tequila available to many of us, if your experience was bad with it, you may believe that's what all Tequila will taste like (or do to you the next morning).

Karma Tequila was our brand chosen to represent our horizontal range of Silver, Reposado, and Añejo. Karma has its headquarters in California, but all of their production facilities (agave fields, distillation, aging warehouses, etc) are all located in the Jalisco Highlands of Mexico. Since all aspects of making Tequila take place here, it can legally be called Tequila. Karma simply took its name from the "cause and effect relationship between our choices and their consequences. Karma Tequila is about cultivating good karma: it is a commitment to live with energy, happiness, and kindness."

The result is a modern, full-bodied Tequila, where there is plenty of agave character in the spirit without being too pungent and overwhelming. The whole range tastes great, versatile enough to either mix with cocktails or drink neat. Karma, along with the others listed below made for a very entertaining class, capped off by a classic Margarita to thank my students for listening to me bloviate about Tequila for a couple of hours!

Here's what we tasted. All are absolutely worth seeking out.

Karma Silver Tequila ($42): Intense, but not pungent agave on the nose, with orange and lemon citrus, as well as a sea salt finish. This might taste good when chilled if you want to drink it straight, but a salt-rimmed classic Margarita is the way to go with this one.

Karma Resposado Tequila ($51): The agave is still noticeable after 364 days of resting in large wooden vats. Accompanying the citrus notes in the silver are toffee, baking spices, and black pepper. You can easily enjoy this on its own or use it in a more complex Margarita, such as one with blood oranges and cinnamon.

Karma Añejo Tequila ($63): Aged nearly three years in old Bourbon barrels, the agave character is understated, while caramel, vanilla, and woody notes come into play. If you are a whiskey lover, this is one for you to try!

Herradura Reposado Tequila ($45): Our Lowland example for the evening, Herradura's nose is not super-intense, but on the palate it's all agave, green bell pepper, black pepper, and a touch of cayenne. Very earthy and savory on the finish.

Chinaco Reposado Tequila ($50): Chinaco is situated in the outlier region of Tamaulipas near the Texas border. There is a distinct candied lime flavor that plays with the agave very well. This is one that I really enjoy drinking neat with a slight chill on it, maybe even with a squeeze of lime.

Yuu Baal Mezcal Espadin Blanco ($39): Espadin is an agave species that makes up about 90% of all Mezcal production, and it is very closely related to the blue agave used for Tequila. The Espadin is very smoky and fiery on the nose. On the palate, it's like drinking a peppery wood fire, something that the Islay Scotch drinkers out there who also like agave spirit will absolutely enjoy.