After a bender trip in Mexico after high school I swore off drinking any and all tequila. In the late 80’s and early 90’s that probably wasn’t a bad thing to do (the big selling point of many tequilas was that they had a worm in the bottle). Flash forward many years and a friend of mine urged me to try a shot of Patron Tequila. It became clear just how far tequila has come.
Soon after trying Patron, I discovered a wide range of tequilas and mezcal which I enjoyed much more. I found I enjoyed the complexity of flavors beyond the simple pepper note of Patron and ones which were not so overbearingly fiery on the finish.
I was intrigued when I found out that Yeyo Tequila is being imported and distributed out of Beaverton, Oregon, a city more associated with companies like Nike and Intel than spirits.
Yeyo, oddly enough, is actually a slang term used in Spanish for cocaine. When I asked Jon Bullinger, founder of Unique Liquid, LLC (the importer) about the title he referred me to the Yeyo website which defines Yeyo as “traditional distilling with a modern twist”. It’s an interesting take, but I think he delights in knowing that many people will order this tequila with a smile, knowing what they’d be getting if they asked for “yeyo” in Mexico.
I actually like the name and branding for Yeyo. The sanded glass bottle is very stylized and modern but still quite classic. All the slick branding in the world doesn’t mean much unless what’s inside delivers, and Yeyo does really deliver.
Yeyo Ultra Premium Silver Tequila has a nice clean soft peppery sweet nose with some mineral undertones. The nose is a lot softer than you’d expect for an 80 proof spirit and it held its nice soft properties even when I swirled it around in my glass (no real strong alcohol vapors). The taste follows the nose pretty closely with sweet peppery tones; it does have some hints of fire but they are extremely well balanced with the sweet and pepper notes. I found it to be fairly buttery and creamy with a very nicely balanced mouth feel. The finish is long and gradual with nice sweet pepper and some very light spice.
What stands out the most about Yeyo is how well balanced it is. This tequila is exceptional dialed in, with just the right mix of pepper, sweet and spice. It’s extremely easy drinking and won over all the members of our tasting panel.
I road tested Yeyo in a Tequila Old Fashioned and was very happy with the results.
Here’s the Tequila Old Fashioned recipe I used:
- 1 1/2oz of Yeyo Tequila
- 1/2 tsp of Agave
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
Yeyo Tequila is being sold in Oregon and Washington at $46.95 a 750ml bottle.
Yeyo Ultra Premium Silver Tequila Rating :
Highly Recommended – an exceptionally drinkable and balanced tequila at a fantastic price point
