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There is an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse where Mickey, Minnie, and company search for the ever-elusive hula hibiscus. The magical flower, it appears, only blooms once in a great while and Minnie desperately wants to take a picture of the hibiscus doing its hula. Technically, the story is inaccurate – flowers in general and the hibiscus in particular don't dance, and they certainly don't hula. Drink enough of Gran Centenario's Rosangel Tequila, which is hibiscus-infused, and you may find yourself dancing though. It is, after all, 80 proof. Gran Centenario claims that this is the "first-ever" hibiscus-infused tequila, and if taste is anything to go by it certainly won't be the last.
The first thing that strikes one though isn't the taste of the tequila, it's the bottle and the almost peach-colored liquid inside of it. The coloring is subtle, neither off-putting nor garish; it is merely a hint that this tequila is something slightly different.
Opening the bottle and wafting the tequila to one's nose, one gets a somewhat sweet odor mixed in with usual tequila smell. Not being someone to speak of gentle hints of rose mixed with coffee, vanilla, and, perhaps, yes, a touch of cinnamon, I won't, and I certainly don't ascribe such a taste to Rosangel. The side of the bottle says something about ripe fruit, floral notes, and dried berries, but I'm not qualified to make such a judgment. No, I can tell you with some confidence that the taste is the same as the smell – mainly, it is sweet, though not for a minute will one forget that they are drinking tequila. The aftertaste is minimal, and it is easy to drink.
The tequila itself is a 100% Agave Reposado one, which has not only been infused with hibiscus, but has been aged in port barrels (a favorite of mine with scotch) for two months. The result, as stated above, is a highly drinkable tequila.
As for the actual drinking of tequila, I highly recommend it on the rocks. Due to its sweetness there's absolutely no need to do shots of Rosangel, even if they're off of someone's stomach. I've also made pretty swell margaritas with it using margarita mix, but the tag on the bottle gives a far more involved recipe which involves orange liqueur, Agave nectar, and not-so-random other things. While it sounds truly fantastic, my above average margarita mix did the trick and required a minimal amount of mixing and measuring and stirring and shaking. My drink ethos has always been that less involved if I'm making it is more, and Rosangel allows me to put together a good margarita under those rules.
It can be drunk straight. It can be mixed. If you drink enough of Rosangel it just may make you do the hibiscus hula, and if you drink too much perhaps, just perhaps, you'll think that you're doing the hibiscus hula with Mickey Mouse. What more could you possibly want?
