Celebrity’s f*cking love launching tequila brands. Just off the top of the dome, you’ve got George Clooney, Kendall Jenner, The Rock, Kevin Hart, Mark Wahlberg, Adam Levine, Rita Ora, and Nick Jonas’ brands, and most of them have done that photoshoot where they are in an agave field dressed like a farmer taking themselves way too seriously.
So yet another celebrity launching a tequila brand isn’t automatically newsworthy, but when that person is Danny McBride, aka Kenny Powers, aka Neal Gamby, aka Jesse Gemstone — we can’t help but be intrigued. At the very least, we can expect McBride to approach things tongue-in-cheek ala Matthew McConaughey’s Pantalones (pantalones meants pants). And McBride did not disappoint!
His brand, Don Gato, features a website that shows McBride, his friend Steve Little, and a masked luchador maniacally petting cats in an agave field. There are samurai swords, middle-aged men in roller skates, and a fever dream vibe that feels like you stepped straight into McBride’s weird, weird world. A celebrity tequila brand that comes across as refreshing? What a concept!
But just because this new brand is coming from a cool place conceptually, that doesn’t mean it’ tastes any good. So we set out to find out how Don Gato stacks up by taste-testing the brand’s unaged blanco expression. Here are our thoughts.
Don Gato Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $36.34
The Tequila:
Something that struck us about Don Gato’s marketing is how prominently this brand wants you to know that it is an additive-free tequila. Yes, “additive-free” is all the rage in the tequila scene right now, so this would be a smart move from any tequila brand trying to get a foothold into an oversaturated market, but it is pretty novel for celebrity brands.
Celebrity brands tend to go for easy-to-drink expressions, going heavy on vanilla notes and softened flavors, but Don Gato wants to put the herbal and earthy lowland agave it uses front and center, and we appreciate that. According to Don Gato’s site, the tequila consists of just three ingredients: agave, pure water, and “raw emotions.”
There isn’t too much information on the site that lets us know how this tequila is actually made, but Don Gato says that the agave is tahona crushed, and distilled in copper pots. We’d love more clarification on the agave-roasting process, but we couldn’t find it.
What we do know is that Don Gato is produced at NOM 1607, Grupo Solave, the same distillery that makes Kendal Jenner’s 818. Many tequilas out of this distillery utilize stone ovens, but the full distillery equipment also features an autoclave and boiling tank. But enough about the process — let’s get into what this stuff tastes like.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: What sticks out immediately to me is how buttery this tequila comes across. I’m getting a hint of popcorn butter, the tartness of granny smith apples, and a hint of chili spice. I have to hand it to Don Gato, this is pretty inviting stuff.
Palate: Once on the palate, this tequila begins with a mild chili and cinnamon spice, followed by a bit of almond, caramelized agave, and grilled citrus. A shifting bouquet of interesting flavors, but unfortunately I find that none of them stick around long enough for you to savor. I like what I taste here, but I want to taste more of it and it’s not always delivering.
Finish: Dry and zesty with a subtle woody element and a lingering sizzling spice.
The Bottom Line:
Don Gato is among the very best of celebrity tequilas. It has the high-quality production of brands like 818 and Casamigos, but a much more natural flavor profile, and won’t break the bank. Celebrity brands aside, in its price class it’s a pretty damn good additive-free tequila. We’d be very interested to see how it holds up against other additive-free brands in a blind taste test.
Our guess is it’ll do quite well.
Don Gato is currently available in Florida, George, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Illinois and Michigan as well as online. Find a bottle here.
