Put away the lime and salt. To Carlos Rovelo, they are to tequila what salsa is to ice cream sundaes. The shot glass has got to go, too -- it's a reminder that tequila is "something that almost killed you in college," he says. And ignore most of what's sold as tequila in the U.S.

Now you're ready to appreciate the oldest distilled spirit in the Americas, says Rovelo, who admits his own escape from Margaritaville was a long and winding road. In his case, Margaritaville was Wichita State University, where he first studied in the U.S. after leaving his native El Salvador. Rovelo completed his degree in government in Texas, then studied in France, where he developed an appreciation for fine wine. He then returned to Texas to earn a master's degree in art.

Years later, when doing business that involved selling labels to tequila distillers, clients presented him with some beautiful bottles of top-shelf tequila. He appreciated the gifts from an artistic perspective, Rovelo says, "but you don't drink the bottle." When told that the liquor inside was as good as the best cognac, Rovelo -- who had drunk cognac in Cognac -- took the praise with a lick of salt.

Until he tried it. On his next trip to France, Rovelo took some of his favorite tequila to his in-laws (he's married to a Frenchwoman he met in college) and set up blind tastings to let the product speak for itself. Their reaction was lavish praise, but after he revealed what they were sampling, they asked: "Are you sure it's tequila?"

Rovelo's love for tequila continued to develop, and now he is ranked a catador, an expert that is to tequila as a sommelier is to wine. The designation is given by the Mexican Tequila Academy. He also leads tequila-tasting tours in Mexico. His day jobs are teaching humanities at a Texas college and working on recycling programs for the Mexican state of Jalisco.

Mixed message

The first step in appreciating tequila is to understand its history, which rings a personal note with Rovelo. Just as his heritage is a blend of Spanish and indigenous Central American culture, tequila, he says, is also a mix of both. The Aztecs brewed a kind of wine called pulque from agave plants. The Spanish introduced distillation, which upped pulque's alcohol content, turning it into a liquor today known as mezcal. Mezcal can be produced from any agave, but tequila comes only from the Weber Blue agave. The worm you find in some bottles of mezcal -- true tequila never comes with that little hors d'oeuvre -- doesn't even feed on blue agave.

No matter what you learned in college, agave is not a cactus. It's related to the lily, and it takes about eight to ten years to mature, growing a foot per year on average. At maturity, the leaves are cut off, and the sugar-rich hearts are cooked and then squeezed for juice, which is fermented and distilled.

At this point, tequila takes one of two paths to the U.S. Most tequila crosses the border in barrels and is cut with alcohol distilled from sugar cane. If at least 51% of the product comes from agave, the liquor can still be called tequila. Catadors will tell you that this blended version is best used in mixed drinks, such as margaritas (see box), or as a sacrament in college initiations.

Tequila that's bottled in Mexico is always 100% agave, and it is labeled as such. About one-third of the tequila sold in the U.S. is this higher-quality variety, and the percentage is growing as more Americans are introduced to the good stuff. Mexico has about 110 tequila distilleries producing 600 brands, only 250 of which are exported, says Rovelo.

Although a distiller may put its name on all the brands it sells, the quality among the brands may vary. For instance, Cuervo, the oldest distiller of tequila, sells brands that run from "hell to paradise," Rovelo says. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia hopelessly outclasses the popular Jose Cuervo Gold. Reserva is pleasantly sweet, Gold is cloyingly so. Reserva has some fruity aromas and peppery flavors, while Gold's bouquet is laced with rubbing alcohol and creosote and has a finish that leaves skid marks on your esophagus--definitely best saved for the margarita blender.

Tequila falls into four official categories, whether it's 100% agave or the blended variety:

• Silver (also called plata or blanco). This tequila is crystal clear, and is bottled and sold immediately after distillation.
• Gold (dorado). This is silver tequila colored to look aged.
• Aged (reposado). Tequila that has matured in oak for two months to a year.
• Extra-aged (añejo). Tequila that has matured in oak for more than one year.

Five to try

The younger the tequila, the more agave you taste -- and that's not a bad thing. For an unadulterated sample of just how good agave flavors can be, Rovelo recommends Sauza Tres Generaciones Plata ($34). It has an intense, pure flavor with "hints of citrus and spice" that builds in intensity, although the finish is "clean and crisp," he says. Rovelo suggests drinking fine tequila from a snifter, which concentrates the aromas.

In the aged category, Rovelo likes Patrón Reposado ($50). It has a complex aroma that suggests fruit, pepper, flowers and agave, and its taste has distinct caramel tones with "hints of peppermint," he says. Also in this category, he likes Corazón Reposado ($60), which has "high oak aromas with light hints of dried herbs." The tequila is fruity with mild oak flavors, and its finish is sweet, smooth caramel.

For extra-aged, Rovelo picks Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia ($100), which begins with an aroma of toasty oak and caramel with light pepper, and has a body that is distinctly sweet and oily. The taste is "oaky and smoky flavors with light caramel," he says. Another good choice, says Rovelo, is Tequila Herradura Selección Suprema ($300), which is aged for five years and represents the pinnacle of the tequila art. It has an oaky, smoky aroma that includes cream soda and agave, and its taste is "a soft blend of pepper and oak, with a slight hint of butterscotch."

Carlos Rovelo is a tequila expert who leads tequila tours in Mexico. His Web site, TequilArte, promotes tequila education.

--Research: Elizabeth Kountze

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