Zumbador Blanco High Proof

91 SCORE

“Aroma: tons of cooked agave, citrus zest, and brine. I don’t pick up much of any heat on the nose, which is impressive considering the ABV. I would describe it more so as vegetal as opposed to fruity. Flavor: wow, this is great. The brine and citrus are screaming. I picked up a nice shot of pepper and anise. This is incredibly easy to drink. Finish: complements the flavor very nicely. It last quite a while. Overall: for the price point you can’t beat it. A+ all day in my book.”

Arette Artesenal Reposado Suave

86 SCORE

“Aroma: skipped this because I didn’t have the right glass on hand. Taste: a very interesting mix of agave, pepper, and earthy flavors. Lightly reminds me of the peaty, mossy flavor I associate with scotch. Finish: medium length, and strong on the pepper. Overall: I like it. I’ve never had a bad product from Arette.”

Cachasol Tequila Blanco Epic Strength

88 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers Aroma: Í had a hard time placing some of these aromas until I read that this expression uses IPA yeast (?). Not sure if this is accurate, but I wouldn’t doubt it. The agave is the star of the show, and I picked up some minerality. Taste: TONS of vegetal notes (specifically mint and asparagus) in addition to agave. Some light cinnamon notes and pepper make it a very well-rounder HP. Finish: not as long as I’d prefer, but it’s great. Overall: not sure on the price, but I would definitely add it to the shelf. ”

Fortaleza Reposado

86 SCORE

“Aroma: I picked up lots of agave, hints of apple and cherry, and some light brine. Taste: matches the aroma perfectly. Not a lot of pepper. Finish: this would be my only negative as I wish it would have lasted for longer, but overall, it’s a delicious repo.”

Cazcanes No. 7 Joven

87 SCORE

“Received a sample from agave swappers. Aroma: primarily agave, citrus zest, and cherry. Maybe some light oak notes. Taste: very light and nuanced. The balance between agave and barrel notes is great. I get lots of cooked agave, light citrus notes, barrel notes, and a nice peppery kick. Finish: short, but tasty. ”

Mijenta Reposado Symphony Series No. 2

88 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers. Aroma: lots of cooked agave, oak, and light minerality. The balance between the agave and oak is pretty incredible. Taste: matches the aroma. I also picked up cherry, some clove, maybe light cinnamon. Some slight peat as well. Finish: lasts for quite a while. Lots of clove and pepper at the end. Overall: I really like this one.”

House of Rare Founder's Cut Blanco

87 SCORE

“Received a sample from Keith and Matt at Agave Swappers. Aroma: I picked up lots of citrus, cooked agave, some alcohol, and some slight earthiness. Taste: no complaints here. Tons of cooked agave, citrus zest, brine, and maybe some peat make this a a very well-rounded blanco. Finish: it finishes with a strong kick of pepper that sticks around for a while. I really like it. Overall: I dig it.”

Yeyo Blanco High Proof

88 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers. Aroma: screaming with agave, minerals, and citrus. I honestly didn’t pick up much alcohol at all. Taste: I was told that this is a very underrated HP, and I totally agree after trying this. It’s not overly complex, but everything that’s there is turned up to 10. The agave is the star, but the minerals and lime are just fantastic. It’s quite oily, and just an overall fantastic HP. Finish: lasts quite a long time. It has a strong peppery kick to finish it off. Definitely worth keeping a bottle or 2 on hand.”

Lost Lore Long Island Lou Single Barrel Blanco

88 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers. Aroma: strong cooked agave, citrus, brine, and something lightly sweet. Taste: closely matches the aroma. The agave is front and present, along with a nice citrus burst, and some sweetness on the backend. Finish: this is really neat because the sweetness sticks around for a while. I honestly didn’t get any pepper, which I normally get from the HPs. Overall: I dig it! Not sure what it retails for, but if I saw it on the shelf I’d grab one for sure.”

Yéyo Joven Luna: Day of the Dead

87 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers. Aroma: wow, the peach aroma is no doubt front and center, and it’s very enticing. It’s accentuated with agave and light brine. Not super complex in that the peach is quite abundant, but it smells awesome nonetheless. Taste: I really like this flavor profile. It might not appeal to hardcore tequila folks who always want cooked agave front and center, but for me it’s very enjoyable. The peach is very complementary to the agave. Finish: this might be the only area I could complain about in that it’s a little on the short side, but I’m just being greedy. Overall: love it! This was only a sample, but I’m for sure picking up a bottle.”

Cazcanes No. 7 Reposado

87 SCORE

“Received a sample in a swap. Aroma: toffee, vanilla, light nutmeg, and agave. Light brine and minerality. Smells delicious. It’s fairly dark for a repo. Taste: awesome repo. The barrel notes are exceptionally well balanced and complement the agave beautifully. Finish: it has a sweet kick at the end that I don’t typically encounter with repos. I really like it.”

Cultura 100 Blanco High Proof

90 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers. Aroma: tons of cooked agave, citrus, and brine. Not nearly as much heat as you would expect from a 54% ABV. I also got some strong vegetal notes. It has a great balance of aromas. Taste: DAMN this is good. It’s very oily and viscous, which to me is a hallmark of a good HP. It sips like a much lower ABV (in a great way). There is a great minerality to this that really balances everything out. Finish: it sticks around for quite a while. It has a strong kick of pepper and heat that is quite tasty. Overall: this is an absolute winner from start to finish. This was a sample, but I’ll for sure be picking up a bottle or two first chance I get.”

El Ateo Antimateria Extra Añejo

89 SCORE

“Aroma: a very well balanced mix of vanilla, toffee, oak, agave, and maybe a touch of cinnamon. Taste: matches the aroma exactly. I wouldn’t call it overly complex, but very enjoyable. A nice extra kick of pepper rounds it out. Finish: medium length, with the pepper lingering for a while. Overall: definitely like it. I think some extra aging would help make the flavors really pop some more, but there is no denying it’s a well made XA. Extra points for value.”

El Ateo Blanco Still Strength

89 SCORE

“This is a bright, vibrant HP. It’s screaming with citrus, herbal notes, brine, and just a touch of heat. It honestly sips like a much lower ABV, but you can tell after a few sips it’s a HP. Extra points for value. This is a winner.”

El Ateo Reposado Ultra Premium

88 SCORE

“Aroma: right on the nose I picked up cinnamon and candied apples (not overwhelmingly so), toffee, light vanilla, and maybe a small hint of pepper. Taste: wow, this is nice. It’s very light and well balanced. Matches the nose and I picked up some light anise. Finish: medium length on the finish. Nice peppery kick at the end. Overall: I might like this one a little more than the blanco. It has a very enjoyable flavor profile. ”

El Ateo Blanco Ultra Premium

87 SCORE

“Aroma: lots of vegetal and herbal notes. Some cooked agave and light citrus notes. Taste: matches the aroma nicely, along with light petrichor and pepper. It’s very light, zesty, and citrusy. Finish: this would be my only complaint as I was hoping it would last longer, but it’s still very enjoyable. Overall: I like it. If you like the valley agave flavor profile, you’ll probably enjoy this.”

Amatiteña Tequila Extra Añejo

89 SCORE

“I don’t usually mention the color, but this is one of the darker XAs I’ve come across. Aroma: screaming with barrel notes. Butterscotch, vanilla, beautiful notes of oak, slight cinnamon. Some lighter, more aromatic notes that are hard to place, but smell fantastic. Taste: incredibly complex. The balance is incredible. You definitely know it’s made from agave, but the barrel notes just complement it so well. I got the butterscotch and vanilla for sure. Not a ton of cinnamon, which is good for me. Finish: this is possibly my only area of concern in that the finish doesn’t last as long as I’d like, but I’m just being nitpicky. It’s great, and lasts a decently long time. I just want it to last forever. Overall: officially my new favorite XA.”

Amatiteña Barrancas

90 SCORE

“Aroma: the initial crack definitely reminded me of some mezcals I’ve sampled i.e. some smoke (but not overwhelmingly so), higher ABV, and agave. Once I let it breathe for a bit, I picked up some slight fruity notes, light brine, and some citrus zest. Taste: mezcal drinkers will like this. It matches the aroma very well. I suspect it will open up even more in a few days. If I had to simplify it, I would describe it as a slightly sweet mezcal. Finish: lingers for a while, and it’s not the usual peppery aftertaste I’m used to from tequilas, which I really appreciate for a change of pace. Overall: I really like it. I believe it’s a special yearly release, and if so, I’d be inclined to pick up each year’s offering.”

Lost Lore Reposado High Proof

87 SCORE

“Received a sample from Agave Swappers member. I’m skipping the nose because I wasn’t using an appropriate glass. This is great. It really tastes like a high proof that didn’t sit for too long in the barrels. The agave was still screaming, and I got just the slightest kick of cinnamon and vanilla, so I think it’s the best of both worlds. ”

Mijenta Blanco Maestra Selection No. 2

85 SCORE

“Aroma: I picked up agave, lime, and minerals Taste: very similar to the aroma, but there is a surprisingly sweet kick that I wasn’t expecting. Pretty pleasant. Finish: this one dissipates quick. Overall: pretty good!”

Chamucos Diablo Blanco

88 SCORE

“Aroma: this was from a freshly cracked bottle, and I was overwhelmed (in a good way) with that malolactic, blue cheese funk that this bottle is known for. I haven’t really encountered it in such a strong way before cracking this bottle. Once I got past that there was the agave, alcohol, and light brine. Taste: the taste is actually pretty different from the nose. Tons of agave, brine, vegetal/herbal notes, screaming with pepper and alcohol (in a good way) Finish: it’s long, peppery, and burns in a great way. Overall: definitely wouldn’t drink it every day, but it will probably always be on my shelf once I finish this bottle ”