Frank T. rated 12h ago

Wild Common Tequila Blanco

90 SCORE

“Nose: Cooked agave up front with earthiness, mandarin-lime citrus, anise, cinnamon, and a light hint of cloves. The flinty mineral quality from the valley floor soil announces itself immediately. Palate: Agave and earth lead with slate, wet stone, cooked agave, bright citrus, and mellow white pepper weaving through. Finish: Long and well oiled. Crisp lime oils, subtle licorice notes, sweet steamed agave, and lingering mineral notes. Clean fade. Overall: Where standard valley floor blancos can lean into overly rustic, heavy brine, Wild Common is bright, clean, and beautifully balanced. Crafted by Salvador "Chava" Rosales at Cascahuín (NOM 1123), it blends traditional tahona crushing with a roller mill to keep things expressive and vibrant. ”

Frank T. rated 14d ago

Purasangre Blanco

81 SCORE

“Nose: Cooked agave up front with earthiness, green apple, wet grass, mint, and cinnamon spice. The subtle vegetal mineral quality from the high-altitude estate fields announces itself immediately. Palate: Agave and earth lead with slate, wet stone, cooked agave, citrus peel, and bold black pepper weaving through. Finish: Long and well oiled. White pepper heat, a soft honeyed sweetness, brine, and lingering mineral notes. Clean fade. Overall: Where typical mass-market highland expressions hide behind simple candied sweetness, Purasangre remains aggressively rustic and structural. The heritage pot-still execution is the whole story. A must own for any serious blanco collection.”

Frank T. rated 18d ago

Yeyo Blanco High Proof

90 SCORE

“Nose: Crisp tropical mango, banana, bright citrus, sweet cooked agave, soft mint, and light minerality. Palate: Exceptionally rich and oily. Heavy agave sweetness paired with lime, roasted jalapeño, and a warm pepper punch. Finish: Long, warming, and clean. Lingering citrus and earthy spice fade with zero harsh burn. Overall: A home run by Bullinger and Cruz out of NOM 1414. The 190-hour champagne yeast fermentation gives it an unmatched, bright complexity for an overproof. An incredible, additive-free value at ~$65. Highly recommended.”

Frank T. rated 18d ago

Terralta Tequila Reposado

88 SCORE

“Nose: Fresh steamed agave up front with earthiness, citrus peel, vanilla bean, and a whisper of toasted oak. The intense mineral quality from the deep well water announces itself immediately. Palate: Agave and earth lead with slate, wet stone, cooked agave, and gentle baking spices, with subtle butterscotch and almond undertones weaving through. Finish: Long and well oiled. White pepper, soft caramel, a faint touch of oak tannin, and lingering mineral notes. Clean fade. Overall: Where the Blanco is raw and uncompromisingly stony, the Reposado introduces a soft layer of wood aging without burying the spirit's rugged character. Six to eight months in very used, worn-out oak barrels softens the edges, but the deep well water is still the whole story. A must own for any serious reposado collection.”

Frank T. rated 18d ago

Terralta Tequila Blanco 110

90 SCORE

“Nose: Fresh steamed agave up front with earthiness, pepper, citrus peel, and fresh tarragon. The intense mineral quality from the deep well water announces itself immediately. Palate: Agave and earth lead with slate, wet stone, cooked agave, citrus, anise, and white pepper weaving through. Finish: Long and well oiled. Cinnamon spice, mint, sweet steamed agave, and lingering mineral notes. Clean fade. Overall: Where the standard 80-proof bottling is grounded and earthy, the 110-proof turns up the volume on the agave intensity without letting the alcohol heat take over. Still-strength craftsmanship from El Pandillo, but magnified the high proof is the whole story. A must own for any serious blanco collection.”

Frank T. rated 19d ago

Teremana Tequila Blanco

67 SCORE

“Nose: Artificially sweet cooked agave, dominant rubbing alcohol vapor, strong medicinal vanilla, and faint wet cardboard. Palate: Flat and thin with a chemical-tasting citrus peel, synthetic sugar sweetness, bitter metallic tang, and a harsh peppery burn. Finish: Abrupt and rough, leaving a cloying artificial vanilla sweetness and a sharp, unpleasant throat scratch. Overall: Teremana Blanco feels like a mass-produced celebrity gimmick that prioritizes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's marketing over actual quality. Despite the buzzwords about brick ovens and copper stills, the distillate tastes overly engineered, unnatural, and aggressively harsh. It is completely unsuited for sipping neat, and its bitter, metallic edge easily overpowers even a standard Margarita.”

Frank T. rated 19d ago

Arette Artesenal Blanco Suave

86 SCORE

“Nose: Prominent cooked agave, fresh mint, crisp citrus zest, and a distinct herbal, grassy undertone. Palate: Notes of sweet agave, black pepper, vegetal brine, and a unique hint of tropical lychee fruit. Finish: Crisp, clean, and balanced with a lingering peppery warmth and cooling minerality. Overall: An exceptional, additive-free lowlands tequila. Six months of stainless steel aeration gives this bottle a remarkably velvety texture. It masterfully balances savory brine with subtle fruit, making it a benchmark sipping blanco for enthusiasts.”

Frank T. rated 34d ago

Tapatio Blanco 110

89 SCORE

“Nose: This one hits you immediately. Cooked and raw agave front and center with grapefruit, lime zest, black pepper, brine, mint, anise, and tropical fruit all showing up at once. Outstanding and barely hints at what the proof is doing underneath. Palate: Bell pepper, grapefruit, agave, mint, and olive weaving together with jalapeño heat building through the mid-palate. Creamy mouthfeel that genuinely catches you off guard for 110 proof. You keep waiting for the burn and it never comes. Finish: Long and peppery. Brine, tropical fruit, and jalapeño holding well past the last sip. Overall: The regular Tapatio is already in my regular rotation. This is that same bottle with the volume cranked to 11. Everything you love about the standard blanco shows up louder and more concentrated without any harshness. Pour it in a margarita and it changes what you thought a margarita could taste like. At this price there is no reason not to have both on the shelf.”

Frank T. rated 35d ago

Fósforo Tequila Blanco

84 SCORE

“Nose: Cooked agave, fresh lemon, honeydew melon, and orange peel. Bright, clean, and expressive without being thin. Palate: Agave sweetness up front with delicate white florals, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and a soft cinnamon note threading through. Lifted minerality creates an almost effervescent texture mid-palate. Finish: Warm, bright, and clean. Candied lemon peel, green pepper, and a crack of pink peppercorn fading gently. Overall: As the prominent mezcal brand’s first foray into the tequila space, this is a genuinely expressive Highland blanco at a fair price. The champagne yeast and red clay terroir tell a clear story from nose to finish. Worth watching as the brand builds its credibility. At $35 it earns its shelf space on quality alone.”

Frank T. rated 44d ago

Jose Cuervo Especial Gold

30 SCORE

“Nose: Artificial caramel, vanilla, and a sharp ethanol bite. Light agave note buried underneath sweetener. Not much else. Palate: Loaded with additives. Caramel, artificial vanilla, and a medicinal quality with very little agave presence. Hot and one dimensional throughout. Finish: Short and harsh. Alcohol heat with a sticky sweetness that lingers uncomfortably. Overall: The most consumed tequila on the planet and arguably the most responsible for people having had a “bad experience” with tequila. ”