Siempre Tequila Plata (1414)

88 SCORE

“There is a mellowness to this expression I love. The nose has hints of gentle vegetal, vanilla, and citrus notes. A tad of mint too! The taste is mellow as well. A lot of notes but they all seem balanced and pulled back. The vegetal note kicks in right away and then some mineral, then citrus towards the end that makes my mouth water. Overall, very nice and balanced with a mineral texture.”

Siete Leguas Reposado

85 SCORE

“A very approachable Reposado. You can smell the cooked agave right away, then there’s the classic Siete Leguas black pepper and citrus, with some oak, vanilla, and caramel from the barrel. Those notes all carry through to the flavor with the barrel notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak becoming more prevalent, and a citrus finish. I also notice some green apple too. Reposados are not my favorite but I would keep this one at home!”

Ocho Tequila Reposado

86 SCORE

“Almost immediately the fresh veg comes across in the aroma. Strong agave and oak (which includes some vanilla), with some black pepper, wet grass, and a tad of citrus. An alcohol burn is definitely there as well. Tasting it, I get the agave right away, then the oak, black pepper, and vanilla, then some vegetal and wet grassy notes, some mineral, and a slight citrusy finish. The alcohol is noticeable throughout. A very well done Reposado!”

Cimarron Reposado

76 SCORE

“Aroma: Beyond the cooked agave, I got a harsh alcohol burn right away, then some black pepper, caramel, vanilla, oak, wood spice, salt brine, and citrus. Taste: At first, I get some oak, wood spice, and salt brine, which opens up into the cooked agave and black pepper, with a caramel and citrus finish. Not bad, but I wouldn’t seek it out unless I was looking for a low-cost additive free mixer. It felt out of balance with none of the flavors really popping.”

Cimarron Blanco

82 SCORE

“Aroma: We’ve got some funk! I get the cooked agave but there is a crazy mix of vegetal, green olive, mineral, vanilla, brine, black pepper, and lactic notes. Definitely interesting. Taste: The cooked agave still comes through along with some of the interesting notes from the aroma. There is black pepper, olive brine, mineral, vanilla, with some of the green olive and lactic notes. I believe I’m getting asparagus as well. There is a nice and brief citrus finish. Overall, not bad. Would make a good mixer. It’s very interesting, just not my kind of interesting.”

Tres Agaves Blanco (Organic)

80 SCORE

“The aroma is good with a mineral creaminess and black pepper. There is a slight alcohol burn with a dash of mint and orange citrus at the end. The flavor has an intense minerality and black pepper at the beginning, then a steep drop off into citrus, grass, and mint. The mineral and black pepper stick to the tongue after swallowing but I get the citrus, mint, and grass along the edge of the tongue as I exhale. Overall, pretty good. Not thrilling, but nice. ”

Insólito Blanco

79 SCORE

“The nose is okay with agave, mineral, black pepper, and citrus, but there is also a harsh alcohol burn that’s off-putting. The taste is more pleasant with light cooked agave, mineral, black pepper, and a citrus with wet grass finish. The mineral clings to the tongue and feels a little abrasive, but overall, not bad. It’s just not very complex with an on texture. Wouldn’t seek it out but I would drink it again if offered!”

LALO Tequila Blanco

91 SCORE

“Wow. I wish I would have found this sooner! What a special blanco. After letting it open up for 15 minutes, I get aromas of intense mineral and black pepper followed by cooked agave, vanilla, and citrus. But intensity is only in the nose! When sipping, this expression becomes a delicate bouquet with the black pepper, minerality, and small notes of cinnamon and anise opening up into the cooked agave, vanilla, and citrus finish. This has a mostly light mouthfeel, though it feels like it sticks around on the tongue after; it tastes so good that I don’t mind! ”

El Tesoro Extra Añejo

89 SCORE

“This is only my 2nd extra Anejo and I did not know they could be like this. Recently, I found out they use very worn whiskey barrels so the oak has a light touch, making the expression appear very light by sight, appearing more like an Anejo or Reposado. The aroma is subtle with cooked agave, light oak (for this kind of expression), chocolate, caramel, vanilla, butter, apple, and orange citrus. Since it has been aged a good while, the oak is present and deep, but toned down. This makes the agave more of a star and the confectionery notes are still there with a little citrus at the finish. Like the oak, these are still deep but very mellow. This is a great tequila that can be explored quite a bit!”

Nueveuno Tequila Añejo

86 SCORE

“Did I just walk into a confectionery? Because this tequila is dessert! The nose gives me a deep caramel aroma with agave, chocolate, and vanilla with a little orange at the end. The taste is similar with the chocolate being more prevalent. The barrel complements the cooked agave sugar so well. The caramel and vanilla hold strong with some nutmeg thrown in. The finish has an orange citrus note making it seem juicy. The oak is very understated and is quite mellow throughout. There is a watery texture so it all goes down smooth and easy. Break this out on Valentines Day and be the hero! ”

Tequila El Mexicano Reposado

83 SCORE

“For Reposado a being my least favorite expression, this is quite lovely. You can smell the oak, caramel, vanilla, cooked agave, and even a little buttery vanilla! The first taste I get it a whiskey-type oakiness followed by agave, caramel, butter, vanilla, and some black pepper and citrus to finish out strong. It’s a fun taste without oak overshadowing any complexity. It’s well-balanced and I would go back to this one.”

Don Fulano Blanco Fuerte (100 proof)

88 SCORE

“Whoa! Is that some funk?! The aroma is a combo of butter cream and green olive that I don’t believe would work in any other context than tequila. The cooked agave permeates everything beneath along with the high proof alcohol. The complex flavor has cooked agave, butter, olive, grass, earth, and black pepper. This combination of notes makes this a curious expression I want to keep exploring.”

Corrido Blanco

89 SCORE

“Nose: The first thing to stand out on the nose was an underlying butterscotch minerality as a nice surprise. Then I noticed the cooked agave. There’s also black pepper, vanilla, and a little berry and citrus. Flavor: Yep, the butterscotch is still there, totally unexpected! Then I got some agave and sharp black pepper. The finish has some berry and citrus fruitiness. What a unique blanco! ”

Siete Leguas Blanco

90 SCORE

“Aroma: black pepper right off the bat, smells warm. Some earthiness and citrus as well. Cooked agave is still the star of the show. Flavor: Outside of the pleasantly-cooked agave the black pepper carries through to the mouth as well. There’s a little earthiness and then opens to a citrusy finish, like orange peel. Mouth Feel: a little warm at first and feels a little oily/creamy as it goes down. A lively kick!”

Tequila G4 Blanco

89 SCORE

“The nose has a strong agave and mineral profile. When you taste, the flavor not nearly as intense as you would expect. It’s gentle and elegant. Starts off with agave and earth, then opens into black pepper and a citrus finish. Big fan!”

El Caballito Cerrero Blanco (46%)

91 SCORE

“As a history nut I feel lucky to have snagged a bottle! Starts off with strong agave that opens up into notes of black pepper, mineral, and earth. Has an oily mouthfeel. Some vanilla, citrus, and grass in the aftertaste. What a lovely expression!”