Aaron N. rated 38d ago

Cascahuín Plata 48%

85 SCORE

“The finish leaves a little bit to be desired, but the value is what tanked this rating. It’s an amazing expression. However, side by side with the flagship blanco, it might be a push and the plata is $40 more. I’m buying the typ blanco over it all day, but it’s a nice bottle to have in the shelf. ”

Aaron N. rated 38d ago

Montagave Blanco Las Rocas

85 SCORE

“Flavor: Cooked agave, fresh agave, vegetal, olive, brine, touch of mint. Bright finish, thin mouth feel. Aroma is the shining star. Complex expression. Palette is similar to Arette. Very clean, bright agave but the flavor leans a bit too olive juice for my personal preference. Lovely for those who live that zone. ”

Aaron N. rated 38d ago

Campo Azul 1940 Blanco

87 SCORE

“Quick run down: Nose: Cooked agave, pepper, vegetal, little bit of funk, touch of ethanol. Not my favorite nose Flavor: fresh agave, black pepper white pepper, citrus, mint Savory, peppery palette. Bright finish. Little thin mouth feel. Reminds me a lot of Tapatio - easy drinker. Agave forward, clean sipper but not a complex expression. Really like it for an every day pour.”

Aaron N. rated 288d ago

Tapatio Blanco

87 SCORE

“Aroma: Sweet agave, citrus, lime, pepper Flavor: Cooked agave, black pepper, citrus, lime rind, good earthiness with a little brine/minerality. Bright but quick finish. Thin on the mouth. This is an extremely approachable blanco. Agave shines, nice citrus notes accompany a peppery body. Its bit light in body, not quite the same viscosity you’ll find in El Tes which landed it a bit lower. It’s an easy drink, but not complex enough to keep me coming back over and over. However, for $36 - sign me up all day. Solid expression. ”

Aaron N. rated 438d ago

Tequila G4 Extra Añejo

89 SCORE

“Aroma: Cooked agave, honey, oak, brown sugar, grass, minerals, mint Flavor: Cooked agave, oak, maple syrup, honey, grass, a little nutty. Balanced sweetness, good barrel notes but the agave is still the star. Not as much of that familiar minerality that you expect from El Pandillo. Medium mouth feel, lasting finish. It’s beautiful. Everything about it. It’s takes what I love so much about the repo to an entirely different level. It’s added complexity without compromising the agave. I’m fortunate to have gotten my hands on a bottle, this is a must try if you get the chance. That said, considering the price and availability, Im not sure it’s worth double the price of the repo. On the other hand, compared to other XAs - it’s on the more affordable side. If you’re a collector, it’s a must have. If you drink your tequila, like I do, it’s hard to justify the cost..”

Aaron N. rated 443d ago

Atanasio Blanco

85 SCORE

“Had this at a bar. Brief review. Aroma: Cooked agave, black pepper, mint, grassy, hint of citrus, little hot on the nose but very crisp. Flavor: Agave forward, pepper, grass, earthy, little mint and anise. A little hot, very clean. Nice long finish. Medium mouth feel. Pretty nice expression. This isn’t available in my area, but at $80 it’s pretty steep. Glad I had it at a bar, because I’m not sure I can recommend it at that price point. Profile is somewhere between Cascahuin and El Tesoro - earthy with some herbaceous undertones. Give it a shot if you see it on a menu. ”

Aaron N. rated 458d ago

El Tesoro Tequila Reposado

83 SCORE

“This repo did not meet the lofty expectations set by the blanco. The ethanol is overpowering and dampens much of the brightness that is found in the blanco expression. ”

Aaron N. rated 482d ago

Tapatio Reposado

85 SCORE

“Aroma: Agave, oak, good amount of citrus, lime, green apple, pepper, light woody notes - touch of vanilla and a hint of minerality. Flavor: Cooked agave, oak, black pepper, lime rind - touch of vanilla and caramel but not too heavy of barrel flavors. Mouth: light - touch watery Finish: Quick (too quick) La Altena never disappoints. El T produces my favorite blanco, but the repo is little too hot and peppery for me - make way for the Tapatio repo. A much calmer repo. An agave forward expression - not too peppery, light barrel notes, and loads of citrus. The mouth feel is a bit light and the complexity does leave you wanting more. For tequila fanatics, it may be a bit drab, but you cannot deny the drinkability. I got this for $63. Little steep. Hard to make An argument for it against other more complex expressions for that price. Interesting note: G4 is my favorite repo. Blind taste test…Tapatio scored higher for me. Against another expression, the lime was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I’m not sure why the lime/lime rind flavor is boosted when comparing with another expression but you should really give it a try if you have a couple bottles lying around. Crazy amount of citrus. But as I’m drinking it by itself, not nearly as prominent. ”

Aaron N. rated 516d ago

Cazcanes No. 7 Blanco

82 SCORE

“Quick bar review: It’s a nice blanco. Agave forward. Not overly complex, but a pure expression of agave. That said, I can think of 12 other blancos I’d purchase before spending $77 on this. On the bright side, it’s under priced at bars compared to what it retails for - so if you see it out, take advantage. ”

Aaron N. rated 516d ago

El Ateo Reposado Ultra Premium

82 SCORE

“Aroma: Slight cooked agave, cherry, dried fruit, chocolate, bit of spice Flavor: Fresh cherry, dried cherry, pitted cherry, cooked cherry… bit of oak.. Mouth feel is a bit on the thin side, very quick finish - smooth sip. Listen…it’s fine. If you’re looking for an easy drinking agave spirit, then you’ve found it. But, the agave is hardly present in this expression. It’s a cherry explosion that’s overly sweet and not very complex. I like taking chances on new expression and distilleries and unfortunately this doesn’t fit my profile. My mostly positive score is a reflection on its easy sipping finish. Could be nice for an expresso martini or a manhattan.”

Aaron N. rated 536d ago

Cazcanes No. 7 Reposado

80 SCORE

“Had this at a bar. The review will be less than thorough. Gives me Lalo vibes. It’s a very pure agave expression without overpowering barrel notes, but it lacks complexity with little to any unique flavor characteristics. The unfortunate part, that unlike Lalo, this bottle retails at $115. It’s outrageously overpriced and couldn’t recommend anyone pay that price for a good, but very run of the mill agave spirit. I like their story, but I could name 50 other expressions I’d rather drink before paying that price. It’s a real shame because I like what they’re doing. For the record I have it 2/10 for the value which tanked the rating. ”

Aaron N. rated 536d ago

Don Fulano Añejo

87 SCORE

“Had this a bar, will review more completely when I purchase a bottle. I’m not typically a huge Anejo fan because most veer too far away from an agave forward profile. This is my favorite Anejo so far. Very familiar profile to the repo. Sweet agave, cinnamon, citrus, with barrel notes of vanilla and oak. Heavy mouthfeel and beautiful finish. Heat builds overtime and is very pleasant. ”

Aaron N. rated 564d ago

Wild Common Tequila Blanco Still Strength

89 SCORE

“Aroma: Cooked and fresh agave. Earthy/grassy base. Little bit of pepper, cinnamon and anise with a bright fruity undertones. This is like the scent of fresh air - beautiful. Flavor: Cooked agave, black pepper, anise, slight minerality with a good amount of fruit - peppermint finish. Nice finish, cut grass with a little heat but not over the top for a 100 proof. Not overly complex, but delightful nonetheless the less. Mouth feel is on the lighter side - could use a bit more viscosity - makes for a quick finish. This was worth the wait. This is a pure expression of agave. An agave bomb that’s light and fruity with a slight, lingering heat you’d expect from a high-proof. Subtle notes of anise and mint remind me of Casachuin 48 plata, but more agave forward (less anise). A very honest, well balanced expression. ”

Aaron N. rated 571d ago

Tequila G4 Blanco Madera (Lot 03)

90 SCORE

“Aroma: pure cooked agave, white & black pepper, earthy, but vegetal - almost herbaceous with a faint nutty/woody smell. A touch of minerality, but not akin to the blanco expression. Such a complex nose. May be the best aroma I’ve rated. Flavor: agave bomb, good amount of light peppery notes (not overpowering), earthy and vegetal. The flavor matches the nose but the pepper really shines through and the minerality takes a back seat. Still a bit of a soft woody taste which is nice. Balanced mouth feel and a nice long finish. The heat comes through but isn’t overpowering - perfect balance of punchy flavors but not overpowering the agave. I had this bottle tucked away for a special occasion. I’m over halfway through the bottle but haven’t rated it. I remember now why I love this expression so much. It’s a beautiful take on their incredible blanco. It’s complex but approachable. A pure expression of agave. Nice, light heat, packed full of flavor yet nuanced for G4 - they’ve really managed to create something unique. Highly recommend if you can find it. ”

Aaron N. rated 571d ago

Tequila G4 Blanco 108

82 SCORE

“This expression is HOT. It’s signature G4 with a punch. The aroma and flavor profile are really amplified, but 108 proof overpowers the spirit in my opinion. It was hard to enjoy the balance of flavors and nuance with such an heavy presence of ethanol. ”

Aaron N. rated 571d ago

Terralta Tequila Blanco

84 SCORE

“Aroma: Bright, fresh agave, pepper. Sweet undertones, citrus and a bit of minerality. There is a bit of a cardboard coming through which isn’t great. Ethanol is present but doesn’t linger. Flavor: Cooked agave, bright and peppery and sweet. Good amount of citrus and mint. The bright, mineral aroma comes through in the palette. Little hotter than I was expecting - drinks like a higher proof spirit. Mouth feel is thin; a touch more viscosity would help. This agave spirit is true to El Pandillo with its signature, bright flavor profile. If you can’t find G4 blanco, this is a good alternative. However, if given the choice G4 has more depth of flavor and greater balance. For those of you building a collection, it shares too many characteristics of other labels at El Pandillo without outshining any of them. Would gladly drink this any day of the week, but it’s up against stiff competition. ”