Vessel:Glencairn. Nose: It opens with cooked agave, honey, butterscotch, dried fruit, stone fruit like apricot or peach, oak, and vanilla. Palate: The palate carries toffee, vanilla, oak, and a hint of black pepper, bringing in that barrel complexity. Finish: Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, molasses, and a final touch of vanilla, oak and honey. It begins on the sweet and fruity side, it starts to become a bit more robust with barrel and spice notes on the palate, and finishes with a balance of vanilla, pepper, and a lingering oak and honey. A well-rounded XA, for sure!

This was a really enjoyable pour. Rich, well-rounded, and nicely balanced for an extra anejo. It leans into the barrel influence, but the agave still shows up and keeps everything in check. On the nose, cooked agave is present right away, layered with vanilla and oak. Butterscotch and caramel add a smooth sweetness, while dried fruit and a touch of cherry bring some depth and complexity. Barrel spice ties it all together and gives it that classic extra anejo warmth. On the palate, the cooked agave carries through, supported by vanilla and oak. Butterscotch and caramel add richness, while black pepper and cinnamon provide a gentle spice. Baking spice and dried fruit linger on the finish, giving it a warm, silky, and satisfying close. Overall, this is a polished and thoughtfully made extra anejo that delivers plenty of flavor without going overboard. A solid, refined tequila that’s easy to sit with and savor.

El ateo XA Thank you to Cecilia Wong from agave swappers for this sample I'm really liking this. I'm finding the nose a bit different from the palate. Nose: Dried fruit, barrel spices Palate: I'm getting a strong vanilla, some dried fruit and even a little coffee bean in the flavor profile (where does that come from?!) Finish: nice, a warmth that comes back around with some sweetness and spice Overall, its a little sweet. good for a cold winter night. would love to revisit

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.

Oak, vanilla, black pepper, fruit, agave, honey. Aroma:(22) Taste:(28) Finish:(22) Value:(6) Overall:88 El Ateo is Total Wine ($99)best tequila in their spirt direct. My favorite El Ateo is their HP Blanco. I think this one needed more aging still an 88.

1-15-2026 At La Pina for Don Fulano night. Cinnamon smell with some nice complementing heat. Excellent bourbon forward taste with some balancing sweetness at back. Into a tasty cinnamon hot finish.

At La pina 1/15/26. Like a really smooth bourbon, caramel, vanilla. Smell is vanilla and almond. Not much agave flavor coming through.

This is a rich, well-integrated XA that leans elegant rather than flashy. On the nose, you get cooked agave layered with dark caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, and a touch of dried fruit. There’s depth here, but it stays composed — nothing overly sweet or sharp. The palate is smooth and structured. Cooked agave is still present, backed by toffee, cocoa, oak spice, and a light bitterness that keeps it from drifting into dessert territory. The oak is mature and polished, not tannic or drying. The finish is long, warm, and steady — oak, agave, and dark sweetness fade out evenly without becoming cloying.

Carmel, cooked agave and light black pepper. on nose and palate. not super complex but super tasty. Great value. Just had it again along side a white chocolate truffle it was amazing!

Aroma: Cacao/dark chocolate, honey, caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, spices Flavor: Cooked agave, caramel, peppery (mineral), super smooth and complex Taste: ABV, Bitter (spices), Sweet such a nice XA, just wow

Great Extra Anejo at an amazing price ($100)

New bottle just drop in for 2nd shipments from total wine. They don’t even have the next deliver day yet. I am grabbing most of them. Very rounded tequila with strong cooked agave when first coming in, sweetness is mild to come with the long silky finish. Daily drink if more available.

Nice, easy, not overly complex. Lots of minerality. Somewhat of a thin mouthfeel. Excellent value at $99. Minorly disappointed that TMM info and picture has this at 42abv, but my SoCal Total Wine version is the standard 40abv. I feel like a slight bump in abv would have made this amazing.