Cambio’s cellar series anejo “El Desliz” was my favorite out of the tasting. The French oak implementation is pronounced & adds an enormous amount of depth to this exceptional anejo. On the nose I found notes that I often detect in Calvados/Armagnac/Cognac. Red current, cinnamon, stewed apple, chocolate, date, prune, grape skin, raspberry jam, wildflower, banana, barrel spice, pear, flowers and black pepper. On the palate, cinnamon, vanilla, stewed apple, dark chocolate, citrus marmalade, grape jam, pepper, raspberry jam, lemon, malolactic funk, minerality, saline, and cooked agave. This is an austere sipper, one that will take time to unpack and may not be for everyone. That being said, this is the best anejo I’ve had in recent memory. I’ll be eagerly awaiting Cambio’s extra anejo.

Cambio’s Reposado had a substantial amount of barrel characteristics. Although, it did take a bit to open up, I found much & more to latch onto. After a bit of teasing a delicious butterscotch candy came through on the nose & palate. In addition, I found carmel, grapeskin, plum, date, citrus, minerality, perfume, red current, mint, prune, cherry jam, saline, malolactic notes and oak spice. The finish was excellent, although slightly drying. This Reposado is unlike any tequila I have tasted thus far. The combination of the unique barrels & base distillate gives this Reposado exceedingly high marks.

Cambio’s Corazon high proof is an experimental release where the tails & heads are discarded in favor of only the hearts off the still. The result is a far more fruity profile than the base blanco. The aromatics on the nose of this high proof blanco reminded me of a Tobala mezcal. As mentioned there is a significant amount of fruit here with crisp Fiji apple, cherry, banana, light citrus, peach and lime. Like the base blanco, there is a significant minerality to this high proof with a saline “ocean breeze” component. Long finish

Cambio is a formidable newcomer in the tequila sphere. I had the great privilege of sitting down with founder John des Rosiers to taste through the entire range of this innovative new brand. Placing emphasis on an innovative fermentation method, a notable distillation proof, and unique barrel characteristics this brand may well disrupt the status quo of the contemporary tequila market. Cambio’s blanco expression comes out the gates swinging with a pronounced citrus on the nose along with guava, kiwi, and peach. On the palate is a light minerality through line with kiwi, lemon zest, citrus peel, saline, overripe(slightly sour) pineapple juice, a malolactic cheese with heavy pepper on the back end with a mid to long finish. Cambio’s blanco expression stands on its own merits. An excellent citrus forward blanco with a lovely rocky minerality and fun malolactic notes, but for me it tastes tailor made for aging.

Inviting nose of butterscotch, candied nuts, and grapes. Similar flavors with additions of cinnamon, vanilla, and oak. Flavors keep revealing in waves. Really interesting cognac barrel anejo that has its own layered profile.

I expect natural variation in batches, and I assume the bottle I have is from a different batch than others who identify a malolactic aroma. Mine has no malo funk at all (although I enjoy a little malo). I get aromas of wine, honey, orange, cooked agave, oak and a little cinnamon. On the palate I get orange citrus, some sweetness of cooked agave, fruit like cherry, and cinnamon. Let this open up and enjoy the variety and complexity.