Aroma: Earthy Cooked Agave and Cinnamon meet you immediately. Vanilla and Caramel are more forward than Oak, but all are present. Being familiar with Tobacco barns, there is a distinctive Tobacco and Musty quality that I just love! A touch of Herbalness reaches out as well. As this opens up over time, the Barrel influences become apparent with nice Baking Spices and an accompaniment of Cocoa Nibs. And a touch of Dried Fruit reaches out. Taste: Sweet Agave meets Vanilla and Caramel at the door! The Oak influence from being in the Barrel brings a nice Spice of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and other Baking Spices. An abundance of Citrus is also available. The Herbalness from the nose carries over to the taste, along with the Dried Fruits of Apricot, Fig, And Plum. Finish: A very nice Medium length run of Sweet Agave runs with a Lingering Spice of Cinnamon and Baking Spices.

Great oily mouth feel with good agave flavor and sweet cinnamon. Very enjoyable.

Manuscrito, 0002, Chapter Two, High Proof Blanco Conditions: resting in Kenzie for an hour, outdoors, 76 degrees, no wind. Appearance: shimmery platinum / silver, very slow, well spaced legs creep down hinting at mouthfeel, sweetness and possibly reflective of higher proof at 101. Aroma: this bad boy was teasing my olfactory senses as it sat in the glass resting from about a foot away so this is an intense aroma— strong lime citrus from afar, pleasing saline and minerality with grassy wetness, grapefruit as it gets closer and hints of wild mint and tarragon. A definite lowland vibe from a highland expression on the nose Taste: immediate ethanol warmth as it coats palate with a thick mouthfeel. The heat gives way to a tantalizing spice bomb— ancho and chipotle chili, mint and a buttery texture form with the citrus providing a neat counterpoint leading to a lingering and contemplative finish that frames the sip for a long time after. This would absolutely sing in a cocktail, however its complexity and spectrum warrant a quiet, neat sipping session. Bully Verdict: they nailed the assignment for this manuscript! 4.5 / 5 Bullies Knowledge is Flavor. Robbo, CSS, EBS, Tequila Sommelier (ITA) AMM Panelist Booze-Bully.com

Aroma: 23/25 ROUND, BALANCED, lemon, agave, white wine. Fantastic nose. Would have enjoyed more agave. Palate: 28/30 White grape most likely from the wine barrels. Lighter agave. Orange peel. Banana bread. Not drying which I appreciate. Very nice use of aging without hiding the agave. Finish: 23/25 Very light mouth numbing. Value: 8/10 $70 in San Francisco. Very few repos 50%+, only being $10 more than the 50%+ blanco is great. If high proof repos become more common later on, I may adjust Legs for days. Strong drinkability like the other Manuscrito I have tried.

BLIND TASTED Aroma: 23/25 Fruity funk! White pepper, citrus peels, celery. Rich caramelized agave. Palate: 28/30 (updated 27–> 28) Almost a sprite like taste and feel from the start. Peppery enough to almost taste carbonated. Juicy pear, lemon, lime, ripe cooked agave. Proof definitely comes across above 40%. Finish: 23/25 (updated 22 —> 23) Long peppery sprite while ending in sweet cooked agave. Value: TBD (tasted blind and don’t know the cost yet) Updated: 8/10 $60 in San Francisco for a high proof blanco. The amount of carbonated sprite I pick up is surprising. Although it does settle down the longer I sit with it. Will need to revisit for sure.