G4 Blanco Madera (2024) Aroma: Cooked agave and black pepper upfront, complemented by baking spice for a lively, herbal depth. Palate: Prominent cooked agave and black pepper, layered with vegetal notes and minerals for a crisp, complex bite. Finish: Clean pepper lingers with subtle minerals, fading refreshingly without heaviness. This is one of my favorite specialty blancos. It’s typically a small allocation in OK, so it’s hard to find. I buy it when I come across it because it’s that good for around $60ish.

Actually, this is lote seven. A little funk on the aroma. Apart from some sour notes, this is an excellent tequila!

Bottle: 10/10/2024, LG0004B45ME Appearance: Clear Initial thoughts… Nose: Cooked agave, black pepper, pinecone Palate: Sweet and creamy cooked agave, cinnamon, citrus Finish: Cinnamon, black pepper, and minerality Full review pending…

Shared characteristics 2024 lots: Nose: Intensely sweet cooked agave. There’s a sharp, almost acidic edge that leans into a subtle sourness, which transitions into a faint green olive note. It’s punchy, with a raw and vegetal undertone that adds character. Mouthfeel & Palate: Rich and coating, with a full, satisfying mouthfeel. The agave sweetness carries through heavily, balanced by a bit of heat that builds as you sip. There’s a slight bite that activates the palate and hangs in a pleasant, tingly way. Finish: Long and persistent. The warmth sticks around, giving a slow fade that keeps the flavors alive well after the sip. That lingering heat works nicely with the agave forward profile. Final Thoughts: A bold, expressive and memorable blanco that makes an impression. The intensity of the agave and the long lasting finish make this one worth revisiting. Tasting five different lots of G4 Madera side by side was a great reminder of how much variation you can find within a consistent, well made profile. The core elements held across every pour; rich agave sweetness, the full mouthfeel and the long, lingering finish - but each lot brought its own subtle shifts in tone and texture. Lot 1 leaned more vegetal, with a slightly greener profile compared to the others. It stayed true to the cooked agave core but added a more herbal layer that gave it a grounded, earthy feel. Lot 2 amped up both the sweetness and the heat. It came off a little bolder than Lot 1. Hotter on the palate and a touch more sugary, giving it a punchier overall profile. Lot 3 was the standout. It softened the heat from Lot 2 and introduced a rounder, creamier mouthfeel. There was a distinct salty toffee quality here that added a nice layer of complexity. It felt balanced, expressive, and the most complete of the group. Lot 4 took a quieter approach. It shared the softness of Lot 3 but was more muted across the board. The sweetness was less defined…harder to pin down with a light, almost melon like tone in the background. Pleasant, but less vivid. Lot 5 brought a touch more energy back. The heat ticked up slightly from Lot 4, and the salinity dialed back in, closer to what was present in Lot 3. Not quite as polished, but definitely more alive. Final Thoughts: Each lot felt like a variation on a familiar theme. Lot 3 was the most dialed in for me, followed by Lot 5 for its balance of salinity and presence. The rest were interesting in their own right, with Lot 1’s vegetal profile and Lot 2’s sweetness offering nice contrast. It’s a testament to how layered and dynamic G4 Madera can be, even when the foundation stays the same, the details keep it engaging. List of preference: Lot 3 Lot 5 Lot 1 Lot 2 Lot 4

G4 lote 4 Sweet agave earth pepper fruit mint some barrel spice I really like it

Love this new lot 4, from the aromas to the finish, absolutely delicious, sweet cooked agave, great mouth feel, citrus, light pepper. Winner

Oily and citrusy with a touch of lemon. The The flavors run deep on this one.

Nose: Agave, Herbs, Citrus, Mint, Grass Palate: Grass, Anise, Agave Finish: Herbaceous, Minerality, Black Pepper, Fennel

Easily the most aromatic of the releases, the aroma of cooked agave filled the air from the moment the cork was removed. Poured into a Glencairn and l was enveloped in the aromas of El Pandillo before taking a sip. On sipping this is thick and oily in the mouth with great natural viscosity and a ton of baked agave on the palate. A long lingering finish from the 45% ABV rounds out the experience.

Nose: Cooked agave, black pepper, cedar, citrus, and tropical fruit. Bold and expressive with a raw vegetal edge that sets it apart from the standard blanco immediately. Palate: Sweet cooked agave leads with green apple, minerals, and a faint lactic funk threading through. The wood fermentation shows in the texture as much as the flavor. Finish: Long and persistent. Black pepper, minerality, and sweet agave lingering well past the last sip. Zero burn for the proof. Overall: The regular G4 blanco is already a top 5 for me — the Madera is that same DNA fully dialed up. Wood fermentation with fibers adds density and complexity you cannot get from stainless. Each lot is its own experience. Lot 4 is a banger. Buy whatever lot you can find.

full of flavor green apple wet grass oily herbal earthy Black pepper spice great tequila for 45 abv

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Nose: slow to open, isopropyl, some woody notes, the agave comes later and still pretty muted Mouth: full, oily, coats and soaks in Palate: depth, heat, spice, agave, just a bit of sweet to balance it out. Has a red wine component I can’t pin down. Finish: spice and lingering heat. The nice aromas just don’t last. The after finish is pretty nice. Once everything evaporates you get some nuance. Cedar agave and foresty things

Although it remains decent, I personally view it as a downgrade from the regular blanco. While the influence of madera definitely adds complexity to it, it masks the sweet, mineral, and crisp flavor, which is I look for from G4.

Lot 5 Sweet cooked Agave followed by minerality, a touch of mint, melon and black pepper. The finish is long and oily love what the wood fermentation does to this Blanco plus the higher proof.

It’s a 2024 lot 5. On the nose is a cooked agave bomb with a little citrus and ethanol. On the palette it’s super agave forward with hints of bell pepper and stone/minerals. Good viscosity that sits on the tongue very nice with a touch of bitterness to round out the sweet start.

Chocolate covered raisins up front on the palate, long minty finish. Agave everywhere in between. Beautiful, unique. Incredible mouthfeel.

Tasted this lot at Arte agave Atl 25.

lot 6, impresionante tequila aunque estos ultimos dos lotes de Madera creo que se ven superados por el Blanco Clasico !

Actually lot 7 Minerality Cooked agave Pure and simple

Good but not the best, it isn’t as smooth as some. Not bad, just not outstanding.

G4 tequila blanco Madera (lot 4) This tequila is awesome! I love this expression from G4! Sweet cooked agave with pepper and mint on the nose. Luxurious mouth feel that coats your tongue and gives just the right heat from the 90 proof. I also like the production methods. I'm getting a little more earthiness from the wooden fermentation tanks. I could drink this all night! Another home run from El Pandillo!

Nose: Cooked agave, citrus, minerality Flavor: Cooked agave, even more citrus than the nose, black pepper, mint, minerality. There's a lot going on and it's really great! Finish: Medium long. Black pepper and some lingering sweetness and mint. Overall really nice and one of the best values out there for a tequila in its league, in my opinion.

Nose: cooked agave, fig/fruit, citruses, pepper, chocolate, brine, olive, minerals Palate: sweet cooked agave, vanilla, green Apple, chocolate, pepper, fig, plum, grass, minerals, citrus

At first I wasn’t impressed. After a couple of weeks I’ve changed my mind. It was really good.