You should know by now that El Ateo is making quality small batch tequila. I know it’s small batch because I’ve visited the distillery. This XA has aged for 3 years in American Oak barrels and it’s 40% ABV - 80 proof. On the nose it’s sweet cooked agave, barrels spice, caramel and heavy char Crème brûlée. The aromas are sweet and spicy. The flavors are similar to the nose but the palate / mouthfeel is thin. The flavors are pleasant and as full of flavor as a 40% ABV will allow. This is a full flavor sipper but I imagine that a higher proof version would be more interesting.

Barrel heavy. It’s sweet

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

Great Extra Anejo at an amazing price ($100)

Coconut and hazelnut. Sweet. Finish immediately dissipates. Cherry cola

For being a XA aged 3 years in American oak, the agave shines and barrel influence is great

Too woody for my taste

very bourbon heavy flavor profile. my least favorite of the El Ateo lineup. well made but not for me.

Nose a bit light and simple. On palate starts with mild, friendly heat in front of palate with butterscotch and cooked agave that continues down the tongue. Decent warm finish that lingers.

this brand does not miss at any expression.

Soooo wanted to love this because the anejo is awesome for me. The extra anejo is very bourbon note forward, it’s almost like drinking buffalo trace. Not my favorite, the agave gets lost in the barrel notes.

coconut berries vainilla sweet agave cinammon bourbon oak great for the price

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, honey, butterscotch. Aroma:(22) Taste:(28) Finish:(22) Value:(7) ($99) Overall:89 El Ateo is Total Wine best tequila in their spirt direct.

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

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.