Tequila Ocho Plata Puntas - 2021 La Ladera

94 SCORE

“Deserving of its reputation; simply one of the best blancos I’ve ever tasted. It’s very pleasant on the nose - clean, cooked agave, a hint of pepper and cinnamon. However, on the palate is where it really comes alive. Strong citrus notes come out of nowhere to complement the agave and pepper. Very complex yet soft considering the ABV. Finish is just right; not too hot. I acquired a bottle on the secondary market and paid a pretty penny. For this reason I waited to open it for a special occasion and it didn’t disappoint.”

Tequila Ocho Plata Puntas - 2023 Mesa Colorada

94 SCORE

“Excellent as expected… drinks more like 90 proof than 106. It has a full-bodied creaminess to it that is lovely. Tasted next to Volans Still Strength; both excellent… the Volans is definitely more mineral and the Ocho sweeter with heavy pepper notes. I slightly prefer the Puntas. Glad I bought an extra bottle, this one is a gem.”

Lágrimas del Valle Plata - 2022 Palo Verde

94 SCORE

“Wow, I think I have a new favorite NOM1123 blanco. This has the familiar clean, earthy minerality of most Cascahuin blancos, but it’s got more cooked agave sweetness and tastes a bit richer to me than anything else I’ve had from the distillery… it’s almost highlands-like. The aroma is also incredible; reminds me of Wild Common only stronger and sweeter (in a good way). I absolutely love everything about this. ”

Yeyo Reposado (2023)

91 SCORE

“Barrel #2 “Red Velvet” The aroma is soft and muted; after a few minutes it opens up a bit more and you can smell the cooked agave and butter, faint notes of fruit, but the nose is a bit bland to me compared to how much it treats the palate. I taste cooked agave, coconut, cream, butter, a bit of caramel; and the texture is very soft and consistent… it really is delicate and unique. I can see why they nicknamed this barrel “red velvet”, as it’s about as close to a dessert tequila as an additive-free Repo can be. I think it’s the creamy (“velvety”) mouthfeel that complements the subtly sweet and fruity notes that give this impression. The finish is short-to-medium but nice… lots of flavor but not much burn, and if anything I’d prefer it a little longer. It’s quite a change from some of my other favorite Repos (Siembra Valles, El Tesoro, etc.) in that it doesn’t have a lot of pepper, so it’s nice to have something different that I enjoy so much. A very lovely Reposado. I would be interested to taste the other barrels, but #2 is a winner for sure. ”

Calle 23 Single Barrel Añejo

95 SCORE

“Probably my favorite Añejo. The finish is magical… long and well balanced. Great barrel notes but not too overpowering. Just an incredible tequila all around.”

Siembra Azul Suro 12th Anniv. Reposado

95 SCORE

“Wonderful. Buttery and oaky… a real treat. This and the Suro XA are my favorite of the Siembra Azul limited editions.”

Montagave Blanco 'Héritage'

93 SCORE

“Lot 311. Whoa, this stuff is Amazing. The nose is very unique… baked agave, cinnamon, flowers and a bit of wine. It’s super creamy and coats the palate perfectly. Agave, cinnamon, earth, baking spices and a touch of fruit on the palate. It’s somewhat sweet to me but in an extremely clean and pleasant way. Glad I bought 2 bottles, and I’m guessing I’ll be buying more.”

Don Rico Tequila Blanco

83 SCORE

“Solid Blanco, but nothing groundbreaking here. Very muted nose, can’t pick up a lot. I think the best part on the palate is the creamy mouthfeel; it’s easy drinking but not interesting enough to standup to some of the more notable tequilas around its price point (Ocho, LALO, etc.). With so many incredible Blancos out there, I probably won’t buy it again. ”

Wild Common Tequila Blanco

92 SCORE

“Possibly the best nose of any Blanco I’ve come across… sweet agave, minerals with a bit of floral. My wife was sitting 5 feet away from me when I poured and she said she could smell the wonderful aroma from there. On the palate it reminds me a lot of other NOM1123 Blancos, which is a good thing. Perhaps a touch more mineral than Cascahuin Tahona, with a great oily mouthfeel. An all-around wonderful Blanco.”

ArteNOM Selección de 1123 Blanco

91 SCORE

“Lot 43. Great Blanco! You can definitely taste the 30 days in the barrel. Smoke on the nose, but I only get a touch on the palate. All the characteristics of a great Cascahuin blanco, with just a bit of oak and smoke.”

Siembra Azul Suro Extra Añejo

94 SCORE

“I’m typically a Blanco drinker, but this is possibly my favorite XA. Perfect blend of Oak and agave… strong Caramel notes with hints of chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch. Very well balanced on the tongue that works perfectly together. Nice finish. I wish this was still around so I could buy another bottle.”

Calle 23 Criollo

95 SCORE

“So much in here… if you want a complex Blanco, this is it. I had a bottle of it on our table at my wedding, if that gives you an idea of how I feel about it. Agave, Earth, Olive, but slightly sweet… it’s really hard to describe, and you get something different with every glass. Not a starter tequila; you have to know what you’re getting into, and it packs a bit of a punch. Fabulous all-around, and I love the story behind it. Just about as special as a Blanco can be. If you can still find it, buy it. ”

Maracame Reposado

74 SCORE

“This is one disappointed me, especially after reading so many good reviews by well-respected Tasters. It seemed artificial to me from the nose straight through the palate... additives? Decent caramel, spice & sweet notes, but a weird hint of artificial sweetener taste I couldn’t seem to shake. Tasted next to the Blanco, and I preferred the Blanco. Beautiful bottle... but I probably won’t open it very often. 38% Mexican Duty Free.”

Gran Dovejo Cask Strength Single Barrel Añejo

94 SCORE

“Honestly, this one surprised me in the best kind of way. Really nice earth and wood notes complemented by a hint of caramel and baking sweetness, but less than most Añejos. Quite complex; I’m going to have to spend a lot of time with this one. My girlfriend and I tasted it next to Ocho Añejo (which is one of my favorites), and we actually preferred this. This is a steal at it’s price point. Amazing... Buy it all.”

Fortaleza Blanco

94 SCORE

“Lot 100. My my... this is something special. Certainly has Fortaleza Blanco DNA, but it just seems more balanced than regular Lot Fortaleza. Perhaps that is due to the distilling to proof, or the added sweetness of the Highlands agave. This is so good... a worthy product to mark the occasion.”

Ocho Tequila Añejo

93 SCORE

“2016 Los Patos. Delicious. Lighter than most Añejos, almost sips like a Reposado. I get butter, natural sweetness & baking spices, with lots of agave still present. Finish is light but long lasting... not much heat. Goes down so easy, it’s not hard to drink way more than intended. One of my favorite Añejos.”

Yeyo Blanco

88 SCORE

“This is an EXCELLENT Blanco. At $40, it won’t break the bank either. I get a lot of cooked agave, with hints of baking spices & some citrus on the nose. The flavor is sweet agave, with a heavier dose of buttery cinnamon and spice... Great texture and mouthfeel, with a bit of pepper on the finish. Extremely easy to drink. Reminds me of another Blanco I recently tried for the first time... LALO (also excellent), but Yeyo is $12 cheaper. One thing I’m not a fan of is the bottle/name/etc. I feel like it’s not doing the brand any favors as it seems gimmicky, but the juice inside is delicious!”

El Tesoro Extra Añejo

94 SCORE

“Wow. Quite possibly my new favorite non-limited XA. I love Paradiso, but this is more my style. A natural progression from the wonderful Añejo, it’s an extremely well-balanced aged tequila. Agave is still present, with notes of oak, vanilla, caramel, earth, pepper, but no one flavor overwhelms the others. Great finish. Absolutely delicious.”

Cimarron Blanco

84 SCORE

“Aroma is probably the worst aspect of this... a bit like medicinal alcohol, not a lot that hints to a good tequila. The taste is much better... nice agave, pepper, citrus and I get some cinnamon baked cookies at the end. Slight burn on the finish. This and Olmeca Altos are my favorite mixers, but it’s good enough to sip. 10/10 on value.”

LALO Tequila Blanco

88 SCORE

“Simple and agave forward upon first impressions, but the more time I spend with this one, the more I love it. My first impressions were that it was a quality tequila but not the most interesting, but I feel I was wrong about that... I like it better with every pour. Everyone should try this. The most interesting notes I get out of this are cinnamon and cookies.”

Ocho Tequila Añejo - Cask Finish - Plantation Barbados

94 SCORE

“Agave is still very noticeable here for an Añejo; interesting aspects to this include maple, caramel & tropical notes, and a wonderful body coupled with a smooth finish. Naturally sweet due to the rum finish. A seriously amazing tequila... if you can find it, buy it. One of my very favorite Añejos; just wish there was more of it available. ”

ArteNOM Selección de 1579 Blanco

83 SCORE

“Great aroma, great taste, extremely easy to drink. In fact, it’s too easy to drink... there is no finish. It’s extremely soft and goes down like water. I would prefer a bit more bite to remind me I’m drinking a tequila. Similar to Felipe’s other blancos in aroma and flavor... heavy agave and minerals. Clean taste. Very good tequila, but it’s a bit too “refined” for my taste. Great beginner Blanco for anyone who wants something that goes down easy.”

Viva XXXII Tequila Joven

73 SCORE

“Impulse buy, didn’t know anything about this tequila. The aroma is apple/pear... a bit of agave, but not much. Flavor is lacking much agave as well, LOADS of pepper. Smooth mouthfeel and easy to drink, despite the pepper spiciness. Now that I see this is diffuser-made, the lack of agave makes sense. Traditionalists might not like it, but this is actually a decent tasting liquor... just don’t expect a ton of agave. I’ll take this over most of the artificially-sweet crap out there.”

Siembra Valles Tequila Blanco

91 SCORE

“Fantastic Blanco. The aroma is absolutely amazing, and the taste follows up on the nose’s lead. I could sit and smell an empty glass of this for hours. It’s the Ying to the Azul’s Yang. Strong agave in both, but with the Valles it’s pepper up front as opposed to the citrus and sweet of the Azul. There is just the perfect amount of minerality here; not overwhelming, but rather complementary. Both the Valles and Azul have a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel. The Siembra Valles Reposado is probably my favorite tequila, so it’s not surprising that it comes from such a wonderful Blanco.”

Teremana Tequila Reposado

61 SCORE

“Blah. Terrible smell, taste isn’t much better. When I first sipped it, I thought it was okay, but it progressively got worse every time I had it. Then I started mixing it to get rid of it, and it was horrible in cocktails. It’s not good enough to be a sipper, but doesn’t have the flavor profile for a mixer. I ended up giving the remaining half bottle to my less-discerning friend who wanted to try it. Unlike many celebrity tequilas, it doesn’t taste like it has additives. I appreciate The Rock trying to make this the right way... the problem is that it’s just not very good.”