Montagave Blanco 'Héritage'

88 SCORE

“Lot 311. Day 2 notes. Aroma: Rustic. Cinnamon. Mint. White pepper. Violets. Light blood/red meat. Taste: Clean. Naturally sweet—diluted cane sugar. Minimal tobacco, slight tannin. Cooked agave. Artichoke dipped in drawn butter. Feel: moderate viscosity; round mouthfeel. Finish: short. About the only negative here; finish is gone in under half a minute, and is simply a cane sugar note. Very little else. Other folks say they get the fruitiness of the wine in this; I do not. I get zero wine or barrel presence, in fact, save for the gorgeous pink hue. I need to do a side by side of this and Tahona. I’d think they’d compare quite well.”

Tequila G4 Blanco Madera (Lot 01)

81 SCORE

“Cooked agave explodes out of the glass initially, followed by a bit of mint, straw, green tea, and yeasty phenols. Hanging in the background: lactic funk. As it sits in the glass, the lactic acid becomes more prominent—distractingly so. Taste follows the nose, to include milky lactic at the back end. This is part of the Pandillo open ferment “magic”, but the first madera lote is heavier in the funk department than typical G4 products. Maybe fermented in a warmer month where the bacteria load was higher than average? Or perhaps the wood fermentation tank is contributing to the bacterial count? Nice, fun bottle all around, but would personally prefer a cleaner fermentation. ”

Pasote Reposado

85 SCORE

“Aromas of cooked agave, white pepper, ever so slight lactic notes. Don’t get much barrel influence in the smell. Taste of peppercorn, light oak, whisky burn and bitterness. Heat overrides any agave sweetness. It also cuts short the backend, and leaves a bitter finish.”

Ocho Tequila Reposado

83 SCORE

“Pepper for days. A bit hot. Short finish.”

Clase Azul Reposado

69 SCORE

“Decent repo. Price kills value and recommendations scores. Would drink again if offered, just won’t be buying it.”

Clase Azul Plata

65 SCORE

“Soooo sweet. Horrible pricing—so value, and recommendations scorings take a huge hit. At least the bottle is fancy.”

Clase Azul Añejo

68 SCORE

“Pricing of this bottle completely wrecks overall score. Not a horrible tequila. But properly priced, it is not. Would drink again if someone else is buying, but cannot recommend given pricing.”

Lunazul Blanco

57 SCORE

“Uuuggghhh. Nothing worse than having to drain pour a whole bottle. Not worthy of the shelf space it inhabited.”

Kirkland Signature Silver

64 SCORE

“Super cheap. Not a sipper. Maybe, just maybe a mixer. Barely at that.”

Mijenta Tequila Blanco

91 SCORE

“Nom 1499. Big fan of this one. So unique for a blanco. Very distinct burnt sugar notes, like the topping on creme brûlée. But the cooked agave is still there, along with white pepper. Super soft tequila. So easy to drink. It is a tad expensive for mixed drinks, but it really does make for an excellent ranch water and margarita. Love this bottle. Hoping the new NOM doesn’t mess up what is a great offering.”

El Caballito Cerrero Blanco (46%)

87 SCORE

“Aroma: anis, fresh pressed cane juice, raw agave. Tastes of wilted/turned leek, light lactic/butter, anis. The combo over ripe leek/lactic gives it a little funk. Higher proof, and not at all hidden. Hot, drying finish. Some bitterness.”

Chamucos Diablo Blanco

80 SCORE

“Heavy heavy lactic funk. If you dig that, this is for you. I prefer a clean blanco”

Calle 23 Criollo

96 SCORE

“Super clean aroma. Sharp agave. Green olive, fresh pressed olive oil. Hay. Lime zest. Caramel, burnt sugar. Lavender? Maybe even an iron/red meat note? Digging just how many layers are here. Happy just smelling it. Perfect viscosity. Sticks, but is not cloying. No heat whatsoever. Longest finish I’ve had from a tequila—not just blanco, but all tequila. Lingers forever. And makes you think about it days later. Glass smells hours later as well. Just a masterpiece of a tequila. Heck. Masterpiece of a spirit. It is not cheap. But is well valued given the uber high quality of the product.”