Dos de Los Altos: 7 Leguas & Siembra Azul...

Highland Girl: Up here we like our tequilas like we like our women - full-bodied!

Last night I had a chance to do a taste-comparison between two outstanding highland reposado tequilas: 7 Leguas, and Siembra Azul.

In a previous review, I had commented that Siembra was very smooth and soft, maybe overly so. But on this occasion, maybe because the SA bottle has been open and there has been a period of decanting, I detected more nuts and spice - sort of an unexpected nutmeggy or cinnamon thing. There was a fuller flavor-profile, and I liked it even better than before (and still found it to be as smooth as a baby's bottom).

The venerable incumbent 7 Leguas is known for it's big bold taste, led by the hearty presence of highland agave. The 7L bursts with tones of sweetness, spice and wood, with a very slightly less refined taste than the SA. There's a bit more alcohol bite and a little more edge in-general, none of which gets in the way of 7L's famous agave bloom.

In fact, both of these offerings have the "corazon y alma" of the Los Altos agave taste. When you open the present, that is what's inside both of these superb tequilas. Only the "wrapping paper" is slightly different between the two. But that's the 3% that we pay the biggest money for, isn't it? It's that sublime 'enth degree of quality and subtlety that aficionados will revel in.

Some tequila people will say that the 7L wins because it's got more spunk, that you can "taste the tahona," and believe me, that's why it's an every day repo for me, being my top three or four. Also, it's a lot easier than Siembra Azul to find, let's mention.

But I gotta tell ya, what the lovely Siembra Azul revealed to me last night was more of her plumpness. She's more Rubenesque than I thought. And I found her quite sexy, indeed.

The verdict is that these are both superb tequilas, and one cannot go wrong with either. So...get both! Like they always say, "Variety is the spice of life!"

7 Leguas Review on Tequila.net

Siembra Azul review on Tequila.net

Yo Papagayo!

Ample Parking: Agave Lovers Line Papagayo Boston's Big Tequila Bar...

Having lived in both Texas and New Mexico, and also being a 20-year tequila aficionado, I have been waiting a long time for this type of place to come to Boston. And the good news is, it's here! Temazcal? No! Papagayo on Summer Street (near Fort Point Channel) has fantastic food, a great atmosphere, friendly staff, and the tequila? Well, 175 bottles and the most agave-knowledgeable barman I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Service overall was excellent. Papagayo has the guacamole cart that rolls up and makes it fresh at your table and it's to DIE for. Prices are not dirt-cheap but you get a really nice experience for the buck. Sampled a few tequilas for the first time: Maestro Dobel Joven tequila, El Tesoro Paradiso, Frida Kahlo blanco, and the exquisite Partida Elegante. Try the Tacos al-Pastor, and a fresh, handmade margarita made with Espolón Blanco. Kudos to the bright, agave-elevated atmosphere and delicious food of Papagayo!

Camarena Reposado: A Sweet Surprise!

Sip it, mix it, any way you fix it!

So, the Camarena blanco was em, nice, kinda thin, inoffensive, and nothing to write home about. Sorta like "tequila light". For the price, it'll stand on my shelf as a mixer next to Azúl, Espolón, Milagro and other $20 bottles.

Last night I tried the Cama Reposado, and what a pleasant and unexpected surprise it was! It's a sweetheart with flavor! This is a very interesting tequila, with a big, undeniable presence of highland agave.

Camarena's color is a pale olive-oil with an almost green caste. The nose is floral, bright and citrus-y with alcohol, a hint of vanilla and a touch of wood (there's more oak in the aroma than the actual taste).

The taste starts with a nice silky entrance, followed by fast, round burst of agave, pear and caramel-apple. Then comes cider, oak, clove and...yes cinnamon. The finish is quick, leaving a lingering taste of nutmeg, cinnamon and burnt sugar. I sensed very little smoke; just a subtle undertone of oak and vanilla. There's hardly any heat; no burn whatsoever. The body hits and fills the front/middle of the tongue and palette. Cama repo is not heavy or oily, nor does it have much in the way of "back end".

This may the perfect juice to get tequila virgins in to 100% agave sippers. Whereas more seasoned aficionados may like earth and vegital tones, along with deeper complexity, those aspects of a particular flavor profie might turn off a newbie. Cama's juice might also turn them away from Patrón - we can only hope.

Camarena reposado absolutely kills the blanco. Wipes the floor with it. I attribute the big upgrade in flavor to this: A brief two-month resting in American oak barrels has gently coaxed-forth the flavor and soul of the famous los altos high-elevation agave. At the same time, it hasn't been in-barrel long enough to get very woody. (I'd love to taste a six-month expression!)

Where the blanco displays nothing really ugly, and gives you a light, spicy pop, it's the repo that delivers on the promise of the legendary highland spirit.

Family Legacy

Family Values!

First I must say it was a long cold winter of no tequila blogging for the Pale Rider. Got a new job December first and my nose has been firmly pressed against the grindstone for months. Plus, nothing really exciting came across my screen, tequila-wise. In fact, I had a real let down when I found Chinaco in a local store after years of it not being available around here. I bought a bottle and it was, well, awful. Undrinkable. I don't know if the juice had gone bad or they've changed it or what. I used to love Chinaco and this stuff I wouldn't use to make a margarita for Canadian tourists.

But I digress.

So last week, in my local store appeared the first new tequila offering they'e put on the shelf in ages: Familia Camarena "Silver"/Blanco and Reposado tequilas. Camarena comes in an incredibly handsome bottle with a just-as-attractive price. Again, we find a 100% agave offering in the $20 range, which seems to be a big trend in the last couple years. (I wonder if Patrón is getting nervous). I grabbed the blanco, because I always go for a blanco first. As you know I favor blancos, not to mention that if the blanco is good, it bodes well for the rest of the lineup. Plus, I thought, "Well, if it sucks, at least the bottle is pretty. It'll look good in my collection."

I tasted it chilled with a couple pieces of ice. The nose was just what I had hoped for - floral and fruity with a nice huff of agave and spice. Taste-wise, I found it pleasing on a number of levels. A couple of the reviews I've read accuse the blanco of not being a sipper, but I wouldn't totally agree. (If Patrón can be called a "sipper" then surely this offering is!) True, Camarena's mouth-feel is thin and light, but it has a flavorful body with agave, citrus, chili-pepper and earth. It has a peppery pop, a spicy spike! But there isn't a lot of bigness in the body, and there's no bottom end to speak of. It's not too hot or alcoholish, and on a smoothness scale I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. The most disappointing aspect is the finish, which leaves an ashy residue on the tongue. As a blanco enthusiast, I have come to expect an acrid finish, even from highly-rated tequilas. I "get" that wood-aging irons out some of the speedbumps in the flavor-profile, especially mellowing a bitey finish. Generally I'm saying this juice is pretty thin and one-dimensional.

I later made a basic margarita - or should I say "Cama-rita"? - with Camarena Blanco, and found that it stands up really well in the cocktail, imparting a nice tequila flavor. I'd agree the Cama Blanco is better as a mixer than on its own. It reminds me a little of what I like about Partida blanco, and what I dislike about Don Julio Silver, the former having a nice balance of agave and earth, the latter having too much "dirt".

Most reviews I have come across prefer the Camarena reposado to the blanco, so I look forward to sampling the repo soon.


Soy Muy Guapo!

More interesting than the reviews is the history of Familia Camarena - apparently one of the first-families of tequila for six-generations, and tangentially related to the Cuervos. The Camarenas came to Mexico from Spain in the 1780s and was one of the founding families of the town of Arandas in the Jalisco highlands, where the world's finest blue agave is cultivated. The family owns thousands of acres of plantation-land in the highest elevations (over 7000 feet), producing millions of weber blue agave plants. For generations the Camarenas provided agave for other bottlers, eventually going in to the tequila business themselves in the 1930s under the name Casco Viejo. The Casco Viejo distillery makes the well-regarded Don Agustin as well. The actual Familia Camarena tequila brand label did not exist until 2008, when E and J Gallo partnered with Casco to create Familia Camarena for the US market.

Clearly there is a nice marketing boost going on around the country (see "Taco Truck" campaign pic, below), and as always I am heartened to see other tequilas finding popularity and eroding the ground beneath the tyrant Patrón, while also pulling people away from God-awful mixtos like Cuervo. And while Camarena Silver isn't what I'd call an ulta-premium tequila, it'll find a place on my shelf. At $20 for a 100% agave juice, what's not to like?


Coming to your town: The Camarena "Taco Truck" dishin' out tacos y tequila

7 Leguas Reposado, Poppin' Fresh!

A Bottle o' Bang!

As I write this, I'm enjoying a nice highball glass of Tequila 7 Leguas Reposado on ice. This is exactly the kind of repo I like, and I'll tell you why. Most importantly, it has a big agave bang - a nice big pop of agave. I like a repo that leans more towards a blanco, using just a gentle resting to smooth the edges and mellow the bite. Everyone knows by now that I prefer blancos above all, because to my palette, nothing is better than a well-crafted and un-messed-with distillation of agave's first-pressing. Of course, I appreciate a wonderful aged añejo as much as the next guy, but I'd trade that any day to find the holy-grail of blancos.

The 7 Leguas is right up my alley with it's strong agave presence. There's a touch of woody mellowing, but the wood does not get in the way of the agave; indeed, it cradles it. This gives 7L repo a very full bodied taste with a nice smooth and lasting finish. In this case, the 8 months of aging in white oak barrels does what it should do: enhance and amplify the agave, adding a layer of depth, complexity and finish that the blanco alone cannot provide.

Casa Siete Leguas

Reviews on Tequila.net

Notes: 7 Leguas invented the Patron label, and the original Patron was made in 7L and distributed in the US from 1991 to 2002. There is no longer any association with Patron.
7 Leguas is made "de tajona" -- the ancient technique of grinding the agave with a stone wheel, driven by mules.
7 Leguas (meaning 7 leagues) was the name of Pancho Villa's horse.


The rebel Panch Villa and his steed, the famous Siete Leguas. (He never pulled the tajona)

Taste Test: T1 Ultra Fino, El Blanco Mas Fino

¡Tequila Uno, Numero Uno!

As you know, I talk a lot about blancos. It's because a good tequila begins with a great blanco. The longer one drinks tequila the more one appreciates the fresh, un-aged first-pressing of the baked blue agave. I like repos and añejos as much as the next guy, but I am driven by a desire to find the sweetest, boldest, freshest, silky-smoothest, most perfect blanco of all. I find a lot of high-end tequila veterans like myself are also blanco lovers. A smooth añejo is perhaps easier on the novice tongue.

Another reason I love a killer blanco is that blancos are versatile; you can mix 'em, drink 'em cold with rocks, or sip 'em neat. I'm also a cheap bastard, so the price of blancos appeals to me. I have a price-sensitivity of about $50, and you can typically find a really good blanco, and even some decent reposados for at or below that point.

Having tried many a good blanco, I believe I have found the the ONE; T1, that is! It is certainly the best I have had to-date. My recent taste-test proved it. We're talkin' T1 (Tequila Uno) Blanco Ultra Fino, hand-crafted by master-distiller Germán Gonzales, whose clain-to-fame is creating the lovely Chinaco line-up in the '90s. The juice is absolutely fantastic! To my pallette, this is tequila perfection, which means it has a BIG BIG agave bang!

Two tequila-loving friends and I (one who worked for years in a NYC tequila bar), compared some top-end blancos, and the T1 was the hands-down winner. It not only had the sweetest taste, but also something special, intangible. T1 has spirit in the true sense.

The competition was between these blancos:
T1, Espolón, El Tesoro, Casa Noble, and Milagro (which I considered a stand-in for Patrón silver. To me, Milagro is Patrón at the right price!). Without going in to detailed tasting notes and descriptions, let's suffice it to say that the T1 even beat my beloved Espolón. The Esppolón is great, but was a little hotter and more peppery. The T1 was sweet, complex, with a great agave punch and a slky finish. It has an easy entry and a very full-bodied taste, encompassing citrus, vanilla, earth, nuts, smoke and pepper! All three of us agreed the T1 was the clear winner. It received smiles all-around!
Ultra Fino, indeed!

Here's How They Ranked:
1) Tequila Uno Ultra Fino: Big, perfectly balanced, smooth and sweet, Rating: 5-Pencas!
2) Espolón: Full-bodied, flavorful, a bit more heat/bite
3) El Tesoro: Mild and smooth -- not as big as expected but nice
4) Casa Noble: Earthy, big agave taste, ashy finish
5) Milagro: Most alcohol, not super flavorful but a great mixer

The Robb Report, T1 Tequila

Here's a nice profile on T1:
Agave Artist

2010: Año de Agave?

¡Hola amigos y feliz año nuevo!

Your tio Drew had a very big and busy holiday season. Of course much good tequila was enjoyed.

We are looking forward to a trip to Mexico in a month. Bringing the fam to Cabo for a week. Little Drew will be turning 3 there on Feb 16th. A piñata birthday will be in order! On the beach! ¡Vámos a la playa!

Just heard from Ryan Hutchins of Tequila Uno, and he promises to get a sample my way soon. To refresh, T1 is the new ultra-premium tequila master-crafted by Germán Gonzalez, the man responsible for the highly regarded Chinaco Negro and other fine tequilas. Germán is from a renowned aristocratic family who owned the distillery Gonzaleña. His Great Grandfather was El Presidente de Mexico. This man has blue-agave running through his veins!


Dos del Uno

While I wait with baited breath for my sample, Ryan sent me a nice hi-res pic of the T1 blanco and repo in their crystal decanter-style bottles. Feast your eyes! Makes your mouth water, don't it?

Update on the Milagro Select Barrel

Menage au Milagro

Poured some Mil Repo SB in my flask 'till it was 2/3 full. Carried it around for a few hours before having a sip. After being poured and sort-of decanted like that, it was much less hot and alcohol-y. There was a mellower flavor where the agave came through, along with some nice woodiness. Pretty nice...

I Hate Don Julio Blanco With Every Fiber Of My Being!

So, there I was last night, playing a gig at a local watering hole and I looked behind the bar and my only tequila choices were: Cuervo Especial, Patron Silver, and yes, the despicable DJ Blanco. Ugh.

If you know me, you know I have tried DJ Blanco about every two years to see if I'll "like it this time" but no, I always dislike it intensely.

I'll say hate.

I hate it.

So again I go against my better judgement and order a shot of the DJ Blanco. It was even worse that I expected. Kerosene! It was so bad I wasn't going to drink it but instead I just bolted it down as quick as I could.

It's like I'm allergic to the stuff.

Horrid.

Drank Patron the rest of the night, happily.

¿Milagro, Si o No?

I am muy bonita, no?

Every freaking where I look all of a sudden, I see Milagro. Bars, restaurants, events, everywhere they're peddling Milagro. They must have some damn good marketing.
So, I've been trying it. First, I tried the blanco. Not terrible. I didn't hate it on ice. It's pretty smooth and I'd say it's as-good or better than Patrón Silver -- and a lot cheaper. The reposado and anejo, y'now, not great, not bad. The anejo I liked pretty well. It's oakey.

The whole thing is sort of, "pretty bottle -- pretty average tequila". For the money it's fine. There's nothing really NOT to like. I think it's a case of marketing to the new and growing taste for high-end tequila. It's un-adventurous, it's safe, and and it's less expensive than Patrón. So, the average Joe and Jane will know the names Cuervo, Patron, maybe Cabo Wabo, and now Milagro.

Then, astonishingly and out of the blue, a friend gifts me with a beautiful bottle of Milagro Reposado Select Barrel Resrva. Apparently the guy at the liquor store recommended it. Really nice bottle. The tequila inside is initially very strong on alcohol, probably due to the triple distilling. You have to let it decant for a while. Then you'll notice a pretty decent repo; not in my top-five, and not particularly outstanding in any way. But I like it on ice and the blown crystal bottle makes a very nice addition to the collection.

I certainly like it better than the standard repo, which was my least favorite of the basic three.

So far, the Milagro line-up isn't really poking me in the eye. I'm gonna have to hit this gift bottle a little harder. Until then, the jury is still out...

Here's the reserva review on Tequila.Net

Partida Reposado: Smooth and Elegant

Lit From Within: Partida Reposado is a Brilliant Gold Color and Beautifully Bottled

I got an unexpected check for $52.00 in the mail the other day. It was from a credit-card account that I had closed last winter. Apparently the SEC or some other such agency had gone after this bank (the now-defunct Advanta Card), saying they had done some sketchy practices with their customers. They were ordered to pay people back! Yes! So I got a check! Wow. Revenge is sweet.

And what does a tequila aficionado do when "free money" lands in his lap? Why I headed straight to the liquor store, of course. I picked up a bottle of Partida Reposado, thereby burning up the entire $52.00

This golden honey-colored nectar is really nice. It's silky smooth and full of flavor, with a rich body of sweet, wood-tinged agave. The juice is rested for six-months in Jack Daniel's American Oak Barrels. The Partida has a lovely, fruity nose, a nice mouth-feel and a really elegant flavor without being too heavy or smoky. This is more of a "modern" tequila, having more in-common with Patron than with many of the older established tequilas. It is certainly marketed to American tastes. There's really nothing not to like about Partida reposado, and it particularly appeals to me because for a repo it has a very big agave presence. In my opinion, this is what a reposado should be -- agave that's just kissed with the flavor and mellowness of the resting. With many tequilas I like the blanco better than the repo, because the repo tastes to effed-with; too flavored. In the case of Partida, they've nailed it. The repo has everything I like about the blanco, and more. (The blanco is really good too, by the way. I have yet to try the anejo -- pricey).

This is a tequila I would serve to guests, especially folks who may not be familiar with premium tequila. This one goes neat in a reidel glass or small snifter. Partida Repo's a great after-dinner drink. Like I said, muy elegante.

Partida Reposado has been described as "The Bentley of Reposados". I say, take her out for a drive, baby!

Tequila.net reviews of Partida Repo

Spirits Review - 9 out of 10 olives!

¿Quién es Más Blanco?

Blanco Bottle Battle Round Dos


La Familia Don Valente

Our previous winner, and my heretofore favorite blanco, Espolón, goes up against two formidable challengers: Los Abuelos Blanco (lot 2), and Don Valente Blanco Artesanál. Wow, right? That is a tough field. Sort of like the NFC East.

The Abuelos, aka La Fortaleza is renowned by aficionados. (If you have followed the blog you know I have been trying to get my hands on this for months). It's master-distiller and brand-ambassador is Guillermo Sauza, the fifth generation of Tequila's famous Sauza family. He makes this tequila on one small prime piece of land, in a vintage distillery. The Agave juice esta molido de tahona -- extracted with the ancient stone pressing wheel. There is no doubt that this Tequila feels hand-made; from the beatiful blown-glass bottle with antique-styled label, to the small-batch numbered lots. By comparison, Patrón produces something like 100-times the number of bottles.

Apparently there's something I'm not getting here. This is one of the Holy Grails of tequila, and I dunno, maybe my pallette is not yet refined enough for el ultimo --the very finest of the fine. It seems strong on alcohol - quite hot. The nose is floral and the taste is pretty pungent. I taste citrus and nuts and earth, even oak, which I can't figure out being that it's a blanco. But all the while it seems to be missing the big agave core and spirit that I crave. And there's the undertone of a tang, almost a weird sour tang that I can't seem to shake. It's pretty smooth and the finish is smooth. It doesn't bite but it does burn, with a strong presence of alcohol. Maybe I'd like the repo or anejo better. So, despite everything, I'm thinking I won't go out of my way to get this again, and believe-you-me, I went way way out of my way to score this bottle (and so did another guy, Thanks, Krys!)

I liked the Don Valente. It has a light mouth feel and overall has a lighter, sweeter character. It has minimal alcohol presence, and virtually NO burn. The DV exhibits what I expect; a nice agave body and a nutty, sweet flavor of caramel and vanilla. A very nice sipper, if not just a bit mild-mannered. Wish I could get it around here.

On to the Champ, Espolón. I still think this one holds up to any good blanco. In fact, I love the whole Espolón line. I am heartened that the new Cabo Wabo will be made by the same distillery. This is bold with intense citrus agave and spice. It has more alcohol than the Don Valente, and has a bit of an ashy finish. This is why I like Espie on ice.

Between the Espolón and the Valente, this is going to be a close call. I will have another one-on-one taste of these.

OK, the Espolón is less sweet and more peppery - a little hotter overall. As a pure sipper, the Valente wins. It's really delightful -- sweet, smooth and buttery. There's basically nothing NOT to like about the DV. It's a happy tequila!

"Olé! Soy Alegre!"
The DV wins by half a penca!

Don Valente Blanco Artesanál: 4 Pencas
Espolón Silver: 3.5 Pencas
Los Abuelos Blanco (lot 2): 3 Pencas

Patron: The Perfect Poser?

Shall we Patron-ize? (BTW: What's with the Bee? Is it saying, "Drink me for the buzz?")

Patron Patron Patron....Love it? Hate it? Over-rated? Over priced? Is it real? fake? A poser? Liquid gold or Donkey Wizz?

Many -- I'd say MOST -- tequila aficionados are staunchly anti-Patron. While I have problems with Patron in-general, I'm not as vehement. I call it "tequila with training wheels". Why? Because it's designed to be smooth and ultra-drinkable for people who don't have an experienced tequila pallette. It's like the vodka/martini people who never had a shot until Grey Goose came along (when some were drinking Stoli in the '80s). For many, Patron's the first and only pure agave tequila they've had; it's the only name they know other than Jose Cuervo.

Due to very good marketing, Patron has positioned itself as the one and only ultra-premium, and has priced itself accordingly. They're using one of the oldest marketing ploys in the world - make it expensive so people think it's the best. The strategy has worked like a charm. People are paying $50 per bottle and up. Is it worth it? Well in my not-so-humble opinion, no. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad tequila. In fact I like the reposado quite a bit. Many of the so-called Patron lovers have never tried the repo. They're stuck on the silver (blanco) which is ok, but there are far superior blancos out there for a lot less money. I could name half-a-dozen right now (but I won't). In fact, I have talked to Patron-izers who actually don't know about the other types of tequila (reposado, anejo, etc.) or the difference between a mixto and a 100%. They are simply happy to pay $7-a-shot for the schtuff.

The truth is that Patron is an American company, based in Las Vegas, and owned buy a guy who has been successful in the industry of hair salon products (Paul Mitchell Systems).

As far as taste, I find Patron Silver one-dimensional. It's not rich and complex, like ultra premium tequila tends to be. The bigger problem I have with it is the price. A good, I mean really good, blanco should be $10 to $20 less. For really good reposado or anejo I might spend $50. In fact, the only blanco I would ever spend upwards of $50 for would be La Fortaleza, which pisses all over Patron and then won't call Patron in the morning...or ever again, for that matter.

Here's a great review of Patron that really hits the target: Patron The Peroxide Blonde

A Close Encounter With E.T.

Score! Normally $40 to $50 or more, I scored a bottle of El Tesoro Anejo at the New Hampshire State Store for $36.00

I haven't phoned up ET (El Tesoro de Don Filipe) in a few years. I was in an Americana Band called Lucky 57 in the early and mid 2K's, and we drank a little (OK, maybe more than a little) El Tesoro. Since then I've discovered other high-end Tequilas and sort of forgot ET. When I joined Tequila.net, I saw that many members really like and value ET. Apparently, it's sort of an essential bottle, as far as officionados are concerned.

So I went to my local store to buy a bottle, Lukes, as they have always carried it. But no! To my surprise and dissapointment, they no longer offer it. They said they could order it in, but "I would not like the price". It would be $54 -- for the blanco! The reposado and anejo would be more.

So lucky me, today I was on my way back from a couple days in NH and of course stopped at the NH State Liquor Outlet. And, BOOM, they have ET Anejo on sale for $36.99. Now, I would have preferred a reposado or blanco, but they did not have those. So I bought it.

I have just now tried it, and while I would not put it in my top 5 or maybe even 10, it's a really nice, well-balanced sippin' anejo. Has a nice blend of agave and wood.

And the price, shall we say, was "out of this world!"

Here's the El Tesoro Anejo review page on Tequila.net

ET's main web-site

Reposado Death-Match!

I originally posted this on my new favorite web-site, Tequila.net, a great source for tequila reviews and all things agave.

Did my own reposado tasting last night. Here they are in order of first to last:

1) 1921 Reposado Special Reserva
2) Casa Noble Reposado
3) Corralejo Reposado
4) Corralejo Reposado Triple Distillado

*Keep in-mind I'm trying to train my pallette to taste and review, but I'm a total rookie at it (veteran drinker, rookie reviewer). I know what I like and I have good taste, I think. I can tell bad from good, but this "notes of cooked sweet potato" thing is completely new to me.

Long story short, the 1921 was the smoothest and fullest of the lot. The aroma is really sweet, the notes I scrawled say: nutmeg, amaretto, almond, vanilla, lilies etc. Then the taste: Honey, agave, red chili peppers, posole, and earth. Best finish, least burn. Niiicceee!

The Corralejo 3D I didn't like much. The nose was earthy, mossy - almost peetey and strong on alcohol. I scribbled, "cactus". The initial taste on the tongue is nice, silky and buttery. Then comes agave. Then the tang starts, first like kiwi then it goes to metal and burns out to ash. Overall a strong alcohol presence with a very sour aftertaste. This bottle might actually be off. Maybe sat on a shelf too long. I'll use it in margaritas.

The Corralejo Reposado I already like. It's light and fruity and floral. Smells like lime, pear, almonds and lilacs. It hits the tongue a bit hot, but is strong on agave. I also tasted wood and pepper. It's a nice blend of agave, fruit and spice. Aftertaste a tad sour. A good, well-balanced every day tequila. Sip it or make 'ritas.


La Familia Casa Noble

The Casa Noble Reposado has been reviewed a lot on tequila.net, so I won't go too far. I liked it almost as much as the 1921, but for different reasons. Like the 1921 there is smoothness and sweetness, but the CN has a distinct agave blast, I call it the agave punch, which is surrounded by many other flavors of fruits nuts, spices and wood. In general it's more "pungent". My notes: Aroma -- wood, rose, vanilla, pine nuts, raisins. Mouth-feel/taste -- silky, a bit oily, big agave punch, wood, earth, charcoal, minimal alcohol burn. The CN is complex and layered. I'm not a pro taster, so read the other reviews on Tequila.net. I still like the CN "Crystal" blanco better.

Casa noble on Blogger: http://www.casanoble.blogspot.com