Tastes
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G4 Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 25, 2020 (edited April 22, 2021)This smells a bit more like a scotch than I expected. There is some orange on the nose and there is also floral, but it doesn't have that quintessential honey floral nose of Irish whiskey. It's somewhere between the two whiskeys, though it does have some tropical fruits and Earth of tequila. The palate has a lot of mint but also a lot of orange peel and sweetness. There is mint, but it isn't in the way. This is very much like scotch. What a surprise! Additional sips let more of the earth come in, but it kind of adds to that scotch body that I expect. There's some butterscotch that is really surprising at this age. There isn't an insane amount of complexity, but this is quite good. What an odd surprise. The vanilla and floral come out without making it taste like bourbon. It's sweet without being cloying and the richness is nice. It's really hard to believe that this is only 6 months old. The mint and tequila elements do eventually come through more, so it becomes tequila meets scotch. That little bit of smoke really sells the scotch element. It isn't a standout scotch or anything, but it is quite tasty. It's kind of weird though since it is so much like a scotch but there are better scotches and it's supposed to be a tequila. The apple elements are nice and I guess there is a bit of honey. Irish whiskeys, consider yourself on notice.48.0 USD per Bottle -
G4 Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 25, 2020 (edited April 6, 2023)It smells exceedingly herbal with a fair bit of mint and some pepper. There is also some clear citrus on the nose. The body is smooth with a sort of constant peppery undertone and a medicinal herbal. It tastes a bit like Fernet-Branca got mixed in here. There is some sweetness though and there are notes of lime and pineapple. It's complex though it does tend a bit too far toward the medicinal bitter with minty notes for me to love it. That sweet undertone of agave is quite nice though. It is a decent sipper and a great mixer. It's probably a little better than Corralejo Blanco due to its added complexity and balance. The relative sweetness on the finish is what really makes this drink. It smells smoky and rich, reminding me a little of Fortaleza Blanco. There are Earth, vegetarian, and mild spice on the nose too. The palate is minty with umami, Earth, smoke, mint, and a little prickly spice. It is reminiscent of Fortaleza Blanco, but perhaps a little more mild. There is some mineral that is well under control and there are some nice sweet fruits, but they are a little hard to place. If the fruits were a little more identifiable with pineapple and lime, this would be substantially better. The cinnamon is more present than expected, but it balances well with the Earth. The alcohol is a little present, but it adds a hint of green olive. The problem though is that the green olives lack the necessary saltiness. This is a fine drink that is on the border of sippability. I'd sip it, but I wouldn't enjoy it that much. It is a little too good to be a mixer though.36.0 USD per Bottle -
It smells rich and butterscotch like a great scotch. The palate is less creamy and more minty than expected, a little like Arta Anejo. There is more would than expected, but the maltiness does come out with some nice smooth cinnamon mixed with toasted wood giving it a flavor of butterscotch that broaches toffee. It's a clean scotch profile somehow. I appreciate the apple flavor too that reassures me that it is scotch. It has this kind of bourbon element that reminds me of Glenfiddich 14 or maybe Compass Box Spice Tree. It's quite tasty, but I do think I like the Reposado a tad better.i do appreciate how the tequila elements interact in an interesting fashion, but the flavor is still not exceptional.73.0 USD per Bottle
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Fuenteseca Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila 7 Años
Tequila Extra Añejo — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 25, 2020 (edited October 13, 2022)Pepper, rich vanilla wood, spice, herbal notes. It's quite tasty and rich. A very good tequila. It has a bit of a Glenfarclas character to it with the rich tannins. There are hints of coconut and something vegetal but not overwhelming. It definitely tastes like anejo tequila mixed with Glenfarclas. The complexity is terrific with nice richness. There's a fair amount of spice but it is well within a reasonable range. The flavor is delightful. It has kind of a white pepper element going on, but there are also hints of tropical fruit. There's some mint too. It's very different from the 9 but good in its own way. This is somewhere between an 18 and a 19.153.0 USD per Bottle -
Fuenteseca Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila 9 Años
Tequila Extra Añejo — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed June 25, 2020 (edited December 11, 2021)It smells surprisingly strong with a kind of pungeant orange flavor and some peppermint. The palate is kind of syrupy with a very nice amount of wood richness. The wood has a distinctly strong umami flavor to it that does not taste like mushrooms and is hard to place. It has a bit of a barbeque sweetness but tastes a bit like cedar too. It isn't terribly bitter and has a lot of vanilla. This is a very unique tequila. There's a bit of a smokey chili flavor to this that fits well with the spiciness. The caramel notes are a bit richer than normal for a tequila with some cherry and orange elements (though it isn't a toffee level of richness). It's honestly hard to tell whether this is a tequila or an Armagnac. I wouldn't say that it is the best Armagnac, in fair part due to its mint and odd bitterness, but it is very good and quite hedonistic. The richness and complexity eventually become terrific. It's very adventurous for an Armagnac, but that doesn't make it bad. It's kind of refreshing and very tasty. I would absolutely love to sip this. This is somewhere between a 19 and a 20.231.0 USD per Bottle -
The nose doesn't smell like much but it might have a little fruit amidst the grain. It's a kind of sweet profile in a slightly rich manner (kind of like lightly roasted marshmallow) from the grain along with some vanilla and there is some spiciness too. The finish is a little sweet and clean. There is a fair amount going on here. This is a dry good vodka, though it is still a vodka. I like the grain but there is still some alcohol flavor and a bit much spice. I kind of get where Distilled is coming from in complaining about industrial rubber. Pause to think about it and exactly that flavor comes out.27.0 USD per Bottle
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This smells and tastes a bit like Glenfarclas mixed with Wild Turkey Master's Keep Reserve. It's very leathery with plenty of tannins and some sweet cherry that is under control. There's also some really nice rich chocolate and some caramel that is a bit too light but still nicely sweet. This is a really nice hedonistic drink. This has a big leathery smell like Joseph Magnus or Wild Turkey Master's Keep Revival. There's some smoke and fireworks on the nose too. Disappointingly, those flavors do blend together, but it still smells rich and mature. There's some of that Clynelish waxiness on the nose too. The nose indicates great promise. The palate is indeed rich with that characteristic Joseph Magnus and Glenfarclas 25 flavor, but also some additional sweetness from baking spices (nutmeg and cinnamon most notably, but some tannic clove as well). This is not what I expect from a rum, but I love it. The finish lingers with cocoa and leather, leaving a creaminess alongside the tannin that changes a bit as it goes on. It lasts for days and it's delicious. This is a tremendous find. The balance of sweetness, richness, tannin, and so on is splendid for a rum. Especially at 46%, this is a huge bargain! The complexity is tremendous and it is interesting and rich with flavors that just blow me away. I'm bumping this right up from 18 to 22. Maybe it will drop down to a 20, but it's hard to see it falling below that. Maybe it will be a 23. The ABV suits this perfectly and the price is unbearable. There's some tartness, but it is terifically balanced. Every moment of drinking this is a delight. It doesn't have the fullness of juicy fruit and Sherry presence that Glenfarclas 2t does, but it's really close in terms of richness and sweetness, with a bit more Joseph Magnus to it, along with some rum tropical flavors, a bit of fireworks. The complexity is greater here without doubt and so is the richness. There's a bit of orange on the long finish that is kind of light and slightly odd, but interestingly like a Cognac. It's hard to say that this is anything other than the single best deal in spirits, possibly even for mixing. It doesn't have the same amount of vanilla, tart pop, and smoky kick as Joseph Magnus, which I feel like just means that I'm again declaring it to be right between Joseph Magnus and Glenfarclas 25. It's even right between when it comes to ABV (43% < 46% < 50%). But it also has some tropical notes of rum. I sure love Joseph Magnus and Glenfarclas 25 right after tasting this, but I also sure love this after tasting both of them. At least for my tastes, I might have found the optimal Scotch, bourbon, and Rum. To be fair, I was somewhat more impressed by this when compared with Glenfarclas 25 and somewhat less impressed with this when compared with Joseph Magnus, but I've also compared Glenfarclas 25 with Joseph Magnus and found the former to be superior, so maybe I just need to accept that some preferences are not transitive :/ Regardless, this is an amazing rum, especially for the price. My tastes in spirits seem to be very similar, but that's fine. I like the variations among them, but I love that one core flavor. This is terrifically woody in a way that is brilliantly executed without tasting like it has been over oaked and getting that cardboard taste, possibly with mildew. I'll leave it at a 22 for now, but this is a heavy hitter for sure and it might reach 23. OK, that's probably an exaggeration. It's a fantastic sherry bomb. Damn though. Plantation Trinidad has been my favorite up until now, but even though it's amazing, this is both better and a better deal. Damn.46.0 USD per Bottle
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The nose is standardly rummy without being sweet. The palate has a lot of fruit and minerals up.front with some light caramel to it. There are some spices, which do include cinnamon, but are not terribly harsh. Some Earth and smoke flavors are present, but they are subdued. The whole thing is balanced enough, but it's also quite bland. It's quite weak, which is pretty disappointing. There is a bit of a bitter note, which balances the sweetness but is too monotone. There's a little coffee tartness that balances with some chocolate and the wood well, but the alcohol still shows. There's something vanilla and the mineral flavor brings in something generically fruity, but it's not terribly exciting. A hint of butterscotch makes it in. It's just not punchy enough to be really enjoyable. It's balanced enough, but despite being a great mixer, it isn't an exciting sipper. The flavor is quite solid, but just way too subdued.55.0 USD per Bottle
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Very woody, perhaps even aggressively so. Remarkably though, the alcohol flavor is not overwhelming. There are some pleasant citrus notes in here that balance the alcohol flavor. Cinnamon is clearly present. There are some prune notes mixed in with some lighter fruit and even some caramel. It's pretty good and some depth appears, but I'm not sure that it is better than Ron Diplomatico, which costs half as much, so why buy this? Ron Diplomatico its sweetness with wood as well, so this could have been better had it reduced it's sweetness and includes wood rather than just amping up the wood (and smoke). On the other hand, the fact the Ron Diplomatico's strong wood is weighted toward the finish is a problem because it persists for so long. Overall though, the quality of these two is about balanced. It smells like fireworks with a hint of spice and caramel. The palate is drying yet complex with a nice balanced sweetness. There's something strongly bitter across the center that is a bit much, but it's otherwise nicely flavored. I might like a bit less sweetness, but it's a solid standard rum. Beyond the fireworks and rye bitterness, there are butterscotch and cane sugar notes mixed with quite a bit of spice featuring pepper. The rye flavor is clearly herbal, but there is a nice crisp fruit note hiding in there - apples perhaps. This is quite drinkable at cask strength, though not terribly enjoyable. It tastes very burnt, which might be suggesting cocoa powder. The level of sweetness is actually OK, but it would be better without the cane sugar notes. The finish is a bit too herbal. Watered down, the fireworks are quite present. The character doesn't change a ton, but there's a little more of a dark corn syrup quality. Disappointingly, the complexity is reduced with water. I don't get what complexity everyone says they're seeing. It's decently complex, but it's also just kind of a standard smoky rum. At least the herbal flavors due down a bit with added water. I could totally sip this and I would be rather nonplussed. Watered down, there is a bit too much alcohol and mineral. It's not super exciting.60.0 USD per Bottle
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