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Fortaleza Reposado Tequila
Distiller Score 92
Upon first whiff, the aroma lures you in with notes such as roasted pears, vanilla, toast, and citrus zest. Cinnamon, oak char, bananas and warm cream follow soon after. No surprises on the palate as you are piqued with notes of much of the same along with clotted cream, pineapple, sage and black pepper. Moderately tannic, medium bodied, fresh and lush with tons of agave sweetness. This is a VERY impressive offering that helps lift the reposado category out of the margins.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Don Julio Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 95
On the nose, vanilla and caramel are enlivened by a hint of spice and underpinned by cooked agave. The palate is extremely pretty (in only the best way), with honey and agave nectar added to the mix, along with lashings of pepper. The finish is consistent, though oddly less persistent than the blanco--perhaps due to its suavity.
Reviewed by Ron Bechtol
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Fortaleza Blanco Tequila
Distiller Score 94
Fortaleza Blanco Tequila is a tequila that manages to be fairly balanced in its earthy, vegetal, and sweet agave notes. It has an average mouth-feel without being slick or too sweet. Raw pineapple, green olives, and lime round out the palate. The finish is only slightly bitter and is dry, but not bone dry. This is a tequila that has a solid character and is a good yardstick by which to measure other valley tequilas.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Rey Campero Espadín Mezcal
Distiller Score 92
This is a surprisingly floral and delicate example of this type of mezcal, with aromas of lily of the valley, grapefruit rind and green pepper greeting the nose. The palate is light and fruity, with pineapple, ripe grapefruit, lime and vanilla. More floral flavors and hot chili spice play off each other to add a subtle accent to the finish with just a hint of charcoal smoke.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Mijenta Tequila Blanco
Distiller Score 86
The nose gets started with grapefruit peel and pith, plenty of vegetal and grassy notes, lemon juice, and cotton candy. The palate offers grilled pineapples, vanilla, and waxy honey, moving into a finish with toffee, black pepper, a bowl of freshly made oleo saccharum with citrus peels and sugar, and moderate minerality. Bright citrus through and through.
Reviewed by Jake Emen
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Riazul Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 86
This is a super-rich and sweet style of añejo, almost like a dessert wine. It tastes a bit like a pineapple upside down cake (or perhaps one should say "tart tartin" since it's aged so long in French oak), with baked tropical fruit and dark caramel notes dominating the palate, with only a small taste of cooked agave flavor. Warm cinnamon spice takes it into the finish. Good choice for someone yearning for a sweet after-dinner drink, and goes great with flan!
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Mezcales de Leyenda San Luis Potosí
Distiller Score 93
This fabulous spirit has a complex nose of celery salt, seawater, and tangerine zest. Far from a smoke bomb, this spirit captures an elegant and pure style of mezcal. The mineral flavors provide an excellent framework for tones of grilled pineapple and toasted jalapeño. The finish has a bit of heat but lots of sweet fruit. Very good sipping mezcal.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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Tequila ArteNOM Selección de 1579 Blanco
Distiller Score 96
Tequila ArteNOM Selección de 1579 Blanco is loaded with cooked agave from aroma to finish. The aromas highlight a lovely fruity character from ripe citrus all the way to tropical fruits. These fruit aromas are laced with a minerality that is difficult to separate until you taste it. The flavors begin with a soft, clean natural sweetness that reveals the fruit again but highlights bright stones, slight-sapid pepper, and minty freshness. The rich mouthfeel carries these lovely complexities in a brilliant balance that carry all the way through to the lingering finish.
Reviewed by Forrest Cokely
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Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro Tequila
Distiller Score 91
Quite a lot happening on the nose with vanilla cream, cinnamon, and caramel-covered popcorn. A faint hint of green herbs and minerality is found as well. The tequila is rich and soft on your palate as well as sweet. The finish is spicy and herb filled with the tequila ending up on the bitter and dry side.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Tequila San Matias Gran Reserva Extra Añejo
Distiller Score 94
This super-concentrated elixir straddles the line between tequila and liqueur, but finds its balance. Sweet, rich, vanilla, caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon and pecan coat the palate. However, tropical flavors of pineapple and mango mixed with a bit of pine sashay their way in, and it's tied together with a good dose of cedar and allspice. A little goes a long way here. Perhaps, as they say in Spanish, you need "only enough to fill a belly button" to end a good meal.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Tequila Ocho Reposado "El Refugio" 2012
Distiller Score 88
Right from the gate the aroma strikes me with eucalyptus and drying jungle vegetation. Being aged in very neutral barrels the terroir plays a huge part in everything tasted. Notes of black tea, crushed macadamia nuts and a smidgen of fresh fruity mango and papaya. The eucalyptus comes back in the finish but similar to freshly cut dry grass.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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Alacrán Cristal Tequila
Distiller Score 92
A creamy, bruléed nose is sharpened by some candied jalapeño (yes, this is a thing) and underpinned by flashes of wood and vanilla. Creaminess strikes again on the palate--this time with hints of savory, fines herbes and remembrances of fine, polished furniture.The finish is lingering, velvety and old-world dusty.
Reviewed by Ron Bechtol