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123 Organic Añejo (Tres) Tequila
Distiller Score 93
This Valley añejo displays big aromas of vanilla and oak, followed by dark, bitter Baker’s chocolate and sweet ripe peaches. Up front, the flavors are of sharp white pepper and bright lemon peel, followed by rich roasted agave and orange marmalade. Overall, this is a rich and unctuous tequila with a very enjoyable evolution.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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123 Organic Reposado (Dos) Tequila
Distiller Score 93
This reposado offers a great balance between age and youthfulness, displaying herbal and vegetal aromas of grass, mint, and piquillo peppers followed fruit and baked aromas of marzipan, orange peel, cloves and Mexican chocolate. On the palate, there is a lot of fresh agave flavor, a lemony citrus-peel brightness followed by rich salted-caramel and vanilla notes. Overall, a rich and complex reposado offering great variance between spice, fruit and vegetal with a bold agave backbone and delicate minty finish.
Reviewed by Ryan Conklin
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Herradura Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 92
Rich aromas of agave, chocolate, pineapple and dried cherry appear along with oak and vanilla tones. In the mouth, this is a rich and mouth-coating spirit, with flavors similar to the nose creating a lively counterpoint to the cinnamon and caramel also found. The finish is long and lasting, with gentle fruit notes giving way to a soft cinnamon note with hints of earth and minerality.
Reviewed by Distiller Staff
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Tequila Ocho Añejo "El Puertecito" 2011
Distiller Score 92
The nose is nutty and citrus forward, with distinct notes of marzipan. I find a bit of stewed plantain skins on the end. The palate full of rich cooked agave with roasted almonds and just enough of a bite to keep you from chugging every last bit in the bottle. This is a great expression from the Ocho line, each sip is a nod to the distiller’s expertise and technique.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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KAH Tequila Reposado
Distiller Score 89
There’s a true roasted fruit-forward agave on the nose. Careful craftsmanship allows the 110 proof alcohol burn to stay subtle enough to pick off the nicely butterscotched pineapple and melon fruits. Beginning notes of tobacco bleed through the white pepper and oak. Finishes with a cool burn of alcohol throughout the entire mouth, you’ll taste a little bit of licorice and raisin.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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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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Herencia Mexicana Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 91
This tequila presents a rich and dense character that is evident from the moment you smell it. A culmination of milk chocolate or perhaps Tootsie Roll, allspice, bananas foster, caramel, butterscotch and brown butter. The flavor is sweet and lush, but surprisingly bright and gentle with cinnamon toast, clove, charcoal and a hint of lemon zest. All the markers of a Highland tequila graciously taking on the characteristics of intense wood aging.
Reviewed by Omari Wheat
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Don Pilar Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 92
A delicate balance of stewed agave, ripe tropical fruit, and sweet milk chocolate welcome the palate. The tequila has a creamy weight and caramel flavors reminiscent of a dulce de leche dessert. However, just enough of the agave character shines through the distillate so it isn't lost among the sweetness.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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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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Suerte Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 92
The Suerte approach that blends traditional distilling methods and a “progressive experience” is epitomized in their añejo, which benefits greatly from the two years it’s aged in one-pass Jack Daniels barrels. On the nose, sweet notes of maple syrup and brown sugar give way to a viscous palate with vanilla, honey and agave. The velvety finish is long and warm, offering hints of chocolate and fruit.
Reviewed by Daniel Djang
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t1 Tequila Añejo Estelar
Distiller Score 94
Estelar shows its age in a pretty, deep caramel color, but defies it with a lively nose of spice, chocolate, caramel and some vanilla from the barrel. There is a touch of agave and cinnamon on the palate and a finish that lingers with the persistence of embers--a touch of never-say-die heat, in other words.
Reviewed by Ron Bechtol
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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