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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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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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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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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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Fortaleza Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 97
A hint of sweet spice is sometimes the best way to enhance a green vegetable. Here cinnamon, nutmeg and clove bring out the flavor of sweet cooked agave (sort of like sugar snap peas), with hints of caramel, vanilla, coffee and toasted oak. The finish is bright and spicy with a measured sweetness adding to the agave flavors.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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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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KAH Tequila Añejo
Distiller Score 78
KAH Añejo comes in a painted black skull and has notes of hazelnut and coffee with a strong backbone of vanilla. The white pepper is a lot more subtle, but the grapefruit-citrus oil and eucalyptus give the vanilla a little help but not much. This Añejo is definitely on the sweet side, so if you’ve got a sweet tooth, have at it. Otherwise, stick to their reposado.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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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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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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Clase Azul Tequila Plata
Distiller Score 93
Clase Azul has a very delicate aroma with sweet candied notes of papaya, mango and lemon zest. Quite a sweet sipper with lots of caramelized brown sugar and soft notes of black pepper. The finish is long and strong of with flavors of butterscotch and crystallized honey, almost like an American cream soda.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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KAH Tequila Blanco
Distiller Score 80
KAH Blanco is sweet smelling with notes of pineapple, lavender, raw agave and honeydew leading up to a spicy toasted white pepper. Not as sweet as it smells surprisingly with lots of natural fruit, papaya, mango and pear. Finish is quick with a touch of black tea and the faintest hickory smoke.
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