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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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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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Mucha Liga Invicto Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 90
Initially this tastes like the tequila equivalent of Coke mixed with Jarritos Mandarin soda. After a couple of sips, the sweetness is tempered with pine cone, spearmint, clove, allspice and chili pepper. An undertaste of sweet cocoa envelopes all these flavors. It's very sippable as an after dinner tequila, and would pair well with rich, creamy desserts.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Volcán De Mi Tierra Cristalino Tequila
Distiller Score 91
A crystal clear pour betrays the fact that this tequila shows quite a bit of oak influence in a nose filled with notes of caramel candy, toasted vanilla bean, and a touch of spicy pepper-toned agave. In the mouth there is a tone of cognac-laced fruit reminiscent of baked plum and creamy milk chocolate which dissipates into another spicy kick of pepper and a hint of salted lemon.
Reviewed by John Rankin
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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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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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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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Calirosa Añejo Tequila
Distiller Score 89
Fragrances of honeysuckle, orange zest, orange blossom, vanilla and sweet pepper greet the nose. There's loads of vanilla on the palate, along with toasted sesame (like tahini), green pepper, mint, orange and fresh strawberry. It's definitely on the sweet side, but the tangy fruit flavors and a mild black tea earthiness keep it from being overly so. The roasted agave notes still cut through as well.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Tequila Orgullo Pueblo Viejo Añejo
Distiller Score 93
This is a fine dessert tequila with rich flavors that manage to compliment the inherent agave notes instead of smothering them in sweetness. Warm cinnamon, dulce de leche, vanilla and milk chocolate fold into surprisingly fresh and tart green apple and pear. More savory notes of stewed agave, chili pepper and roasted bell pepper appear toward the finish as in a good molé, cutting the richness and adding depth.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Corzo Tequila Reposado
Distiller Score 90
The aroma and first taste are notably spicier than the silver but just if not more vegetal. Touches of serrano and Szechuan pepper lend to a very interesting and delightful finish and mouthfeel. Adding salt allows the tequila to open up florally like found in their Silver version.
Reviewed by Brock Schulte
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Tequila Ocho Reposado "La Magueyera" 2014
Distiller Score 90
There's a huge difference between the Reposado and Plata of this same harvest! This one is a trip to the tropics with flavors of pineapple, mango, tangerines, lemons and canteloupe. Vanilla and sweet, warm spices enter the mix, with white floral aromas and a yeasty/baked bread quality. Like a good Prince song, it's both funky and smooth.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Siembra Azul 10th Anniversary Reposado Tequila
Distiller Score 95
While it's quite rich for a reposado, the oak influence does not completely detract from the natural agave flavors. Exotic spices are at the forefront with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, cocoa powder and allspice. Vanilla, caramel and fruity flavors of apricot, grapefruit peel, and lime give over to mineral richness and fresh agave notes. All-in-all a chewy, yet nuanced tequila that's a real treat to sip.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster