Arta Tequila Añejo

This drink kicks off with some bitter, mushroomy notes mixed with a strong hit of mint. It's on the savory side and not sweet. There is a bit of citrus mixed in there, along with just a bit of clove. This is a dry drink and it is not at all viscous. I'm not a fan of this mix of flavors and it doesn't have the kind of depth and variety that it really needs. The very rare hints of caramel and cocoa are just not enough here. I do appreciate it's smoothness and lack of weird alcohol flavors though. It could be considered to have a bit of a rancid bread flavor, but that blends with the mushrooms here, so it can get a pass on that offense. This tastes more like a mixer than a sipper (though it definitely does not have that icing sugar flavor), but its price is too high to use it for that purpose. It's like Casamigos Blanco and Corralejo Reposado crashed into each other and ended up mangled. It lacks the richness of Corralejo Reposado, but at least it has a lot less mushroom flavor. The mint is immediately present, but is mixed with some less forceful vegetal (carrot) caramel and spices. It's somewhat like an anejo mixed with a blanco, which is not necessarily a good blend. The depth of flavor is good, but I'd rather have separate mint, vegetal, and caramel drinks. The mild cocoa notes add a nice richness. The flavors are not terrifically balanced and I really expect a more robust flavor from an anejo. The flavors are rich and deep, but they are also discordant. It's interesting, but not terrific. It tastes a bit like the forest, but not in a juniper way. The balance is still off, but there is a wealth of variety to the flavor and it is not dominated by the alcohol. This drink is rich in a non-traditional way. It has a lot of depth of flavor, bit the mint is a bit overwhelming. It is smokey and rounded, but does not suffer from any meaty flavor. All told, the balance is there, but it doesn't taste quite like a normal anejo tequila or a mezcal. That said, it is quite good despite being an acquired taste. If you like mint, this is a good choice. Otherwise, it is a bit odd and unenjoyable despite its technical successes. This is super minty and some of the mint is spearmint. It isn't super complex or rich and hedonistic either. There is definitely some caramel, but it is relatively subdued with some nice vanilla beside it and some baking spices supporting it not being enough to overpower the clean mint. The mint contains some other herbal and woody notes int he vein of juniper and cedar. There are some astringent citrus notes here too that gradually comes out, with lime playing a key role. That woody minty herbal note is kind of out of hand (by a lot) though. I wish that there were more balance. It tastes like there is some more going on the depths here, but like with El Tesoro Blanco it is hard to taste down that far. Here's some bad news if you don't like sipping this: it's certainly not a mixer. The palate is too minty - like spear mint. Beyond that, there are milk chocolate and caramel, sort of like Tootsie rolls. It's bitter and herbal all the while with some keffir lime wafting through. It's drinkable, but not exiting and has an off, spearmint flavor to contend with. It's mellow with a bit much spearmint and a bit of pepper to it. There's also some caramel and cinnamon mixed with hints of orange. It's light but a little creamy. There's some earthiness, but it isn't excessive. Overall, the balance and complexity are good except for the spearmint. Relative to Cabeza Blanco, this has more mint (including spearmint) and some caramel creaminess that helps to round out the spearmint. This has less of a rich, full, oily flavor with spicy and luscious fruit characters. This doesn't have any actively bad notes aside from the spearmint (though that goes surprisingly well with the caramel) and there is a nice bit of cinnamon in there, but the overall impression is of something that is weak and in need of assistance. It has less of an aggressive alcohol but to it than San Matias Blanco, but it also is weaker and has less of a fruity pop. The flavor is more subtle than many other tequilas, but it is also too mild and oddly minty. It out-performs Lunazul Blanco in balance, but it isn't as interesting. Frankly, although I can get some of those chocolate notes and hints of whatever else on this, it just isn't as richly enjoyable as plenty of other options and the spearmint is a problem. The balance finally starts to click at the end of the bottle as the aggressiveness becomes less of a key factor, but that's pretty late for it to kick in. It beats out San Matias Blanco a bit and it doesn't get immediately crushed by Cabeza Blanco, but it ultimately does lose that fight.