Casamigos Blanco Tequila

The final bottle of the Winter 2025 50ml Clean-Up left me with a celebrity novelty, but it's still tequila nonetheless. I've had the reposado version of this and only remember it being one of the sweetest tequilas I've ever had, almost capable of being poured over ice cream if not for the thin consistency. Even though this is a standard 80 proof tequila with no age, it's concerning that the back of the bottle indicates a vanilla finish, and really makes me wonder how all of the age statements would be capable of this super sweetness. Here's hoping some of the more vegetal notes from the agave can be captured here without any sweetness overpowering it. The nose is very aggressive and somewhat bitter, with notes of carbon and cleaning chemicals, similar to high wine heads right off the still. There's nothing about this that is appealing, but there are still very faint notes of raw, vegetal agave, and even the vanilla that was predicted from the start. The initial flavor and body are both light and unimpressive, but this flips quickly when the carbon and vegetal notes from the nose start digging into the gums with a raw and aggressive burn, again reminding me of fresh-off-the-still distillate. The finish has some notes of green bell pepper and black peppercorn, and indeed a small touch of vanilla (although kind of artificial and not very sweet), but is far too strong and unrefined to be sweet or approachable for almost any crowd. This is definitely a disappointment (as most celebrity spirits are) as far as tequila goes, and rests right on the line between "not enjoyable" and "actively disliking." It has no place for drinking neat, nor would it lend anything to most cocktails. Given that there are plenty of other tequilas around this price point with far better flavor and quality (and minus the unnecessary celebrity endorsement), this is worth ignoring in the store and in the public bar alike.