Desert Door Texas Sotol Original

Light and herbaceous . Tastes good over the rocks or, for me, with tonic water

Harsh Sotol with little to no sipping potential. Should work as a mixer but lacks the characteristic smoothness that I expect from this spirit.

Rating: 10/23 N: It's quite rich and full. It's not sweet. I get a lot of vegetative funk mixed with aged tobacco and some minerals. There's something a bit tart in a slightly rancid (but not bad way). Briny olive, perhaps? There's something musty that I can't quite place but that reminds me of that vegetal funk in rhum agricole just a bit. A trace of old socks. Overall, it reminds me a bit of Fortaleza Blanco and also of mezcal. P: The palate has a lot more mineral to it than I'd expected. It's quite bitter too. It has the stale tobacco flavor like if you just licked an ashtray. I really don't like how there's this harsh and slightly numbing spiciness at the beginning, though I do get some cinnamon out of it. I get a hint of olive brine but not too much. I really don't like how the palate is so much lighter than the nose because of the increased minerality. After a few minutes, the palate becomes more floral and a more clear musty, moldy paper flavor comes out that reminds me a little bit of my bottle of Centenario Reposado. I can't say I like this palate, unfortunately. It may be an acquired taste, but I'm finding it to be very challenging. F: The stale tobacco and mineral flavors are at the fore, with the rhum agricole squash funkiness remaining as well. The olive brine is essentially (or maybe entirely) gone. I get some floral notes. There's some hint of tropical fruit (pineapple) deep into the finish. The moldy paper mustiness lingers for a long time. This is a really interesting experience. I can't say I really like it, but it was worth trying and it might be a good example of its category (honestly, I have no idea). The minerality lightens the palate in a way that is disappointing after the nose is so rich and full, really bringing down the experience. I'm sure glad I didn't buy a full bottle. There's a lot going on, but it's a cacophony. I think I'd appreciate this more if I had more and I bet I could find a decent cocktail for it. I was thinking 8 to 12 and I think I'm landing on 10.

Dusty book and sand, spice and bitter smoke. Takes some getting used to but once you open up to it, it becomes addicting.

Man I really wanted to like this but every sip is like I drink alcohol filtered through dark rich potting soil. And the aroma is intense potting soil. Has a rather long finish of more potting soil, black pepper, and vegetation.