Herradura Silver Tequila

N: lime. Bright and fruity. P: salty briny. Faint fruit. Clean finish, short. Very little alcohol burn.

Wow, there's a surprisingly large amount of mineral in here. It's smooth and not terribly spicy, but that mineral is out of control. The mineral element is a bit like St. George Rye Gin and is out of control, almost tasting like gross bread. It permeate everything, but thankfully there is still some sweetness and a little richness. There's a bit of cardboard going on too, unfortunately. There is a hint of milk chocolate, but really this tastes shockingly like mineral. It could be a really good mixer but there is too much mineral for it to be more than mildly sippable, even though the rest of the flavors land. The herbal elements mix nicely with the minerals with corriander playing a clear role that bridges the gap but sort of enhances the minerals. There's a hint of mint on the finish, but nothing too invasive. If there were even one bad flavor in this, it would be disgusting. It's about as mild as El Tesoro Blanco, but it trades some of the smoke and alcohol for minerals. There's also kind of a gross bitterness to the aftertaste that I wish weren't there. It smells very herbal and it tastes very mineral (though the herbs are definitely there too. There isn't a lot of complexity in this one and the flavor isn't very good either. It reminds me surprisingly of a St. George gin, but with less character. There is so spice here, but it is not overwhelming. The overall flavor is drinkable, but it isn't very good. There's nothing very bad about it, but the terroir isn't an appealing taste. The richness is a unique characteristic that makes this an interesting experience, but it isn't really enjoyable. That mineral flavor is fairly clean but is also really gross. There's some gross alcohol in here too that I don't like, but it isn't a wholly bad drink. It could be good as a mixer in some cases.

Very, very excited about this one. Not just because Herradura Reposado is inherently my favorite go-to tequila, but also because of their choice of barrel aging, however short, their silver version. My wife commented on how she believes that would no longer make it silver, and although I don't know if any name "rules" were broken here, I argued that due to the tinted color, it is far closer to a silver shade that completely clear tequilas. Very clean nose, with easy riding, not too strong or weak, agave hanging around. With just a bit of grass and black pepper, this just so slightly hints at having barrel aged vibes, but reels you right back in with that fresh agave. Alas, the taste is exactly what I predicted, with very fresh, smooth agave playing all by itself, but with just a whisper of black pepper and oak in the background. Definitely not enough to be detectable in any cocktail, but certainly so when compared to another silver. The finish is long and clean, just like a proper silver, but that very short time in the barrel almost gives it a spicier finish, like the proof were a bit higher. Overall, this is a win, and in an effort to further support Herradura, will likely become a good staple for silver selection. There are other good options for strictly cocktails or even sipping, but this one is by far one of the most unique.