Siete Leguas Blanco Tequila

Today's cocktail adventure is a tequila tasting. Specifically, we are tasting an assortment of blanco (also known as silver or plata) tequilas neat. This summer has been a summer of tequila martinis and this is a search for the best to make that scrumptious cocktail. The four tequilas examined here are Don Fulano, G4, Siete Leguas and our house pour Olmeca Altos. On the nose the Olmeca is sweet with mild vegetal and vanilla notes. The 7 is more intense with a notable cooked agave note. The G4 is a bit tamer than the 7, but also adds in some spice notes. The Don is clean and sweet and perhaps the most delicate. On the taste buds the Olmeca is a fine tequila. Slight black pepper, cooked agave, powdered sugar, and leafy green notes make it an interesting pour without any unnecessary rough edges. This is an excellent budget tequila and we buy it by the handle. The Siete Leguas has far deeper flavor than the Olmeca, with a richer and oilier mouthfeel, ample black pepper, cooked agave and cactus notes. The G4 is both smoother (I hate that descriptor but it works here) and perhaps a bit more nuanced. Very nice sipper! Easy on the tongue, lovely on the fade. The Don Fulano adds a bit of licorice (think Good'n'Plenty), some interesting funkiness, the all important agave and a bit more heat. This is expected as this is a higher proof (100 versus 80) but its certainly not evident in perceived ethanol. Silky and rich are apt descriptors. Both my wife and I prefer the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini. Dee also prefers it neat. My wife says that the G4 has a more pronounced finish with some oily, diesel type notes. She says she prefers Olmeca in the second place and is a bit turned off by the higher proof and funkiness of the Don Fulano. I concur with her about the Siete Leguas in a tequila martini, but I LOVE the funkiness and higher power of the Don Fulano when tasted neat. It's my favorite here, with Siete Leguas bringing up second place and a tie between the Olmeca and the G4. This last bit is important as the G4 is nearly twice the price of the Olmeca so this specific expression is unlikely to find its way into rotation again. Having said that, it's really quite good. So what about this tequila martini? Well it's a 2:1 mixture of tequila to Bianco Italian vermouth. We really like the (very inexpensive) MARTINI & ROSSI bianco here. I'd also like to try the Carpano and see if this extra cost brings any extra flavor, but I'm skeptical. I can say with certainty that Dolin Blanc just didn't hit the high notes in this cocktail. Stir the aforementioned ingredients in a mixing glass over ice with a couple dashes of orange, lemon or lime bitters (or no bitters at all, which my wife prefers). Strain and serve over a large cube (Old Fashioned style for my whiskey loving friends) or even better, over a large cube of pressed coconut water (Dee insists on this). Yes, it's as good as it sounds and it will certainly cure what ails you. Cin cin!

Earthy agave vegetal notes (like fresh unearthed soil), slight white pepper taste & warm black pepper aftertaste that lasts.