Tequila Cabeza Blanco

A Silver artisan Agave Spirit crafted by NOM 1414. It has a delicate birth with notes of agave, fruits, nuts, herbs & spices; while a tropical life adds notes of coconut & mango; that led to a balanced death of medium length with a touch of pepper. May 2017

There is a lot of an alcohol flavor here. It tastes like alcohol and is quite harsh and spicy. It sure smells like alcohol too. It's quite minty with a little bit of sweet, meaty richness that reminds me a little of Arts Anejo. The richness is greater than it initially seems, but the flavor is still so mild. The bitter bite in the back from the alcohol is kind of gag-inducing. There's a bit of a pear and pineapple backing. There's osme green alive brine flavor, but it isn't too bad. This is surprisingly smokey, both on the nose and on the palate. In that regard, it is reminiscent of a mezcal. There's a vegetal element that is defined by a sun-dried tomato flavor. There some earthiness and spiciness here too. The spiciness of the black pepper seems a bit much here, but it isn't out of control. There's some mint here and the tiniest bit of caramel sweetness. There are some hints of pineapples alongside the caramel, but they are not terribly strong. There is a fair amount going on here and the alcohol never overwhelms. The flavor definitely tends toward the spicy and bitter side, but there are also fruit and vegetal notes. It's fairly well-rounded in that regard. The spice might be a bit too strong, but the overall flavor profile does not have much of a gross alcohol bite and what it does have tastes naturally vegetal. This is on the oily side but not in a bad way. The flavor is quite fruity, with tropical notes that include but are not overwhelmed by banana. Mango and pineapple are definitely there. There's some spice and red bell paper too, along with a twist of lime. It's fun and balanced. The is a great Blanco tequila. Relative to El Tesoro Blanco, it tastes a little meaty and more flavorful with punchier spice and vegetation as well as some brighter fruits. After drinking this, El Tesoro tastes a bit smokey, but not like much else. After the El Tesoro, this smells like spiced meat and pineapples, much like Al pastor. The flavors is also reminiscent of Al pastor, bringing in a sort of chili smoke flavor. It's definitely on the savory with a sweetness that counterbalances it. I like it a bit better than El Tesoro Blanco. Casamigos Blanco tastes sweeter and more chocolatey. Casamigos is nice in how smooth it is. This is punchier, but also more complex with prominent meat and pineapple. It's definitely in the sipper range but it would also be an acceptable mixer. It's a good tequila, but not a really excellent drink. The flavor is quite spicy with some sweet fruit (underripe pineapple), sundried tomato, and clean herbal flavors. There's a little astringency from green olive and there is some smoke. It's fairly dry, but not overwhelmingly so. It's a good tequila that is just on the right side of sippable, which is about all that can be asked of a blanco. The little bit of mineral flavor isn't too bad at all. In contrast to Casamigos Blanco, this has more of a standard tequila profile with a bit more complexity and less richness (and certainly less smoke). This is so fruity. It's tropical and there is a lot going on here but there is also some pork belly umami. It's drying but complex I'm subtle ways. Sip this, don't mix it (though it would be good in a fruity drink). The end flavor is complicated in a way that shows merit. It doesn't have the creds of Fuentesca Extra Anejo, but that's a high bar to set. Now THIS is a tequila! It has vegetal notes mixed with spice, some earthy bitterness, and plenty of fruit. Not all of these will be desirable to all people, but this is punchy and flavorful. There's some mint too. It narrowly avoids tasting like rubber and instead just tastes like herbal tequila. It quite sippable but would also be good mixed (and is quite affordable).