As I was restocking the bar and looking for budget friendly options, it was very easy to reach for this familiar tequila produced by my very favorite tequila distillery. For me, El Jimador has mostly been in cocktails, but very easy to detect with it's bright citrus and vegetal notes that were not overpowering as equally as they were not unique or special. I'm excited to try this alone, as well as have a very inexpensive Herradurra-quality tequila to make a paloma with, right after this tasting. Very strong raw agave on the nose right off the bat, with the ethanol burning hotter than it should for this minimum proof tequila. There's a pinch of salt, and as I pull away, I get roasted veggies, like basic vegetal notes and carbon combined. There's nothing else that sticks out to me (yet), as expected from the simplicity of the El Jimador line. My first thought on tasting was that it's very watery, but honestly not far off the 80 proof expectation. I thought the flavors would be really muted because of this, but they do pick up eventually, imparting agave, assorted raw veggies with a focus on corn and tomato, oddly enough, and a pinch of salt. Going back for further sips brings up some light black pepper. The finish is light on the tongue, but sticks around for a mild gum burn that turns the black pepper into white pepper. Look, as weird as it may sound, the vegetal and salt notes, combined with a very fresh agave flavor, makes me think of the basics for Mexican food: chips and salsa. This tequila is so simple, yet delivers an image and flavor profile so vivid and complimenting that it's shocking, but still very delicious. I can picture upping the quality of the base agave and other parts of the distillation process to really enhance these wonderful basic necessities (aka Herradurra itself), but if you were looking for something to really represent tequila and agave without breaking the bank, look no further. I'd love to try the aged version for an affordable reposado comparison, but given that Herradurra blanco is actually still aged just a bit, I believe this El Jimador blanco may actually be a better representation of the unaged tequila this distillery has to offer.