ContemplativeFox
Desert Door Texas Sotol Original
Sotol — Texas, USA
Reviewed
December 9, 2020 (edited January 8, 2021)
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.
37.0
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@ContemplativeFox yeah, it definitely took me 1/4 of the bottle to really start acclimating and enjoying, and it is still not something I reach for frequently. It’s different enough I need atmosphere - a hot sticky summer night outside with the cicadas buzzing.
Thanks for the added perspective @bigwhitemike . I usually like a lot of the more challenging blanco's like Fortaleza and plenty of mezcal, but for the latter at least it certainly too me a while. I'd like to keep trying blanco stools...but ideally without buying whole bottles. Still, I'm thinking of buying a single blanco sotol and seeing how I feel by the end of bottle :)
@ContemplativeFox I’d be the first to say that if this one really wasn’t your jam, I’m not sure the Siempre would be either. If I’ve sussed your sotol reviews (so far) properly, they seem to hilight the most enjoyment from the notes derived from barrel-aging that mellow, sweeten, and add baking spice, etc. (i.e. whiskey kinship) while these unaged sotols, even very high quality, carry almost none of that and are just wild, aggressive experiences, IMO. I probably won’t ever be allowed to forget that my father-in-law blames me and a 1/2 oz taste of that Sotol Siempre for a nauseous 9-hr car trip home the following morning that paused unceremoniously in (or near?) a rest stop McDonald’s bathroom. So, in summary, there are those for whom unaged sotol will likely never be an acquired taste, despite his deep enjoyment of tequila. All that said, I’m learning a lot from your tasting notes so definitely keep the ride going and don’t let me stop you!!
Very interesting that Sotol Por Siempre is like this too @bigwhitemike ! I'd been assuming that this was a somewhat odd sotol, possibly a Texas regional style. I may need to grab a bottle of Sotol Por Siempre considering how well reviewed it is :) This seems likely to be a great mixer to me, so anything in this ballpark that isn't too expensive seems worth a shot.
Your review notes largely ring true to my experience with Sotol Por Siempre... but I was pretty captivated by it and how different it actually was from tequila and even most mezcal. First few tastes I felt like I may have gotten a bottle of hospital grade cleaner swapped for liquor, but i started being able to pick it apart and eventually really enjoy it for what it is. Now, do I want to trade whisk(e)y for sotol? No way. But I think there are some times and places where it’d be the better experience.
This seems like a particularly weird one @cascode . I tried another (Hacienda Añejo - tasting coming soon) that was more like a regular tequila (which is what I'd been expecting). This one seems like it could add a nice strong complexity in some sort of fruity cocktail though :)
I've never tried sotol - it sounds interesting but I'm not sure I'd put it high on my to-do list. Thanks for the review!