Corralejo Reposado Tequila

Not as smooth or full of flavor as Clase Azul, but still a little on the smoother side. The taste is fairly dry with strong earthen, mushroomy notes that have overtones of vegetation without that tomato flavor that is so often present in blanco tequilas or the smoke that is present in many scotches. Mineral flavors are also strongly present. On the long tail of the finish, some chocolate notes and a tad of sweetness come in. Unfortunately, the nose is mostly alcohol and the finish is largely just a duller version of the same flavors. There is some depth here and it does develop a little, but I see this as more of an option for if I'm not feeling like drinking scotch or a good candidate for a mixer. Its quality is on par with that of a $30-40 scotch. Really, it isn't at all bad for the price and I appreciate its nuances, but I don't love drinking it straight. Mixed with Kahlua, it really brings out the rich flavors while masking the confectioner's sugar. It has some smoke too. This tequila seems initially to be bitter and super mushroomy but upon further inspection it is complex and light with some nice balance. The mushroom is still there in a kind of odd way, but it adds richness to the flavor. I kind of like it. Chocolate and mushrooms with some cinnamon, but with a generally light palate filled with mineral. A smooth drink. It's pretty good with a clean, 60% dark chocolate plus some extra umami finish. Weird, but good. I do wish there was some sweetness on the finish, but mix it with some Kahlua and it's okay. There is plenty of that mushroom lingering throughout but there is also some interesting apple cider and champagne flavor in here. It's fairly mellow aside from the mushroom. There's some spice that adds some harshness, but it's more of a slow burn than a prickly presence with spikes. The surprising richness is what really sells this drink. There is some bitter alcohol roughness and the umami can take it a bit far, but it brings in some creaminess too and the overall flavor is very good. There are some nice fruit notes with pear making a surprising appearance along with some astringent orange juice that might be doing more harm than good. It's refreshing yet rich. The drying element belies its age but doesn't make it bad. I think it could use some maturity and tastes a bit too much of mushroom, but it's a good drink that I'd be happy enough to imbibe. The cinnamon and vanilla sweetness are good. Somehow, everything just barely holds together. The sweetness is really what makes this nice. It isn't as strong as I remembered. The flavor is light but intriguing with some richness mixed with herbs and orange that give it the impression of cola. It's clean and refreshing with just the right amount of mushroom flavor. It also has some cinnamon, Earth, and ginger. It's quite good and the mineral flavor isn't bad at all. I'd be happy to sip this.

I'm on a personal mission to diversify my at-home liquor shelf. With my bottle selection absolutely dominated by bourbon with whiskey coming in a close second, I couldn't help but notice the other day the distinct lack of anything that isn't one of those two. I personally don't find it a problem. However, friends who aren't fans of whiskey or bourbon do find it bothersome. So just get new friends, right? Lol. Enter - Corralejo Reposado Tequila. A surprisingly affordable and highly regarded tequila. I was all too stoked to give this a shot. The nose is very light and sweet on this Reposado. Yes, there is the classic agave smell albeit significantly toned down vs other Reposados I've had. Caramel adds a thick sweetness and there's a slight tinge of charred oak. There also seems to be some citrus in there but its a bit hard to pick up at any distance from the glass. The beginning of taste is quite sweet and lovely. In fact, through most of the taste, caramel and simple syrup carry most of the other flavors. The agave taste is very muted on this Reposado. Toward mid taste, a bit of tannic charred oak mixes with citrus pith. On the back of the taste, the spice opens up a bit to include cinnamon which creates a rather dry and spicy opening act for the finish. As the taste fades, the spice leaves your tongue tingling. Breathe through your mouth and there is the inherent tannic charred oak and leather but deep within the finish, some of that tart citrus resurfaces. The finish is pretty much completely lacking of sweet notes, surprising considering how much sweetness was on the front of the taste. Wow! What a complex and delicious sipper. This reposado doesn't have overpowering flavors and boasts wondering complexity but would probably be completely annihilated in a mixed drink. Proof that price doesn't necessarily mean taste - even for a sub $30 bottle, I'd happily keep this on my top shelf as a neat sipper only.

Rating: 15/23 N: Initially, some sweet, musty (in that Don Julio way) agave with a hint of chocolate, a light mineral character, a bit of lemon, and brine. Weirdly, these are not the characteristics I usually think of regarding this tequila. The complexity and individual scents are nice. P: Mushrooms, sweet but light agave, that same mustiness from the nose, a bit of brine. The palate is light with clear minerals, but it's quite good. I get some chocolate in here too. This isn't really how I remembered this tasting. It's much sweeter with less overbearing mushroom and a nice balance with some brine, spice, and faint floral notes. I'm enjoying this. The thing though is that Partida is light and this is certainly lighter than Partida. Side-by-side with Partida Blanco, more of the bitter mushroom funk comes out, making this not taste as good. F: Minerals, mushrooms, a bit of agave sweetness, perhaps some dusty terroir. - Conclusion - This is solid, but it isn't really bold enough for my taste and the mushrooms are kind of weird. Still, I was really feeling it at first on this tasting. I'm going with a 15, but I can definitely see going lower. Side note: this was the bottle kill tasting from a heavily aerated bottle, so it is not entirely representative.

Neat in a wide tulip glass. An eye-catching blue bottle and yellow label, but looks and feels a bit cheap: a gold-trimmed 80s throwback that could probably use an update for the modern authenticity movement. Regardless, it's whats inside that matters. A pale pear juice in appearance with a pleasing syrupy weight. Reticent legs eventually appear to slowly crawl down the glass. A classic and enjoyable aged agave nose - sugar syrup, vanilla, cooked bell pepper, a dusting of salt and expressed lime. Little to no ethanol. Occasionally skews into tropical fruit territory. Light and somewhat zesty on the tongue. Beet sugar flashes quickly to black pepper, then to caramelized onion. Vanilla syrup with notable viscosity and body. More cooked bell pepper and sporadic tropical fruit forays. The metallic notes and mineral acidity pucker the mouth just a tad and tingle pleasantly, lingering despite the low-ish proof. Some of that is standard for agave spirit to my palate, some is certainly attributable to craftsmanship. Extremely easy to drink. I find this more one-dimensional than the critical review, but am in no way complaining. This is delicious and approachable. It goes on sale in my area down to $25 (handles for

Thanks to the Covid-19 virus (or Wuhon Flu) I am not traveling at all right now and I decided to use this time to write about some of the bottles in my bar that I have been neglecting so far. Corralejo Reposado is the only tequila I have in my bar at this time and it is a wonderful tequila to drink. I can sip it (which I am doing as I write this) neat or when I make a drink with it I just love how smooth this is. I have read that some people may have gotten a bad bottle and the liquid inside was not fitting to drink and that is always possible, but I personally have never had a bad bottle. Neat this tequila has a mild peppery taste with a touch of woody notes showing up at the beginning. The flavors are thick enough that the flavor lingers in my mouth for several seconds and the burn is very very mild. As I have said this is my favorite tequila I am open to trying others but they have a tough row to hoe if they are going to beat this one. Lastly, in my area, this is $23 a bottle. Enjoy.

The smell is incredible; oily, earthy, sweet and slightly savory. Like mushrooms sautéing in duck fat, grilled bamboo shoots, and thick wafts of indescribable heady, buttery muskiness. The taste starts off slightly sweet, fresh, with a little spice and hint of sun-dried golden raisins that twists into a blend of earthy cooking mushrooms, light wisps of smoke, with a drop of herb-infused butter somewhere in the middle that dissapears as the cumulating spices take over then dissipate as everything rewinds and fades away. However, it does leave me wishing that silky, mysterious oil and musk from the aroma was more present in the flavor, and that the finish was a little longer. Still, phenomenal, mouth-watering.