El Padrino de Mi Tierra Añejo

Rating: 10/23 I recall liking this fairly well, but then I tried the blanco and hated it. Whatever comes of this tasting, I will not be recommending the blanco to anyone. N: The nose is a bit sweet, but much milder than I had remembered. SBS, El Mayor Anejo has a much fuller nose (full disclosure: El Mayor is in a Glencairn whereas El Padrino is in a copita, so that could have an effect; I wasn't intending to do a SBS and didn't have another copita readily available). After a couple of minutes, the nose opens up and I get some butterscotch with hints of toffee and banana. It's a nice, delicate nose, though not one that I would really think of looking for in a tequila, even an anejo. There are some nice hints of baking spices (cinnamon and nutmeg), as well as a faint hint of chocolate syrup adding some richness in the background and a fair bit of vanilla as well. I might get a little bit of stewed agave in this, but there isn't much left here to identify this as a tequila. It does have a light hedonistic decadence though that could make it a good choice for dessert. Assuming the palate and finish hold up. P: The palate is on the light side. The stewed agave comes out more and mixes pretty well with the light butterscotch and banana, but clashes a bit with the more bitter side that goes from a waft of chocolate syrup into lime. The alcohol is noticeable here and it does throw the palate off, though it is a marked improvement over the blanco. There isn't enough rich hedonism to let this skirt by on its failings as a tequila or enough tequila character to make up for its lackluster hedonism. It's light and not very complex. Something in the ballpark of Patron Reposado and Patron Anejo comes to mind, though perhaps with a somewhat less elegantly executed flavor. I'm thinking a somewhat more flawed Patron anejo. There is some vanilla for sure like this wants to be Don Julio, but it just absolutely does not achieve the rich decadence of Don Julio 1942. F: The finish is very ho-hum. It's there and then it's gone, with just a waft of caramel, stewed agave, and alcohol left behind. Very forgettable. A 9 to 11.

I like being toasted on Halloween. I'm not entirely sure of many adults who don't. So in my quest to discover more tequila, I've decided to make this Halloween a Tequila....Thursday? Close enough. Decided to pick up a little taste of this stuff on a whim from Total Wine. Let's dive in. Sugary sweet agave comes to mind on the nose. Agave syrup, caramel and vanilla lead the charge. Some faint spicier notes of black pepper and cinnamon hit the back of the nose. It's an odd tingling sensation on what is otherwise a very gentle, sweet nose. A rather sweet Anejo indeed! But with some interesting notes thrown in there. First off - the palate starts as sweet as expected. It opens with some gentle caramel and butterscotch. But soon after, it explodes with cinnamon and black pepper, making the center of your tongue tingle spreading outward. The agave is there, but isn't the star of the show the way it is Don Julio's Anejo. The spice lingers for the finish. And that finish is decidedly drier than the rest of the taste. Finally, some tannic oak makes its appearance alongside the spice. Pepper decisively sticks around till the end. This is a decently long lasting finish, not unlike a good whiskey. This Anejo strikes a tasty balance of sweet, spicy and herbal. It's rather good, even more so when considering the relatively affordable price point. Pick up a small taster from Total Wine and see for yourself!

The nose has a nice, rich, sweet vanilla to it that reminds me a bit of Clase Azul Reposado. It also smells a bit like mint. The palate is sweet and rich with a moderate mouthfeel and a lot of vanilla and mint. Some warming spice does make its way in, leaving some prickliness here. It's sweeter and richer than Patrón Añejo. The Patrón tastes more like rubber and is more bitter. The El Padrino doesn't necessarily taste more complex, but it has a richer and tastier profile. Ultimately, it isn't a very complex tequila, but it would be a good substitute for Clase Azul Reposado due to its richness and sweetness. The Clase Azul is sweeter with more playful mushroom flavor (like Corralejo Reposado). This has more richness to it though. This is a bit less complex, but it's still really good. A surprisingly good find in a store brand. It's better than Tres Amigos. Surprisingly close to Clase Azul Reposado in quality - and Clase Azul was already worth the money! I dunno, there's a chance that I like this better! It doesn't have the richness of San Matias Extra Añejo though. I probably like the San Matias better. It's still smooth with some good flavor, but the sweetness tastes fairly artificial.

Neat. Nose is sweet, loads of caramel, oak, cocoa, agave, pepper. Very little heat. Taste is very sweet. Caramel, agave, milk chocolate, a little oak and smoke, and a little cherry?, cinnamon, and black pepper. Finish is, surprise, sweet..cocoa, black pepper. Medium rich mouthfeel and very smooth. It's tasty and easy to drink, but in an artificial kinda way. I'm sure this is an additive bomb. It's almost rummy and schnappy, but with more kick, yet still smooth. Think tequila mixed with Kahlua. I'm sure it will be a pleaser to those who don't like tequila. Juice is probably 2 for purists. It is what it is. I'm not dumping it, but probably wouldn't buy again

An intense, Agave Spirit by NOM 1438 in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico crafted with 100% Tequilana Weber & local volcanic spring water double distilled after fermentation in copper pots stills & aged for over a year in ex-Bourbon barrels. It has an aromatic birth with notes of caramel & oak; while a rich life adds notes of agave, vanilla & spice; that led to a long & complex death. February 2018 / January / February / May 2019 / February 2020 / April 2023

Very forgettable. I’d rather get a big bottle of Kirkland over this. First taste I thought it had potential then 2 seconds later the alcohol came in and wiped out any actual flavor, after taste you could get a little of the barrel but also didnt taste quite right. Glad I just got a nipper to try it, because if i spent the money on a full bottle I would have been pissed. Its not harsh thankfully, thats about the only compliment I can give it.