El Padrino De Mi Tierra Reposado

After buying a little 50ml sample bottle of El Padrino's Anejo ( I didn't want to spring for a full bottle of the stuff without a taste ), I was rather impressed. For Total Wine's Cyber Week deal, they offered up an extra discount on their "Spirits Direct" selections ( usually some pretty tasteless stuff in there, but there's exceptions to the rule ) and I had a coupon that I was able to surprisingly stack. So I went a little El Padrino Crazy, purchasing their Blanco, Anejo and Reposado. Although this intro is getting a bit long winded I wanted to add that - for anyone buying their very own bottle for the first time: that little faux leather corset doesn't need to come off. The plastic wrap ends just at the top of that thing. I didn't know this and was absolutely bewildered trying to untie the string until I finally start taking rage-filled knife slashes at the thing until it tore off in ribbons. Anyway. Buttery, creamy butterscotch comes to mind on first nose. Vanilla, agave with some oak and hay push back on the sweetness. This nose hits square in the middle of tannic and sweet, quite a good compromise of both. A neutral front of that taste peels away to what is a rather vegetal and spicy palate. Significantly less sweet than the Anejo, for sure. The taste is heavy Agave, cut grass, tannic oak and hay. Hidden in all of that vegetation is black peppercorn and just the slightest sweet caramel hit ( It's in the transition between mid and back of taste, hits mid tongue ). The finish is quite dry: all spicy and tannic. Black peppercorn lingers the longest to become the forefront of the finish. Some oak and leather dial up the tannic bite. There is just the faintest hint of citrus but because of the predominant oak and leather, it really tastes like bitter pith. Hmm... I'm definitely a lover of the sweeter things in drink, given that I'm a bourbon man. So this one doesn't quite do it for me when compared with some equally priced and lower priced competition. In this line up, that Anejo still has my heart.

A rich, 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 at least 2 months in ex-Bourbon barrels. It has an aromatic birth with notes of caramel & oak; while a balanced lie adds notes of agave & spice; that led to a rich & complex death of medium length. February 2018 / July 2023 / July 2025

Neat. Pale golden color. Aroma is fairly light. Alcohol, faint agave, oak, vanilla. Flavor is also light and sweet with some oak, caramel, agave. Finish is dominated with saccharine sweet and tartness with some vanilla, oak, pepper. Not a bad drink, but nothing special for enthusiasts

Nose is of cooked agave and citrus. Taste has a slight pepper/spice note to it. Light golden color and some legs on the glass. Finish is smooth and on the short side.

Pear, agave, apple and slight alcohol on the nose. Taste has a little pepper, apple, vanilla and slight alcohol burn. Overall a great tequila for the price point.

A valley reposado that tastes similar to a highlands one. Typically, I do not enjoy valley tequilas, but this one is set apart.