Fortaleza Reposado Tequila

So unbelievably herbal! It's like half menthol. There is a little bit of sweetness present, but it is completely overpowered. Overall, this is a very dry liquor. Some sale makes its way in too, but salt and menthol? Blech! Maybe I can find something to mix with it. There is definitely some depth here, but oh so much menthol and it lingers on the finish. It is astonishing how there is no similarity between this and the Corralejo or Clase Azul reposados. This is definitely a refreshing drink, but I do wish that the menthol taste did not linger so much. it lacks, the richness of the T1 reposado, but the finish is shorter and had less of a bitter note. Due to its slight citrus flavor, it could be good with lime. I mixed some of this with Kahlua because Corralejo Reposado works well with Kahlua due to its rich, mushroomy flavor. This is a different, more refreshing experience. It defines a whole new flavor of coffee and rounds our the tequila. I wouldn't call this the be all end all, but it's a fun pairing that is better than either of its individual components. Does not work with raspberry liqueur. Goes quite well with St. Germain and works actually 3 with Cointreau. Paired with Licor 43, this induces gagging. Also, a warning about the cork: the cork is something like 2 inches long and bulges in the middle, so it is ridiculously easy to have it break. I recommend twisting to get it out the first time and then not inserting it more than a little bit or even cutting it. After drinking a third of a bottle, I can detect green olives and green peppercorns mixed with sage for an astringent start, but one that quickly fades as sweet but subtle pineapple notes briefly take over before giving way to a balanced, herbal finish that lasts a long time. Pepper and agave are definitely noticeable and there is a bit of creaminess present. Mint hints are present throughout. This is good, but confusing because it tastes more like a Blanco tequila due to the green olive presence. The flavor is a bit on the harsh side, but it is otherwise quite good. If I could have the start of the T1 reposado and the finish of this one, I'd be happy with a holiday reposado. As it stands, the Fortaleza reposado just tastes a bit much like a blanco. The astringency and mint bite in compared with El Tesoro Blanco. It's a dry drink that is good in its own right, but there is too much lime, olive, and mint for my liking. It definitely packs a punch though, if that is what you're looking for. I definitely prefer El Tesoro Blanco though.

Rating: 18/23 I have a sample of this side by side with the dregs of my bottle of the blanco and several other tequilas. I didn't love this when I had a bottle of it before, but that was early in my tequila journey and this is definitely a challenging tequila. I'm looking forward to giving it another shot. N: There's some sweetness and mellowness from the wood taming the blanco's olive brine. I do still get some olive brine though, along with faint lime and a tad of tropical fruit. It's a more complex and balanced nose. P: The complexity hits me immediately. I get brine, minerals, spice, light caramel. A bit of mint, a dash of lime, some faint vanilla, a little stewed agave. That barrel maturity comes in and gives this a little earthiness while balancing everything and adding to the depth. Some fruit comes through in the form of some orange (likely aged in a bourbon barrel) and maybe a hint of something else a little sweet and tropical, like green pineapple. It's less oily than the blanco by a large margin. F: The complexity dwindles. There are vague herbal, vegetal, earthy, spicy, and briny elements here, but they get muddled together. - Conclusion - The blanco is very good, but between the two I have to choose tis because of its complexity, depth, and balance. This is a really remarkable example of how a brief period in a barrel can dramatically improve a tequila. I cannot imagine going below a 17 here. I'm thinking that it's really more of an 18 or 19, though I can imagine a 20. I find this and Fuenteseca 7 to be pretty close in quality - although completely different in style. It's a tough call, but if I had to choose one of the two, I might lean toward the Fuenteseca. This is more balanced and might be more sophisticated, but the Fuenteseca is has more richness and oomph, and I find it to just generally be tastier. It's a really tough call though. I might change my mind at any moment, but for now this is getting an 18. Thank you for the sample @ctbeck11 !

Lote 86 neat. Visually clear, light straw color with long legs. Nose is lots of cooked agave, fruit cocktail, slight banana, vanilla, minerals, and oak. Taste is similar..sweet cooked agave, a little cinnamon, roasted pear, slight oak, vanilla, herbs, butterscotch, ripe banana, black pepper. Finish is pretty long, sweet with a little vanilla, oak tannins, herbs, olives Overall very complex and easy to drink. Many flavors to explore that seem to change throughout the sipping and even by pour. A little on the pricey side, but I can't think of anything else with this flavor profile. Must try and keep a bottle around for special occasions

Like a very light pinot grigio. Thinner legs, nice beads. Nose: Baked agave, with a decent pepperyness. Still decently buttery but more earthy than the blanco. Cooked Meyer lemon, touches of green olive. Hints of dried mango or papaya, slight mint. Red apple, lighter pear, blood orange, grapefruit, nice ceylon and saigon cinnamon, touch of allspice, dried ginger. Water brings out a touch of chamomile and tightens up the pepper. On the palette: Massive agave hit, refreshing, oak lays nicely and is warming on the tongue. More tropical fruit on the palette than the nose. Beautiful peppery finish with cinnamon and earth. Outstanding.

Appearance is almost clear with just a hint of straw color. Lime and salt prominent on the nose with black pepper in the background. Sweet agave and herbal flavors on the palate. The sweetness is not overwhelming. The mouthfeel is on the thin side. The finish is medium but leaning towards the short end of the spectrum. This is a smooth, clean tequila. It reminded me of El Tesoro Reposado as that they are both very "clean" tasting and share similar production methods. I tried the Tesoro alongside this and felt there was a bit more black pepper with the El Tesoro. Both quality but I'm leaning toward Fortaleza if given the choice.

My first foray into actually discovering and appreciating a tequila. Incredibly sweet agave heavy nose with herbaceous pepper notes and a light waft of oak. Not much alcohol present in the nose, but the overall robustness of the smells is crazy, much more potent than any bourbon, cognac, rum or gin I’ve ever tried. Agave is overwhelming in the palette as well, not in a bad way. Other flavors include oak, pine, bitters, cinnamon, pepper and diesel. Finish is very floral with the diese lingering. Dry and sticky. Delicious stuff. Great as a sipper, also great in a lemon basil margarita.