Olmeca Altos Reposado Tequila

The nose is light and somewhat sweet with caramel and light cherry notes that avoid smelling like José Cuervo. It has a bit of a brandy smell like Hennessy, but it's very light. The palate is surprisingly viscous. The flavor is light but good with some mild prickliness hanging out in the background with some mild cherry like Hennessy. There's some mint from the agave, but it doesn't overwhelm. Unfortunately, there isn't a ton of flavor here and it's quite mild though the flavors themselves are good. It has a better flavor profile than 3 Amigos Blanco does, but it doesn't have a stronger flavor. I prefer Hornitos Reposado because it has more presence. This tastes disappointingly like nothing, which is a real shame because the viscous mouthfeel is really nice. This has a pretty bland and mild nose with some hints of mineral and herbs. Some more earthy notes gradually come out. The palate is light too. The flavor is executed well in character, but it's too light. There's some nice spice and also some bitter herbs with a bit of peppermint and stewed agave. The wood brings in some vanilla that adds to the peppermint flavor. It's actually quite sweet, though not cloyingly so. There are some smooth baking spices on the sweeter side. The finish is fairly short but it has a nice lightly floral sweetness. If this were a bit more potent, it could be really good. The flavor profile is a bit better than that of Herradura Reposado, but it's just way too mild. It's a little bit better than Hornitos Reposado due to its better balance and character, but at such a mild flavor it's really hard to appreciate this tequila. It's also better than Jimador Blanco (which isn't as good as Hornitos Reposado).

Nose: Honey, soft green vegetal aromas (boiling green beans, sprouts, broccoli etc.), a touch of flinty mineralic salt, a slight suggestion of vanilla and a hint of lemon zest. Palate: A gentle and well balanced arrival with briny, peppery and sweet notes all well poised against each other. The development comes on fast and departs just as quickly while adding little other than an expansion of the opening flavours, plus a little mixed spice and caramel. The texture is pleasant but not outstanding. Finish: Medium. Sweetish vegetal notes that trail into a mild black pepper fizz. So, I’m not much of a tequila drinker and when I do feel in the mood for agave spirit I usually turn to mescal. It’s not that I actively dislike tequila, it’s just not my favourite type of spirit profile and life is too short, as they say. However a couple of weeks ago Mrs Cascode & I were introduced to the “Tommy’s Margarita” for the first time, and although we are not so fond of the standard Margarita, we both enjoyed the Tommy’s variation a lot (it substitutes reposado tequila for the usual blanco tequila and leaves out the triple sec). So we went looking for a reposado and found this at our local liquor store for a very reasonable price. It is in the same bracket as El Jimador and I think it’s at least as good, if not better, and it certainly works a treat in mixed drinks. As far as a neat sipper, it’s more than acceptable. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Neat, in a flight of all 3 Altos expressions..2nd rating, 2nd bottle..with 6 months more experience Nose is clean and bright, a touch of oak, agave/raw sugar, vanilla, fresh green herbs and mint leaves. Taste is true to nose. Thin mouthfeel , sugar sweet, pears, light green herbs balanced perfectly with vanilla and oak tannin. Lingering finish with oak tannins, saccharine sweetness, with black pepper and cinnamon heat building up over several sips A really enjoy this line of tequila for it's lack of additives, and almost gin-like herbal nature. Gin fans, this is up your alley. I generally shy away from reposados as they can be a compromise of the clean and delicate blanco flavors and woody anejo, but this is a nice balance, preserving the delicate flavors of the blanco, but adding complexity of oak and vanilla. Personally, a shelf staple. In a blind, slightly above average but considering the uniqueness, honest manufacturing, and price, it get a big bonus

Tasting neat. Nose is sweet, bright, ethanol sharp, raw agave, fruitiness, touch of oak, pepper, and vanilla. Any college student would recognize this as tequila..but its much more refined. Taste is crisp with raw agave, fruit, and is powdered sugar sweet. Also a little herbal mint, black pepper, with very slight vanilla and some cocoa toward the end. Finish is long lasting saccharine with a little hot cinnamon, and oak tannin.. The overall mouthfeel is moderately thin This one confuses me. I've gone through a 1/3 of a bottle trying to figure it out. I love the blanco and its bright fruity crisp summer goodness. Those flavors are still there, but the barrel distracts from those delicate flavors and don't really add much. I also realize that I'm trying to compare a

Nose - sweet cooked agave, creamy earthiness, salted caramel, honey, vanilla, lime, apple juice, mushroom, nutmeg, allspice, light smoke, prickly grainy notes, mild ethanol burn. Taste - syrupy sweet agave, salted creamy caramel, vanilla bean, apple, lime, juicy tropical fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mushroom like earthiness, black pepper, slight chalkiness, mild alcohol bite, finishing moderately long with lingering sweet agave, caramel, baking spice, and apple juice flavors. Surprisingly good for a budget tequila. I purchased this to use in Tommy Margaritas, but would certainly feel fine sipping it neat. I view the bright grain alcohol, syrupy sweetness, and mushroom notes as negatives, but they are subtle and do not detract much from the enjoyment.

Been a little bit since I last had a Reposado. Love the hammered effect on this bottle. Foreshadowing for the person cracking the bottle open... Nose is sweet, salty and earthy agave. Hints of vanilla and bourbon. Burns a bit on the palate but is nicely balanced. Green pepper, caramelized onion and honey. Finish is medium and is very sweet, almost candylike. This is an interesting one as it takes you for a bit of a ride between rough and smooth. This sip was nice but I really opened this for making palomas. We'll see how they go.