Tequila Ocho Plata Los Nopales 2017

Rating: 16/23 N: Lime, grass, grapefruit zest, green olive. It's complex and enticing - just what I want in a blanco tequila. P: Papery vanilla, lime, something quite bitter (probably grapefruit pith/peel, but probably something else too), a bit of stewed agave sweetness, some white pepper. There's a little oil leading into something kind of tarry. Perhaps a little bit of a pechuga mezcal character (not much, but it gives me a little bit of that vibe). It's less oily than Forataleza Blanco Still Strength with less tropical fruit and alcohol. There's less tropical fruit and funk than in Cabeza Blanco as well. F: An underlying layer of papery vanilla with briny minerality, lime - Conclusion - Although I like this quite a bit, I think that Fortelza Still Strength and Cabeza are better. They aren't massively better, but I would take eitherof them over this. This is just lacking some tropical fruit sweetness to its profile that makes it seem less full and complete. This is super close to the Cabeza (16) though, while lagging behind the Fortaleza. I'll give this a 16 overall. Thanks for the sample, @ctbeck11

Nose - strong cooked agave, butter, creamy custard, tropical fruit, unripened banana, mild black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, lime, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet cooked agave, creamy vanilla, pineapple, rocky minerality, black pepper, mint, subtle banana, caramel, nutmeg, cinnamon, lime, mild alcohol bite, finishing quickly with fading pepper, mild citrus, and creamy caramel flavors. I don’t have experience with many blancos yet, but I find the complex combination of creamy, sweet, sour, and peppery notes quite delicious.