Review 185: Milagro Single Barrel Anejo

Review 185

11/23/13

Milagro Single Barrel Anejo: 40% abv

Background: We’ve already done a review of Milagro Silver tequila, so now we’re interested in looking at what Milagro is like with some age under its belt. This little beauty is one that I picked up in a shop on the east side of Michigan, and it was a limited production bottling. It is still very young at 18 months old, but it is fairly unique, and it does speak to what Milagro tequila can be with a little bit of craftsmanship. Milagro’s tequila is roasted in clay ovens in Jalisco, made from the “volcanic-rich” soil that is found there, as they put it. This is a triple-distilled tequila as well, and like all Milagro products, they’ve made the barrel too pretty to throw away (I’ll be throwing it away anyway). With all of that being said, let’s look at how this tequila actually performs.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off fairly untraditional from tequilas we’ve had in the past. There is definitely a strong influence of agave in the nose, but along with this is a strong nuttiness; a mixture of peanuts and chestnuts. There is also a fruity sweetness to it coupled with vanilla extract, which is soft and mild. There is a slight anise aroma becoming apparent, but it is not over-dominant. A brininess is noticeable, which is strangely coupled with a slight vinegary pickle smell. This isn’t horribly prevalent, so don’t cringe at the thought. Some spices and herbs are in the nose as well, with subtle fresh mint and cloves.

Arrival: The arrival very smoothly starts off with a light, mouse-like entrance. There is definitely nuttiness, vanilla, and some weak salt flavor up front. There is some agave in the arrival, with a zesty spice as it goes into the body. There is some mint in the arrival, but it is relatively weak and more like a toothpaste fluoride. There is also a Laffy Taffy banana flavor to it. The arrival is relatively simple, but it does present some very interesting flavors to it.  

Body: The body has a lot of saltiness to it, with strong agave flavor, and a prominent amount of nuttiness. There is some strong lime tartness in the body, with some slight vanilla and dry wood that sits in the background and adds some character. There is a little bit of pineapple tartness and bitterness that sticks through the later part of the body into the finish.

           

Finish: The finish does contain a little bit agave left over. The unique banana presence is now more creamy, like banana cream pie. The fluoride mint flavor is actually prevalent here, but it starts to taste more like natural spearmint as the finish continues forward. There is some roasted almonds in the finish as well. There is some light floral notes in the later part of the finish, which contains jasmine and lavender flavors. There is a little bit of dry wood that lingers as well. Finally, there is a spicy gingerbread and allspice mixture that can be found as well.

With Water

Nose: The nose, after add a small amount of water, starts to take on a little bit more grain flavor, with citrus notes like grapefruit and lime becoming more dominant. The spice is a little more noticeable, and the agave backs off a little bit. There is a bit of pine that comes through in the nose now as well. There is less chestnut, and more peanut in the nose after adding water.

Arrival: The arrival has more vanilla, and a little bit of barley malt flavor now. There is still some nice spice and smooth agave flavor as well. The arrival is also slightly savory at this point, although it is so subtle, it is hard to pinpoint.

Body: The body is still predominantly the same as before. The difference here is that the body has a slightly bigger tartness, almost like black cherry. The body is more dry and astringent, with some pepper-like bitterness running in the finish.

Finish: After adding water, the finish is really floral and woody, with dominant earthiness to it. There is some bitter rose flavor, with some more raw grassy notes. The agave is still here, but there is less sweetness and tartness. The nut is still noticeable. It is also significantly more dry than before. The vanilla now is sticking around a bit longer than before.

Final Comments:  This is definitely a unique, fun tequila to try. It is prominently nutty and salty, with a variety of light complexities. Unlike a whisky, the complexities don’t scream at you, but they are still there. It isn’t hugely boozy or heavy, but it still has some flavor to speak of. It is an easy sipper, and it has a lot to offer, but it isn’t the most complex spirit in the world.

 

Why you’d buy it: For a fun, different tequila experience at an affordable price.

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t like salty nuts.

Score: 8.75/10

Review 177: Lunazul Reposado

Review 177

9/5/13

Lunazul Reposado: 40% abv

Background: Well before doing any research on this, I’d just like to make the statement that I don’t plan on being able to find much information on Lunazul. And hey, I’m right. At least we get a few facts to go off of. First fact: Lunazul is a pretty young product, being introduced in 2002. They are made by the Tierra de Agave distillery in Tequila, Mexico. This tequila is made from 100% pure blue agave, resting in old bourbon barrels for 6 months. Their Anejo tequila sits in the barrel for 12-18 months. Lunazul sits among some of the more reasonably priced tequilas in the world, and do not take much effort in identifying themselves as unique. But maybe the only thing they need to say is in the bottle. Let’s find out.

Straight

Nose:  The first thing to notice about the nose is there is a distinctive note of fruitiness that comes through, with a hint of vanilla complimenting it. There is some blueberry and strawberry present with a small aroma of melon layered on top. Among some of the other fruit flavors, banana and orange balance in the glass as subtle additions to the nose. There is a very interesting note of tobacco coming through, with some moderate brininess. There are intense notes of lemon and lime that come through fresh and crisp, bringing liveliness to the nose. In addition, a mild since of white wine comes to mind. There is clearly some agave that comes through, but it isn’t over-dominant. There is a slightly solventy note to the end.

Arrival: This is certainly dynamic, but I’ll reserve myself to the arrival for the arrival section of the review. We noticed a mellow, dry, vanilla-like arrival, with slight hints of fruit and agave creeping into the beginning. Lime shows up, not much to our surprise, in the arrival. There is a bit of strawberry as a lingering taste in the arrival, but almost like a strawberry yogurt.

Body: The body, after letting the arrival set in, is explosive to say the least. A hot sense of black pepper and spiciness come through in the body, still being very dry and intense. There is a bitter, earthy flavor that becomes dominant in the later part of the body. There is something of a pineapple flavor that sits in this part of the tequila.

           

Finish: The finish is surprising, like young, fresh grainy spirit, unaged. There is some mint and herbal notes. The finish is peppery, with some creaminess and lime. The finish is not particularly long when it comes to full flavor, but it lingers for a while on just a suggestion of its former self. The finish seems to be the least complex in the event.

With Water

Nose: The nose reflects a lot more alcohol coming through the smell, but does smell a bit sweeter as well. The prominence of the alcohol is blocking off some of the other smells, which makes for not a whole lot of brilliant observations. There is a bit of confectionary sugar and dry wood that becomes evident later in the nose.

Arrival: There is a sense of apple showing up in the arrival, followed by some bitterness and earthiness.

Body: The body is still relatively spicy, although shorter and not as intense. There is some sense of cayenne that comes through, but builds more into the finish. The agave in the body is still pretty intense, but fades off quickly.

           

Finish: The finish is hotter than before, probably due to the taste of cayenne. It is not to say that this is because of rough alcohol, it is simply a taste profile that’s becoming prevalent. There is some graininess that resides within the finish, but it tastes a little bit different than before.

Final Comments: This is definitely a solid tequila, but it was by no means revolutionary. We liked the fact that it offered some intense notes, a little bit of variety, but not a whole lot of complexity or depth. So without much analysis, this is an easy one to disposition. For not very much money, it’s drinkable. Going back to the statement at the beginning of the review about if they’ve made a statement about themselves in the bottle, I don’t really think they have. Like many tequilas, this one just sits on the shelf next to the twenty five other brands at the same price with the same advertising: “So smooth, you don’t even know you aren’t drinking water”. It’s a shame we don’t do more to encourage uniqueness and intensity of flavor.

 

Why you’d buy it: You were looking for tequila

Why you wouldn’t: You weren’t looking for tequila

Score: 7.75/10

Review 176: Milagro Silver

Review 176

9/3/13

Milagro Silver: 40% abv

Background: One of the struggles I have with tequila is that it seems to lack any sort of published information in a lot of cases. Brands are the only sources of information, and we all know how reliable those are. Milagro doesn’t seem to be much different. The story is about two college kids who love tequila and a master distiller who is tired of being told to cut corners. That sounds pretty good right off the bat; but it doesn’t have many facts for us. They talk about traditional processing, but who knows what they mean by that. We do know that Milagro Silver is produced at the Jalisco highlands and is 100% blue agave, which we like. Milagro Silver is triple distilled and is not aged, and that’s about all we care about. Among the rest of their range, they have a reposado, an anejo, and a “select barrel” series of tequilas for each of their different ages. Now, with no further ado, let’s work on some notes.

Straight

Nose:  There is an initial sweetness that comes through in the nose, with definite aromas of agave, fresh lime, and a little lemon. There are some greens notes, as the tequila smells slightly grassy and there is some fresh mint that comes through as well. A bit of vanilla comes through on the nose, complimented by a mild cranberry scent and some light champagne. There is a little bit of a star fruit and orange aroma that comes out, which I can’t say is too common. Also, quite surprisingly, there is a little bit of saltiness that comes through in the nose. Finally, there was a bit of floral smell from the glass.

Arrival: The arrival some strong vanilla and agave coming through. There was a slight brininess in the beginning. There is a bit of cinnamon and clove that creep in. There is a sense of youngness to the arrival, with a pretty prominent alcohol flavor and burn. It is not to the fault of this tequila, and it shows promising character for their aged spirits, but it becomes noticeable in the arrival. The arrival is a little earthy, but it misses on complexity.

Body: The agave and vanilla become so prominent in the body, making sure you know this is a tequila. In our last review of Hornitos, you could have questioned what you were drinking, but here you cannot mistake it, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. There is a lime-like flavor that comes through in the body. 

                                                            

Finish: The obvious happens in the finish. There is a lot of agave that carries over from the body, but to mix things up, eccentric notes of pine and mint come through as well. There is a shadow of green apple that can be found with some digging. Somewhat of a metallic flavor, albeit not a strong one, but certainly a noticeable one, comes forward in the finish. There is a floral, bitter note that comes through in the finish with a bit of tea tree oil to boot. There is an intense earthiness that comes through, with a green note to it. There is also a slight bit of pineapple that comes through.

With Water

Nose: The sweetness on the nose, after adding some water, really comes forward. The agave becomes very prominent and sticks out, with some of the alcohol edginess coming to the front.

Arrival: The arrival feels very much the same, but it feels mellower than before. There is a bit of pear that comes through in addition to the original flavors. This is not a good start to the addition of water, which can be well expected with a 40% liquor.

Body: In the body, the addition of water actually kills off the sense of agave, with some dry spice and vanilla sticking out, but it becomes almost drown in the water addition. Granted, this is not very much water that’s being added.

           

Finish: The finish is almost completely obliterated by the addition of water. Although a bit of the vanilla sticks around, as well as a bit of bitterness and some additional graininess, most of it goes away, and the finish dies away quickly.

Final Comments: This starts off as a good, clean un-aged tequila. It is simple, which we expect from something in this context. There is a little bit of a bite to it, aside from the alcohol presence. It is crisp and light. This silver does not handle water very well, which is not a surprise for the alcohol content and the lack of age. What is this saying? Where does this fit in the tequila market? Well in my opinion, if you are going to mix some margaritas but don’t want the thick, woody taste profile of an anejo tequila, a silver tequila is your best bet, and although I don’t think this is THE best for drinking straight, it would make a good tequila for a solid mixed drink.

 

Why you’d buy it: It is good value for money, plus the bottle is pretty sexy

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t like the color blue, or you NEED to be drinking Patron to show your class.

Score: 8.0/10

Review 175: Hornitos Reposado

Review 175

8/31/13

Sauza Hornitos Reposado: 40% abv

Background: In an effort to a have a more confusing brand marketing strategy than General Motors did in the 1990s, Sauza has multiple, indistinguishable lines of tequila, including Sauza, Hornitos, and Tres Generaciones. Sauza also has, within its own brand, three different kinds of unaged tequila. I’ve been able to figure out is that Sauza is double distilled out of 100% agave, Hornitos is double distilled out of 100% BLUE agave, and Tres Generaciones is triple distilled out of 100% blue agave. Hornitos offers three pretty basic tequilas in its range: Plata, Reposado, and Anejo. All of these whiskies are double distilled, and like you might expect, the Plata is a silver tequila which is unaged, the Reposado is aged for two months in a 10,000 gallon wooden vat, and the Anejo spends a year of its life in a bourbon oak barrel. So this tequila, which has spent minimal time in a massive oak vat, sits in front of us to be judged. It has the very uninspired 40% abv, but blessedly it is 100% blue agave to impart some quality. Because of the volume of liquid present in the vats it is aged in, wood influence will not be large. In fact, Hornitos advertises the lack of oak presence, as if it is exciting to know that this tequila has an identity crisis. Now let’s visit the facts.

Straight

Nose:  The aromas in the nose start off with a soft impression of custard, vanilla and slight caramel. You can still smell agave in the nose, but it hides behind these soft, sweet notes. There is a small presence of berries in the nose, with a little bit of banana coming through as well. This actually smells a little bit like young rum with some tropical notes in it. The agave remains a weak note, while soft fruit and cream notes dance in the foreground. Some green pear notes come through, with even a less prominent sense of green pepper coming through.

Arrival: Not surprisingly, the tequila here tastes sweet and confectionary right in the arrival. There is some vanilla sweetness, and this thing almost tastes like a sugar cookie. What is surprising though, is although the arrival is a short event, as it bleeds into the body, the suggestion of barley malt comes through quite strongly. It does have some grain flavor to the arrival, but at this point you aren’t really seeing anything scream tequila at you.

Body: For a Scotch whisky drinker, it might come as a surprise to see some maltiness in the body of a tequila. I know, I know, this is sort of blasphemy, but it works quite well. The sugar cookie flavor comes through in the body, with a soft maltiness and other sweetness, but again, there is no sign of agave or tequila-like flavors present in this glass. I’m starting to wonder if I poured the wrong bottle…

           

Finish: After the very short body, you start to get small hints of agave coming through, with some slight spice and burn coming in, but no shortage of the previous flavors found in the tequila. The finish really falls short of having much flavor, but at least a bit of pepper, agave, and pear skin come through at the end. There is even a subtlety of sparkling wine at the end. The whole event is short, as if it’s been engineered to be for shots.

With Water

Nose: So far as I can tell, with water, nothing about this smells like tequila. A sense of grain comes through, the sweet, creamy notes have backed off, and the fruit notes continue to sustain themselves. If you think hard enough, you might detect the tiniest aroma of oak coming through after water.

Arrival: The arrival is still sweet, but takes on a more wine-like characteristic, having some white-grape tendencies, some pear and now a little bit of acidity from a tart lemon.

Body: The new lemon tartness carries into the body,  and although most of the old notes still apply, it adds a layer of complexity to the whole thing. There is a slight bit of agave coming through, and vanilla complimenting it.

           

Finish: The finish is still short, custard-like, and holds some agave. By the finish, the tartness fades off and what’s left is this confusing grain flavor.

Final Comments: So here I am, thinking through tequila as I know it. I smell a different bottle of tequila and remember that, ah yes, tequila does have a distinctive smell. But this tequila doesn’t smell or taste much like tequila at all. The identity crisis prevalent in Sauza’s entire brand is present in just one bottle as well. It is not by any means off-putting, it is very drinkable, and it is certainly unique. It is not a complex spirit, but it does make me raise my eyebrows. What scares me about this, at the end of the day, is that I have to answer two questions of why and why not buy this tequila, and probably exactly as they intended it, the only reason I can think of to buy this tequila is to shoot it down. It doesn’t taste much like tequila and therefore I wouldn’t use it for mixing, but it is not that eventful and therefore I would not buy it to drink straight. At the same time, it is a relatively quality bang for the buck…so how to answer…

 

Why you’d buy it: I’m not sure…but you might? 

Why you wouldn’t: You are shopping for tequila.

Score: 7.5/10

Review 51: Sauza Hornitos Anejo

Review 51
6/5/12
Sauza Hornitos Anejo: 40% abv

We have considered two different kinds of tequila in the last couple of reviews. The first kind was a silver tequila and the second one was a reposado, or "rested" tequila. Now we move to the "aged" tequilas, or anejos. Anejos have to be aged past a year in oak barrels, and for that reason tend to take on different characters from the younger tequilas. There are extra anejo tequilas, but that's for another day and another time. So it's time to see how oak influences tequila. On the nose, this tequila reveals agave, slight vegetable oil, jalapeño, vanilla honey and very slight banana. There are some interesting notes in tis tequila, but the nose is well blended and pleasant. The taste contains large notes of honey agave, and vanilla, further revealing milk chocolate, jalapeño, caramel, malt, red wine, and brown sugar. The finish is medium long with honey, nutmeg, allspice, lemon and pepper, most flavors coming off as subtle. Overall, this is a nice expression by Hornitos, and does a good job of representing a moderately priced anejo tequila. 

Score: 8.5/10

Review 46: Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver

Review 46
5/29/12
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver: 40% abv

Alright. Here's tequila. This is a silver tequila, which means it is not aged. So look past the stupid bottle. This is the nicer version of the regular Jose Cuervo. In essence, this tequila is 100% pure agave, which is a good thing. Not much to say beyond this, so on to the tasting notes. On the nose, one can gather slight smells of jalapeño, honey, lemon, cantaloupe, sea weed, and the obvious agave. It should be noted that the subtleties in tequila are much different than any other spirit, so these might not be apparent in first tasting. On the taste, one can smell honey, agave, malt, sweet tea, citrus, nut, and pineapple. There aren't huge flavors in this tequila, but this at least shows a great balance. On the finish, one can take away cinnamon, honey, the slight taste of cigar, and malt. The finish is medium short as well. Overall, this tequila is basic, but nice for the price. Worth getting over the regular Jose Cuervo line. 

Score: 7.0/10