Tequila Review #3: Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila (Blanco)

Tequila Review #3:

Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila (Blanco)

NOM: #1111

 

I bought this at a smaller liquor store that had a bunch of more obscure tequilas, compared to the mass market stuff that my provincial liquor chain pretty much exclusively carries. I got an online discount and couldn't resist picking up a bottle at a pretty fair price for what I hear is a good quality tequila. 

Nose: Smooth, subtle notes of flowers and vanilla, with a trailing note of butterscotch. It actually smells very pleasant. There's no acerbic harshness at all.

Taste: It starts out with cooked agave. Then, whereas I can't smell the ethanol, I can still distinctly taste it. It's not a harsh burn. There's a single punch but it quickly tempers out. The flavour I mostly get from this is white pepper, with a little bit of vanilla as it fades. The white pepper finish sticks around for a little while. It's not bad.

Of the blancos I've had, (the others being El Jimador, Espolon, and Cazadores) this one is easily my favourite. I'm not sure I'm a Blanco guy, but I intend to return to this. It's definitely the most enjoyable to drink of the Blancos I've had.

77/100

Mezcal Review: Bruxo X

Mezcal Review: 

Bruxo X

Lot: 01102

 

Bruxo X is only my second experience with mezcal.

My first was with a shot of Agua Santa Espadin at a Mexican restaurant I went to with my friends for my birthday. That first shot was like a punch to the mouth in the best way possible. The intensity of flavour blew my mind.

But this review is about the bottle of Bruxo X I bought a couple years ago. I've been very intermittently revisiting this bottle since I bought it, sipping here and there. It's an odd mezcal that I still haven't completely figured out the tasting notes for. When I first opened it, I got a very intense flavour that reminded me of rubber. I thought it might be the cork, so I thought I'd give it time to breathe before revisiting. Now, after a couple years and a few more drinks, I'm pretty sure that that's just the flavour.

Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a very rough and surly flavour. I have to be in the mood to tango with el Bruxo.

Nose: Smoky and grassy. It brings to mind being in a deep, forest swamp.

Taste: Oily texture. Incredibly smoky. Whenever I taste it, it reminds me of a freshly-opened PVC model. Kind of rubbery and new, and I mean that in a good way. It's a harsh flavour, but it's not unpleasant either. There might be some slight grassy note mixed in there. The smoke really does dominate anything else though. I find it hard to dig too deeply past that.

I definitely enjoy Bruxo X, but I don't find it overly complex. I like returning to this every once in awhile, but I'm sure the world of mezcal goes much deeper than this. I'd like to explore more when I can.

Rating: 74/100