G4 Blanco Tequila

This tequila exploration is for cocktails. We're sampling blanco tequilas neat to find the best for summer tequila martinis. The selection includes Don Fulano, G4, Siete Leguas, and our usual Olmeca Altos. The Olmeca offers a sweet aroma with subtle vegetal and vanilla hints. The Siete Leguas presents a stronger cooked agave scent. G4 is less intense than the Siete Leguas, with added spice. Don Fulano is clean, sweet, and delicate. On the palate, Olmeca is a solid tequila, featuring mild black pepper, cooked agave, powdered sugar, and leafy green notes without harshness. It's a great value tequila we often buy in large quantities. Siete Leguas provides a much richer flavor and mouthfeel, with pronounced cooked agave, black pepper, and cactus notes. G4 is smoother and more complex, an excellent sipper, gentle on the palate and pleasant in its aftertaste. Don Fulano brings notes of licorice, intriguing funkiness, agave, and more heat, likely due to its higher proof, though the alcohol isn't overpowering. It's silky and rich. Both my wife and I prefer Siete Leguas for tequila martinis. Dee also enjoys it neat. My wife finds G4 has a more distinct finish with oily, diesel-like qualities. She ranks Olmeca second, and is put off by the higher proof and funkiness of Don Fulano. I agree with her on Siete Leguas for martinis, but I really enjoy the funkiness and strength of Don Fulano when drunk neat. It's my top pick, followed by Siete Leguas, with Olmeca and G4 tied. The G4's high price relative to Olmeca means we likely won't repurchase this particular expression, though it is quite good. Regarding the tequila martini, it's a 2:1 ratio of tequila to Bianco Italian vermouth. We enjoy the very affordable MARTINI & ROSSI bianco. I'm curious if a more expensive option like Carpano would add flavor, but I'm doubtful. Dolin Blanc definitely didn't work well here. Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, add a couple dashes of orange, lemon, or lime bitters (or none, as my wife prefers). Strain and serve over a large ice cube or, even better, a large cube of pressed coconut water, as insisted upon by Dee. It's as delicious as it sounds and quite restorative. Cheers!

It has a distinctly herbal aroma with significant mint and some pepper. Clear citrus notes are also present on the nose. The body is smooth with a persistent peppery undertone and a medicinal herbal quality. It tastes somewhat like Fernet-Branca was incorporated. There is some sweetness, with notes of lime and pineapple. While complex, it leans too heavily toward medicinal bitterness and mint for my preference. The underlying sweet agave note is quite pleasant, however. It's a decent sipper and a great mixer. It's likely slightly superior to Corralejo Blanco due to its enhanced complexity and balance. The sweetness on the finish is what truly defines this spirit. It presents a smoky and rich aroma, evoking Fortaleza Blanco. Earthy, vegetal, and mild spice notes are also detected on the nose. The palate is minty with umami, earth, smoke, mint, and a touch of prickly spice. It's comparable to Fortaleza Blanco, but perhaps milder. Mineral notes are well-integrated, and there are pleasant sweet fruits, though their specific identity is elusive. If the fruits were more identifiable as pineapple and lime, this would be significantly better. The cinnamon is more noticeable than expected but balances well with the earthiness. The alcohol is somewhat present, adding a hint of green olive. However, the green olives lack the necessary saltiness. This is an adequate drink, borderline for sipping. I would sip it, but wouldn't find it particularly enjoyable. It's almost too good to be solely a mixer.

The nose offers sweetness, with agave and bright citrus fruit balanced by black pepper and cinnamon, carrying a subtle earthy undertone throughout. The palate is earthy, with spicy pepper notes leading the way. The sweeter fruit notes from the nose remain, serving as seasoning for the pleasantly bittersweet taste. The finish is long yet understated, leaving a bittersweet oil that develops a slightly medicinal quality, though in a very pleasing manner, with a faint earthy dark chocolate appearing after some time. This marks my first experience with additive-free, high-quality tequila, and I am impressed. Excellent for sipping, though I'm curious about its performance in cocktails.

Good presence of vegetal agave juice, but with a strong alcohol burn in both the aroma and taste. Compared to Fortaleza, it's a bit cleaner from front to mid-palate with more burn, and slightly sweeter toward the end. Has some earthy mineral notes in the late finish. It resembles Fortaleza but is a bit cleaner, with less character and more burn.

Another excellent offering. I'm really enjoying these additive-free blanco tequilas. At 80 proof, it's drinkable all day and not overly sweet. I'm so pleased I rediscovered tequila and moved away from the dreadful bourbon scene. Affordable and accessible. This is a fantastic tequila! 8/21/22

90 points G4 Blanco Aroma Prominent agave upon pouring - Citrus Pepper Vegetal Faint smoke Taste Agave Excellent balance of sweet and vegetal Herbal/ grassy Lingering Pleasant mouthfeel Oily but not "Fortaleza Oily" Nice peppery finish without the burn Fantastic! Makes me want another taste.