Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Añejo

Rating: 13/23 Nose: Significantly (very!) lighter than Desert Door Aged. It presents an interesting, mellow, light, typical tequila aroma. It smells good! The underlying spirit is detectable despite the considerable (2 year) aging. It's sweet with a rich (though not fully developed) caramel agave mixed with brined olives and sweet candied fruit, particularly glace apricots. The complexity is adequate, and despite its lightness, there's a delicate elegance that is quite appealing. Palate: The taste unfortunately isn't as sweet and delicious as the nose suggests, though the flavors are consistent. The palate is lighter, with the usual sotol harsh spiciness and bitter agave. As this fades, a light caramelized agave flavor emerges, bringing sweetness, followed by more richness and light, sweet apricot notes. A hint of spearmint is also present. It's a decent palate, but not particularly remarkable. Finish: The finish fades considerably more than the Desert Door sotols. Agave and apricot remain, with the agave balancing the light caramel and bitterness well. The sotol's aroma was misleading, leaving me somewhat let down by the palate and finish in comparison (though the finish does help the palate). Perhaps this is typical for sotol. Overall: I find myself liking this one somewhat. It's mildly interesting and offers several good flavors. I desire more fullness and complexity, but it's a rather decent sipper. The aged Desert Door had more character, but this is definitely more accessible. It bears a strong resemblance to Patron Anejo. It's good, but not exceptional. I'm starting this at a 13, but will reassess after finishing the bottle. I may also try Desert Door Aged eventually.

Rating: 13/23 Drinking this from a finished bottle. This will be more of a score than a review. My first impression is that I appreciate the intricacy. It has significant earthy and peppery subtleties. Yet, it's also quite delicate and lacks standout tastes that captivate me. I believe it holds its own against Prospero Añejo (11), disregarding Prospero's peculiar taste. This one is more harmonious. Fortaleza Blanco Still Strength (17) easily outperforms this. Partida Añejo (15) is also considerably superior to this, although it's not as far off as the Fortaleza was, being more in the same category as Prospero. I find no justification to alter the 13 I assigned previously based on this comparison. So, 13 again. Yes, this feels situated between Prospero and Partida.

Sampled this at a great restaurant on the inner harbour in Victoria, BC, known for its broad selection of Mezcal - Cafe Mexico. It was pricey, comparable to a fine scotch at C$16 (US$12.50) for a 1oz pour neat. I'm unfamiliar with Mezcal pricing, but this strikes me as expensive for a spirit aged under 3 years. The spirit itself is quite thin, nearly like water, which I assume is due to the low alcohol content. It's sweet and highly enjoyable, evoking thoughts of cola-flavored sweets with hints of fruit. The color is very pale, and I perceive little to no smokiness. A subtle spice emerges on the finish, probably from the French oak cask. Any drawbacks? Not really, it's quite nice, though perhaps excessively smooth. If this were 46% ABV, it might be exceptional.

Color: Faded gold Smell: Sweet and rounded. Very caramel, vanilla, chocolate. At the same time, slightly sour - cream, cooked vegetables, marshmallow, slightly mineral. Taste: Again, very rounded and creamy - caramel, chocolate. In the background, a hint of candied pickles, avocado, unripe mango, and apricots. Grassy. Aftertaste: Unripe tropical fruit, sweet black tea. Light spiciness and floral notes at the end (with a very slight whiff of smoke). Rating: Pleasantly drinkable, unexpectedly complex for its age, rounded and juicy at the same time. The price is still quite reasonable - there's nothing to consider, this is a very pleasant surprise 85/100

Very earthy nose, with caramel, wood, cola, and briny notes. Earth dominated the taste as well, with some pepper and wood. Seems a bit watery. Ultimately, it tastes okay, but it’s muted and boring.

I’m not much of a tequila guy, and I heard añejo was the way to go. I’m a little disappointed, though. Pretty smooth and a little smoky. Can taste ash and botanicals as well.