Próspero Blanco Tequila

Rating: 13/23 I've heard very positive things about the Prospero brand, but I haven't encountered much of it. For a low price, trying this seemed like an obvious choice. Nose: Some light agave with a somewhat papery, musty character. Also some alcohol. This doesn't smell like it will be an aggressive tequila. That's neither good nor bad, but the alcohol smell is concerning. I detect a little sweet fruit and maybe a hint of brine, but that's about it. Palate: Spicy with some bitterness, tartness, brine, and sweetness. It's as if it aims for a grapefruit flavor but veers into alcohol bitterness too quickly. Really, it's more like a very bitter brine is present. I'm having difficulty identifying the spicy flavor, but it eventually becomes a bit numbing. It initially seems a bit harsh, but I don't feel it too much on the middle of my tongue. I get some agave with the sweetness, but it's disappointingly not very rich. There's also a touch of guava to the sweetness. This is more complex than I first thought, but it still lacks significant complexity. The brine here is incredibly minimal, though. Partida has more, and it's a fairly mild tequila. In comparison, this has more bitterness and guava. Finish: Somewhat bitter with some watery yet still sweet guava remaining. Peppery prickles linger as well. As for brine, perhaps a tiny bit, but not much. This is still far from being an aggressive, challenging tequila. - Conclusion - This has a fairly similar profile to Partida, though I'd say Partida comes across as more refined. This isn't bad by any means, but it's far from amazing. I'm going to rate it between 14 and 15 here. Considering how consistently I conclude that Partida Blanco (15) is the superior spirit, I think I need to assign a 14 to this one. I could see a 13 considering the amount of alcohol I'm tasting, but I'll start with a 14. Despite the alcohol flavor, I enjoy drinking this well enough. For the price, I would definitely choose Cabeza instead if I could find it, though. Actually, this is somewhat like Cabeza mixed with Partida, but it's not as good as either and has more harshness and alcohol. Hmm, upon further comparison, I'm concluding that a 15 is definitely too high. This is now in the 11 to 14 range. I'm going with a 13 to start. Seriously, this time.

This is a very tasty, inexpensive blanco. It has abundant cooked agave on the nose and palate with an almost slick mouthfeel. The body is quite substantial, similar to a mezcal, with a flavor reminiscent of other agave types (like chato) but without the smoke.

I concur with the professional tasting observations for this spirit. It's incredibly smooth. While not as deep and complex in taste as Fortaleza, it's a very accessible Blanco.

Unlike some tequilas that leave a sting at the end, this one went down as easily as water.