Tequila El Mayor Blanco

Enjoyed neat from an older bottle (NOM 1143) with a distinctive swirl design. The nose has agave, earthy minerals, citrus, vegetal notes, and black pepper. The taste is sweet and agreeable, with agave, green herbs (including mint), minerals, black pepper, orange peel, and sucralose. The mouthfeel is moderate. It's quite smooth, even for a new bottle. The finish features sucralose, brine, and pepper. While not a tequila for connoisseurs, it's very drinkable and superior to many tequilas under $20. I'm curious to try the new blanco from a different contract distillery, as I appreciated the anejo from NOM 1603.

The agave plant is central to the first part; it's like tasting the plant itself until the sweetness- faint initially- emerges. Similar to its sibling, El Mayor Extra Anejo, spice and heat are prominent. If you like earthy, sweet, spicy blanco for sipping. This is a good buy and a winner in the end... San Francisco World Spirits Competition GOLD MEDAL 2016.

On sale for $20. It usually costs around $25. I enjoy drinking this blanco straight or with a lime wedge. This one tastes much better than its 80 score suggests. Perhaps it's time for a re-evaluation. I truly appreciate the lightness of this tequila, with a subtle, persistent sweetness throughout, and a hint of black pepper.

Smells terrible. It's awful. You need to mask the taste with a mixer. It costs half as much as Patron, but is 10 times worse. Just spend the extra money on the good stuff next time.

NOM 1063. It's pleasant, with a mineral tang, peppery heat, and sweet bamboo. The finish is odd and it lacks depth, reminding me of the final episode of Alf.

Citrus, salt, a hint of smoke, and vegetal notes. The vegetal aspect is prominent, with not much agave, which is somewhat disappointing. There's a sweet, mellow licorice undertone. It's not bad, just not my preference.