Like the blanco, the aroma is filled with cooked agave but some barrel notes (cinnamon/baking spice). Maybe a bit of minerality and citrus. Flavor opens with cinnamon and pepper spice. Then a wave of sweet fruit follows and creates something special. The finish is medium length. Both the blanco and reposado for this brand are really nice. 12/18/2023

Lote #2 Nose: Hints of barrel and cookie spice. Ripe fruit and agave with a sprinkle of fine pepper. Tropical fragrances : guava, mango, pineapple, plantain and citrus. Lightly floral. A touch of caramel. The aromas take some coaxing before revealing themselves. Flavor: Whereas the nose was a bit timid, the first sip delivers a full punch of flavor. Cinnamon stick, warming pepper and big agave. Viscous with a salty umami note - causing the whole mouth to salivate. The individual tropical elements found in the aroma merge into background secondary impressions. Trace fennel and dill emerge in the finish. This straight forward reposado has a creamy softness that makes it an easy sipper.

Nice nose. The agave comes through. Palate is soft. Slight bitter finish. Don’t love it. Update: Lote 2 is a treat. Nice sweetness on the palate and finish. I’m bumping up a few points

This is for lote 2 Nose: cooked agave, vanilla, baking spices, light barrel spices, caramel, pepper, and light citrus Flavor: cooked agave, caramel, vanilla, some white pepper spice, and earthy Finish: medium with the sweetness of cooked agave, and light spice

Lote 2. Supremely balanced. Residual sweetness and butterscotch with just the right amount of heat. Don’t mix this. Made to have neat. Great effort.

Nice continuity from the Blanco, still agave forward but with some spice from the bourbon barrels. This Tequila really comes alive when food is present, it seems to make the finish more pronounced.

nose: a little oak, spice, cooked agave, caramel. funk at bottom, a little heat. not getting the vanilla others get. palate: agave, pepper, oak with good heat, pepper, agave oak

Full disclosure- this bottle was sent to me by the brand. I gave this an extra point for "Value" due to the unsolicted gift. Nose is baking spice, roast agave, a bit of caramel. Quite peppery with a great tongue hit from the barrel, ethanol and the agave sweetness. Some barrel sweetness hangs around on the finish as does tongue tingle from the ethanol. Well balanced elements of oak, agave and ethanol make this a treat. I just got done with tasting 10 Additive Free Blancos so this is a great change of pace and another great Ing F. Camarena production.

Nose- baking spice, wet earth, brine, ripe melon Taste- caramelized agave, cinnamon, soft vanilla, more briny minerality, ripe melon, and a little vegetal grassiness Mouthfeel- somehow more oily than the Blanco Finish- Medium and a great balance between the sweet and the spice Value- Sample provided but again it has to be worth every penny

I love this reposado! Lightly aged so that the agave is still the star of the show, but with some light vanilla in the flavor.

On the nose, I’m immediately greeted by that vegetal note from the blanco, sweet cooked agave, and a touch of overripe fruit. A little bit of earthiness, some light vanilla notes, and the barest hint of oak. The palate is a treat, sweetness and cooked agave, very oily and full bodied. I’m getting a touch of citrus, minerals, and that vegetal note from the blanco but definitely more subdued. Overall an absolutely delicious. A sample from a friend, I’d love to get my hands on this. Giving it “average” for price since I can’t find good pricing info for it.

A bit vegetal on the nose. I’m getting agave, some minerality, and a twang of oak brought together in a viscous coating, before some pepper and light jalapeño punches their way through.

Again like the blanco, a sense of minerality, light citrus, caramel, and vanilla. Slight wood notes, getting a little dried fruit notes also.

Lot 1 and Lot 2= 89

Although the production notes are similar to Terralta, but with oxygenation, this reposado differs greatly. The aroma is amazing. Characteristics from the blanco are still present (vegetal and green notes, etc.), but with the reposado there is a nice kiss of oak characteristics, which aren't overpowering at all, but elevate the tequila. An great example of a reposado. On the palate, the tequila is quite viscous and flavorful. The peppery notes are more pronounced than in the blanco, but still well balanced. Each sip I take, I start to get more and more ripe, cooked agave, complemented by what the oak barrels bring. The finish is wonderful and long lasting.

As I approach the glass I first get a sweet floral scent and then when I get closer I pick up the mix of minerality, brine, petrichor and cooked agave. There is a hint of American oak right at the end. The aromas make themselves known but they don’t overpower your nose. The buttery cooked agave hits first and then the right behind follows a nice pepper and jalapeño. The minerality and brine are the backbone. The anise is nice and round and it sits in the middle. These flavors meld well are are soft on the palate due to it being oxygenated. This tequila deserves to be enjoyed slowly. Right now it’s being enjoyed by some lucky Texans but Don Vicente will be expanding. Watch for it!

Compared to the Blanco this is a sweet and balanced reposado. Very easy to drink, buttery and oily. The ageing really helped mellow the boldness of the Blanco, this is a good one. If the reposado is an indicator the XA is sure to be a very good one.

Lot 1

Lot 1: TMM Score 86 A lively entrance of cooked agave and pastry notes (vanilla, caramel, butter). Almond nutty presence on the palate accompanied by the barrel spice magic of pinecone, leather and baking spices (nutmeg, clove, sprinkle of cinnamon) finishing with dried fruit notes that ride towards a anise and white peppery finish. Not as mineral as related NOM 1579 brands, which for a Reposado I enjoyed more. Lot 2: TMM Score 87 Green fruits, herbal, citrusy, white pepper, mineral, light oak & caramel. (Imagine a green apple covered in caramel). If you like reposados with minimal barrel influence, definitely try this one.

I got the aroma of the sea, a brininess that I’ve not experienced before with tequila, only from Ardbeg and Lagavulin on the single malt side. The taste is rich, earthy, no sweet notes. Instead, herbal, almost savory, licorice, tobacco, minerals. Substantial flavors, like enjoying a terrific meal. Excellent finish.

Bottled 10/23/2023 LDV0003R40E Smells great. Minerals, vanilla, carmel. Agave forward taste. Very soft and easy to drink. Very similar to G4 repo. Prefer the G4 by small margin.

Aroma - cooked agave, light caramel, light vanilla, fruity , the aroma is pretty mild. Palate- cooked agave, baking spices, caramel, vanilla, overall good reposado but imo not very rich in smell and taste.

A little thin and less agave forward than I would have expected

Lot #2