Cazadores Tequila Reposado

Hate the bottle, but love this tequila. Cazadores Reposado, for me, is the staple reposado. It's a great value, it's a smooth tequila, and can be enjoyed as a shot, on the rocks, or in a margarita/paloma. When it's $30 in the store, I might be more likely to want to get a bottle of Herradura or Correlejo, but for the $25 it is typically priced at, it is an exceptional value. If you are used to drinking Hornitos Reposado, El Jimador, or 1800 Reposado, you'll definitely notice a difference with Cazadores. It's a more "thoughtful" tequila. it has more nuance. You'll taste more vanilla, there will be more lingering undertones, and it will have a "thicker" tecture than it's competitors. It's a connoisseur's tequila at a price anyone can appreciate. One of my personal favorites.

A very basic and easy to find tequila. For people who drink mixtos, this will be a nice revelation. For people who drink a lot of tequilas, this will likely just be a ho hum juice.

Aroma: Not a great agave nose, but the faint agave smell and alcohol is pretty much the only aroma.
Initial Taste: Sweet taste. Agave, not much else. The mellowing of aging makes it more pleasant than the blanco.
Body: A bit of agave and wood. Sits well on the tongue, but not a lot of complexity or strength in the flavors.
Finish: Short finish, a slight alcohol burn. Nothing spectacular, but relatively smooth.

This is a tequila that I wouldn't seek out, but I also would turn down. It's good enough for any tequila aficionado, but with so many quality brands out there, it's not one that I would look for as a top choice either.

Simply, this is a good middle ground reposado (price-wise). It's a good reposado for introducing shot drinkers into the sipping clan, although surprisingly cloying and heavy on the vanilla for old hands. It's got just enough burn to kick a spur into your side. Not much aroma beyond a powerful agave sweetness. Initial hit will be a sweet surprise for people used to snappy blancos or cheap tequilas, but the finish is harsh and lacking in complexity. At its usual price point, it's a decent choice for mixing or sipping. As for the packaging, I don't care a bit... but for what it's worth, the bottle is boring and the label is mediocre, if you're into displaying these things as works of art.

Cazadores Reposado NOM 1487 Tasted 3/8/07. This tequila is pale yellow in color and has intense aromas of floral and earth. There are also moderate aromas of fruit, spice, and smoke. A mellow taste on the tip of the tongue leads to a hint of bitterness and a sweet tequila taste. The Cazadores Reposado contains intense flavors of floral and agave followed by moderate earth and fruit accents. Mild notes of spice and smoke accompany this tequila. Cazadores Reposado finishes with a medium to long duration of flavor and slightly numbing alcohol feeling. This tequila has been awarded the overall rating of a A-/B+.

Cazadores Tequila Reposado, NOM 1487. This bright golden/yellow colored spirit was one of my Memorial Day treats this year. I savored it in a small Cognac snifter where it revealed hints of oak & vanilla accompanied by tastes of spicy agave, fruit, new oak aging, & a soft sweetness. The light medium body of this tequila partnered wonderfully with other fine Margarita ingredients enjoyed later on in the day. I experienced a moderately long finish ending with a nice openness of the senses. Cazadores Reposado is quite smooth, not as smooth as the top performers, but still a small investment to pay for such a delightfully enjoyable tequila. B+