El Tesoro de Don Felipe Tequila Reposado

Lots of agave, sweet cane-like sugar. Somewhere between warm and hot. No pepper, but subtle notes of wood.

My last review from the El Tesoro line of tequilas. Another great brand made at La Alteña (NOM 1139). The blanco has grown on me over time and the anejo was one of the first premium tequilas that I tasted and has long been one of my favorites. With a craftsman like Carlos Camarena driving this brand and my love for a good reposado, my expectations are high.

Tasting Notes:



Price:$35-45/bottle

Aroma: A fairly faint nose on this one. The green agave from the blanco is balanced nicely with the 8-11 month barrel aging.

Initial Taste: A light sweetness from the cooked agave and it still maintains its green/natural profile. The oak from the aging is there lightly and presents as a light smoke. Complex and inviting.

Body: Medium thin body and a fairly light color. It has great balance between the agave and oak. One might say that the agave is simply "kissed" by the wood and in no way overtakes the agave essence.

Finish: A nice finish on this with the agave, oak, light pepper and vegetal and citrus notes. It has everything that you want from a good repo. A great balance and complex flavors.

El Tesoro delivers another nice product. I love a good repo and this delivers. The profile is more on the vegetal side so if you are looking for something with big vanilla, this is probably not the one for you. However, if you are looking for something with great balance and complexity, El Tesoro delivers...and it does it with a pretty good value at around $40 a bottle. I'd pretty much recommend this to anyone who would listen who likes a well crafted and natural tasting tequila.

I won't be bashful. This is my favorite tequila. I've enjoyed many fine anejos, reposados and blancos over the past years, but this is the one I compare all others to and it's still my top pick. A few years ago, Don Felipe chose to change the bottle to a more contemporary rectangular shape, probably as a marketing ploy. But this is tequila produced largely by manual labor and I preferred the old round bottle, which seemed more in synch with El Tesoro's traditional process.

That aside, this reposado is still the same pale golden agave goodness as always. The aroma is really nothing extraordinary to my nose. It has a good solid boquet that lets you know this will be a pleasant drink. The initial flavor is slightly smoky, with good agave character. The body is earthy and woody, most likely the result of the age-old process. The finish is slightly sweet and oaky. The overall impression is that this is distilled by masters who take pride in their product and carry on the methods of their ancestors in a time of mass-production.

Definitely old school.

Tasted 2/19/11 out of a Riedel tequila glass.
Distinct nose of agave with slight floral undertones and a hint of oak on the back end. The initial flavor is light, giving way to a strong sweetness in the body that lingers on the tongue. There is just enough oak to cut the sweet flavors in the finish, and very little alcohol burn is present. This is a very enjoyable, reasonably-priced tequila that stays true to characteristics I expect in a reposado.

one of my first reposado's i tasted ,still one of the best out there,good flavor and very smooth