October 03, 2008 Quetzalcoatl Tequila Toltech Reposado, NOM 1368. This was another nice rare find in Taos. Golden yellow in color with a vanilla & wood nose. Initially this tequila tasted of aged agave & oak but later developed into very pleasant sweet citrus, pear, & caramel flavors. It has a medium body where the agave sweetness really comes through. This was even more evident when I combined it with other Margarita ingredients where a nice aged quality developed. It finished with a medium duration & slight numbing effect across the tongue. A nice smoothness carried all the way through to the end even with a slight alcohol sensation while never losing it's natural agave sweetness. Toltec does not rank with the finest reposado's but does deliver a very enjoyable tequila experience.

 October 01, 2008 Lunazul Tequila Blanco, NOM 1513. This crystal clear colored spirit has a pronounced agave nose with alcohol overtones. The initial taste has hints of cinnamon & cloves with a hot, spicy aftertaste. The body is light, with an almost airy characteristic lending it to being a wonderful mixer in tequila cocktails. It finishes medium long with a slight openness toward the end. Lunazul Blanco is fairly smooth but when combined in a Margarita, the result proves to be complex in a pure & natural state with a nice rounded edge. In other words, the agave really comes through & the heat has dissipated. Great value.

 October 01, 2008 Tequila Oro Azul Reposado, NOM 1079. I received this tequila as a thoughtful birthday gift from my nephew a few months ago. Beautiful straw yellow color with golden hues. Agave/apple scents are followed by wood smoke, light caramel, & slight alcohol. The complex spicy taste is sweet agave nectar with a smoky caramel aftertaste. This medium bodied spirit finishes with a fairly long, slightly numbing effect on the tongue, fading away into a wonderful bouquet of smoky sweetness. Oro Azul Reposado is quite smooth even with a very slight taste of alcohol which, BTW, does not in anyway detract from the overall tasting experience. This is a reasonably priced, premium tequila worthy of the most discriminating palate & a pure pleasure to sip after dinner like a cognac. I can only imagine, at this time, what the anejo must taste like.

 September 30, 2008 Tequila Centinela Reposado, NOM 1140. At one time, this tequila was more readily available. After a long, dry period of unavailability, I was fortunate to find a bottle on a recent visit to Taos, NM. Centinela Reposado has a pale, light yellow color. It has a nice aged character of caramel & oak & is much deeper in taste than many other repopsados. This is quite evident through the entire tasting experience & is actually more pronounced at the end rather than at the beginning. A wonderful sweetness carries all the way through the long finish, ending in a bouquet of caramel & fruit. This spirit is quite smooth, a consistent attribute I've found from one bottle to the next. If you should happen to find Centinela Reposado, don't hesitate to purchase it. You won't be disappointed!

 September 30, 2008 Tequila Sol Dios Anejo, NOM 1472. This tequila has a beautiful medium golden color which open with scents of earth, almonds, caramel, & vanilla. The initial taste was spicy aged agave, orange, & oak. It has a medium to medium/heavy body that finishes with a delightfully long duration & ends with a bouquet of caramelized fruit. This spirit is very smooth with absolutely no alcohol burn whatsoever. The very end exhibits a wonderfully nice, warm glow that lingers for quite some time. Sol Dios Anejo is worth seeking out for it's taste, unique aesthetic presentation, & overall value. Granted there are better anejo's on the market but for mucho mas dinero!