December 28, 2007 Tres Rios Tequila Silver, NOM 1482, Lot. Nr. 1802, Bottle Nr. 039985-A. Crystal clear color with long legs extending high on the shot glass. The first nose is sweet cooked agave with a hint of spice. The second nose is cedar pencil with more spice. The initial taste is spicy sweet with hints of coriander, cloves, & cinnamon followed by a warm glow. The body is very peppery with nice warmth, sweetness, & light alcohol. The finish rolls over the tongue & fades into a memory. I have tasted smoother tequilas but Tres Rios has a quality that spans the entire tasting experience with only a slight alcohol numbing sensation. The presentation, inner wrapped & boxed with a sealing waxed neck ribbon is impeccable. Everything here is silver. Above the hard rock/heavy metal hype is a reasonably priced, very sound tequila worthy of your consideration. Top shelf. A-
(I am concerned about tequila bottle corks not sealing as well as they should, this one included. Every tequila I've reviewed so far has had this problem. Be careful to, especially transport & obviously store, straight up or leakage will occur).

 December 21, 2007 Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Reposado. This sotol is light amber in color with long legs. The nose is slightly woody with some traces of alcohol, chemicals, & rather light in character. The initial taste is warm spice with a nice glowing sensation & slightly nutty. The body is medium with some spicy wood carrying over & a nutty aftertaste. This reposado has a nice open finish, encompassing the entire mouth, & ending with a hint of vanilla. HDC reposado is smooth but not quite as smooth as the plata which surprised me. Taking all things into consideration especially the $, this is a great way to experience a different, relative of tequila, Mexican spirit & not spend nearly as much dinero!

 December 16, 2007 Casa Noble Crystal Triple Distilled Tequila Blanco, NOM 1137. Like it says crystal clear color with long, even legs extending high on the glass. The nose is earthy agave with some alcohol burn, spice, & a hint of pine. The initial taste is sweet & slightly warm with a late burst of black peppery licorice. The body is medium that lingers long into the finish with tastes of earth, spicy agave, & an aged quality uncharacteristic of a blanco. The finish starts in the cheeks, rolls completely over the tongue, & lasts into the next sip becoming the longest finish I've ever experienced. This tequila is smooth but not as smooth as others due to some, but not overwhelming, alcohol burn. Overall this is a very fine tequila that I enjoyed immensely, savoring each & every sip. The bottle, including the steel embossed cap over cork, is a true work of art worthy of keeping as any other decanter would be. Scores high on the impression scale. Very pricey in my area but not as much in others. Top shelf. Just short of a solid A.

 December 11, 2007 El Tesoro de Don Felipe Platinum Tequila, NOM 1139. Crystal clear in color with very high, uniform legs. The first nose was deep earth with generous agave scents. A second nose revealed a smoky pine aroma. The initial taste was spicy with some bitterness. The body is light to medium light with the flavor of sweet root vegetables. I found the finish to be somewhat flat but with a nice openness. El Tesoro is quite smooth, absolutely no burn, but with a warm alcohol sensation throughout. I got a generous deal so I overrated the $. Top shelf. A-/A

 December 10, 2007 Typical large liquor store selection. No rare finds here. Convenient if you live in the general vicinity. I'd rather see rarer finds with a smaller selection.