BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

notes of sweet vanilla, delicate oak, and a faintly smoky
finish. The bottle looks sophisticated, with a pretty red
glass flower inset.
abv: 40% Price: $65
90
Gran Dovejo Reposado (Mexico; Mendez
Imports, Dixon, CA). This spirit has a
complex, rewarding array of flavors. The aroma is very
smoky and spicy, evoking barbecue. But on the tongue,
this vibrant-gold reposado layers vanilla and orangepeel
flavors with a warm hint of toffee, and the smoke
only comes through on the finish. Comes packaged in a
striking, gift-worthy square-shouldered bottle with impressive
heft. Aged nine months.
abv: 40% Price: $50
90
Magave Tequila Reposado (Mexico;
Magave Tequila, San Francisco, CA). This
reposado reads almost like a mezcal, showing lots of
zingy jalapeno pepper and smoke, chased with just a
touch of vanilla-tinged agave sweetness. Attractive bottle
design with embossed bull logo on front and goldleaf
design on back. Aged for eight months.
abv: 40% Price: $36
90
Milagro Select Barrel Reserve (Mexico;
William Grant and Sons, New York, NY).
This limited-edition reposado comes in an exquisite
bottle with a spiky glass piña (agave) blown inside. The
restrained and mellow spirit has a mild honey aroma
and flavor, with flashes of cinnamon and jalapeño pepper
on the finish. Soft feel.
abv: 40% Price: $57
Tributo A Mi Padre Tequila (Mexico; In-
90 novation Spirits, Newport Beach, CA).
A beautiful story accompanies this Tequila: the name
translates as “Tribute To My Father.” This pale gold, addictively
sippable reposado does justice to the memory
of Hector Barrero Sr., melding notes of wildflowers,
honey, custard and pears. Despite a bit of alcohol sting,
this spirit is soft and light. Best Buy.
abv: 40% Price: $29
Tequila Ocho Reposado (Mexico; Alta-
90 mar Brands, Corona del Mar, CA). The
aroma on this single-estate Tequila is reminiscent of a
very lightly peated whiskey, mingling smoke and pepper
with a light caramel note. The flavors tend toward custard
and agave sweetness, spiked with pepper and mint.
Earthy, smoky and peppery notes accelerate on the long
finish. Light, silky feel.
abv: 40% Price: $50
90
Voodoo Tiki Tequila Reposado (Mexico:
Tiki Tequila of America, Lighthouse Point,
FL). Tiki-philes will exclaim over the whimsical bottle
with a green tiki figurine inside and capped with a
green wax seal. The light gold spirit itself, aged six to
eight months, features zesty citrus, piquant pepper, and
a long, elegant vanilla finish. It’s a natural for tiki classics
like El Diablo (combined with crème de cassis and
ginger beer).
abv: 40% Price: $50
89
Azunia Tequila Reposado (Mexico; Intersect
Beverage LLC, San Clemente, CA).
64 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012
In this lowlands Tequila, fruity and peppery flavors
weave harmoniously into the elongated finish. This spirit
would be particularly welcome in a paloma or other
citrus-forward cocktails. Rested in oak for eight months.
abv: 40% Price: $35
89
Mejor Reposado Tequila (Mexico; Mejor
Tequila Company, Los Altos, CA). This
bright, light-gold spirit has a luxuriously fresh, fruity
scent, like caramel drizzled over apple slices. The flavors
are complex and mellow, morphing from grassy
and herbal to lemon, hazelnut and cocoa on the finish.
This single-estate highlands Tequila has a bit of alcoholic
heat, but that wouldn’t matter lightened in a margarita
or other citrusy cocktail.
abv: 40% Price: $43
88
Lunazul Tequila Reposado (Mexico;
Heaven Hill, Bardstown, KY). After a hint of
agave sweetness, this spirit is fairly smoky on the palate,
chased by a fruity note. Overall, this light-gold Tequila
has a soft feel, although there’s a bit of alcohol bite, too.
abv: 40% Price: $23
88
Milagro Tequila Reposado (Mexico; William
Grant and Sons, New York, NY). This
pale straw-colored spirit has a soft, fruity aroma with a
hint of green bell pepper. On the palate, look for jalapeño
pepper and oaky, tannic notes and a gentle vanilla
finish. Velvety feel.
abv: 40% Price: $29
87
Siembra Azul Tequila Reposado (Mexico;
Suro International Importers, Philadelphia,
PA). Aged for just three months, this reposado
reads almost like a perky blanco. It features lots of jalapeño
pepper, smoothed out with light honeyed notes
and it finishes with a touch of oak tannin astringency.
Would make a good margarita. Aged for three months.
abv: 40% Price: $40
Tequila Corazon Reposado (Mexico;
87 Gemini Spirits & Wine, Chicago, IL). This
light-gold reposado has a funky, overripe aroma and flavors
that lean toward green pepper, sweetened with a
drizzle of agave and nice sprinkle of baking spices on
the finish. Any cocktail dosed with lime would really
perk up this spirit.
abv: 40% Price: $32
85
Peligroso Tequila Reposado 42 (Peligroso
Spirits, San Clemente, CA). At 42% abv,
this spirit is distilled hotter than Peligroso’s standard 80
proof line. Although there’s been something of a mania
for higher-proof spirits recently, the extra alcohol
doesn’t do this reposado any favors, bringing forward
notes of smoke, oregano and resin. Consider opting for
Peligroso’s fruity standard-issue reposado instead.
abv: 42% Price: $50
82
Regional Reposado Tequila (Mexico; Intersect
Beverage LLC, San Clemente,
CA). Although this lowlands Tequila rested in oak for
six months, the spirit shows practically no color or aroma
from its time in barrels. The flavor has notes of resin,
with a light floral or herbal finish, and a flash of alcoholic
heat on the tongue.
abv: 40% Price: $20
Tequila Oro Azul Reposado (Mexico; 21st
82 Century Spirits, Commerce, CA). This
highlands Tequila has a funky vegetal scent and herbaceous
flavors that combine oregano, resin and faint agave
sweetness. It does come in a distinctive, bright-blue
pyramid-shaped bottle.
abv: 40% Price: $27