Olmeca Altos Reposado

In last year’s tequila round up, there was a conspicuously obvious lack of variety.  Everything was blanco.   The reason behind this was more to have an even comparison field, but also to focus on the more commonly used blanco for Margarita applications.   To remedy this, we’ll be taking a look at couple of reposado’s this year, and starting with Olmeca Altos Reposado, the sibling of one of our recommended bottles for starting your home bar.

Before we get too far, a recap on Tequilas.  There are both 100% agave and mixto:

• 100% Agave – Nothing but agave used here in the distillation.  No sugars, no color, no additives.
• Mixto – Require 51% agave, but the rest can use sugars and neutral grain spirits.

Never use mixto.  They are inconsistent and do not provide the quality or flavor needed.

Then there are the age statements:

• Blanco / Plata / Silver – Unaged to two months in stainless steel or neutral barrels.
• Reposado – Two months to one year in any sized oak barrel.
• Anejo – 1 – 3 years in small oak barrels.
• Extra Anejo – Minimum 3 years in oak barrels.

For the vast majority of drinks, Blanco / Reposado are going to be your best bets and most cost effective.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Olmeca Altos Reposado is 100% agave which are aged 7-8 years.  They’re roasted in brick ovens and processed with a large Tohana stone.  The resulting mash is used into copper stills, and in the case of reposado, aged in used bourbon barrels.

Sight:  Bordering on lightly aged Chardonnay or Chablis.

Smell:  The nose is a raucous mix of grapefruit zest, caramel, vanilla, and touches of roasted agave.   A subtle roastiness pervades and a linger bit of pepper hang around as well with some additional citrus.

Sip:  The start is smooth and slightly dusty.   A gradual build of caramel, vanilla, and oak start to show up.  The citrus on the nose is more subdued and pithy.  The roasted agave notes also move in late with a little burnt cinnamon.

Savor:  The ending has a soft wood and vanilla note with a bit of agave.  There’s a bit of tannin here and some burn.

Olmeca Altos Reposado is kind of calm and gentle, if a little on the straightforward side.  The subtle citrus notes and light oak influence really help to give it character that you’d expect from a reposado tequila.  That said, it doesn’t scream that it wants to be sipped neat.  That’s ok though, its an easy going tequila at a reasonable price point for making cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a margarita,  the caramel and vanilla notes come forward with a burly hit of tannic wood.  The lime pulls in shortly after, and then expands the citrus. While the ending is slightly tannic and bitter, it’s a pretty smooth margarita.   In a Rosita, it really brings some beautiful vanilla and oak notes, but the place it shines is in some of those burnt spice and citrus-agave notes.  These shine beautifully against the herbal notes of the vermouth and with the bittersweet notes of the tequila.

In Review – Olmeca Altos Reposado

We generally like Olmeca Altos Reposado at $25-30.  It brings a good amount of tequila character without being offensive or overpowering.  As an entry point, this tequila is good a starter – but doesn’t open up world of tequila in any particular way.  With tempered expectations, there’s a good amount to like about Olmeca, but you don’t need to feel pressure to find a bottle.