Amatitense Blanco

The real origin of the final distilled spirit we call Tequila can trace its roots not back to the town of Tequila, but actually to Amatitan.

The brand Amatitense isn’t shy about connecting itself to the rich history of the area and people of Amatitan. Made at Hacienda De Oro, (NOM 1522) by Maestro Tequilero and brand owner Iliana Partida, Amatitense captures the soul of Amatitan.

Tequilas from the Amatitan area, and many Tequilas made by Iliana, take full advantage of the unique flavor inherent in the agave from the area. Add to that the intense minerality of the deep well water and you get something very different than the typical brands from Tequila town, and quite different than highlands agave brands.

There’s an earthy and cooked agave vegetal sweetness that really comes out in this 45.25% ABV blanco. I’ve got a sweet tooth, and my taste buds tend to prefer highlands Tequilas. But for my palate, there’s something unusual and extremely enjoyable that comes out of this earthy, mineral, and uniquely vegetal sweet blanco made with passion from the hands of Iliana: a legitimate chocolate note.

I remember messaging Iliana and saying, ‘WTF? How did you get a chocolate note on a blanco?’ Obviously, there are some barrels that can deliver vanillin flavors that mimic chocolate. But this is a blanco! I get a faint chocolate note on other blancos from the area, but with Amatitense, it’s intense. So unusual. So amazing!

There’s some real balance and complexity to this blanco. I keep going back to it regularly because I get new flavor notes and complex combinations each time. The overall flavors just keep begging you to find more notes and enjoyment each encounter and the higher proof really allows those tastes to pop.

If there’s one slight let down, it’s that the aroma is not bright and leans heavily towards earthiness. It’s clean, but it’s not as intense as the flavors.

Otherwise, this is a great sipper that can really offer a huge contrast to other brands in your collection and give you a glimpse back in time to the tastes of the spirit before ‘Tequila’ became the popularized name.

Nose: earth / hint of butter / cooked agave / hint of fruit /hint of orange/tangerine / hay / tea / very light nutmeg / mineral / wet earth and rain

Taste: cooked agave / earth / hint of vegetal sweetness / chocolate / vanilla / anise / hints of dark fruit / hint of lime / very light bell pepper / light baking spices / cream soda

Finish: Medium viscosity that sticks to the palate, coats evenly, and lets the sweeter flavors carry on while the darker earthiness recedes / for me the chocolate note keeps hitting until the very end / a nice mint and bell pepper taste ends the taste on most sips