Xoloitzcuintle Plata Fuerte "Quiote"

I can’t pronounce it, but the Xoloitzcuintle is the famous, often hairless, ominous, and sometimes spooky looking national dog breed of Mexico. Most fans of this tequila brand call it ‘Xolo’, pronounced like ‘show-low’.

Ernesto Aguirre the 4th is the young visionary owner who’s earned a following of connoisseurs who love the flavor and culture of his tequila brand.

Made at NOM 1545, Hacienda Capellania, Xolo’s unique flavors come from the surrounding fruit orchards, eucalyptus trees, and depth of experience found at the distillery. Distilled and crafted by the Davalos brothers, Xolo brings big flavor using 46% ABV as the base level for each core expression. But that’s not the case with the Plata Fuerte.

This new 2026 version of the Plata Fuerte comes bottled at 53.5% ABV and adds a unique twist that’s a real game changer. For this version, Xolo and the Davalos brothers used the quiote in the production process.

The quiote is the flower stalk of the agave, which only grows from the top of the plant when it reaches maturity (approx. 7-10 years). This stalk is typically cut off at the earliest opportunity to prevent the sugars leaving the heart of the plant to fuel the growth of the quiote. However, in this case, Xolo allowed the quiotes to grow, and then used the stalks to develop something wildly different.

There is an intense and unique vegetal sweetness in this tequila I have not encountered before. The high proof helps deliver an explosion of flavors. There is a deep earthiness that blends with the citrus, pepper, and huge cooked agave flavor, creating a powerful and complex set of flavors. The aroma leans into the vegetal sweetness and develops a bright, clean, and fresh garden scent with citrus and herbs. This juice simply delivers on every aspect, including a gentle but long lasting minty and peppery finish.

So, don’t worry about pronouncing the name correctly. All you need to do is enjoy this brand and appreciate the passion, culture, and flavors it brings. This is a new expression from a brand I strongly recommend.

Nose: sweet cooked agave / vegetal / herbal / earth / hint of bell pepper / citrus / hint of floral

Taste: sweet cooked agave / unique vegetal sweetness / black pepper / hint of spicy cinnamon / citrus (lime and hints of orange) / apple / anise / bell pepper / hint of peppermint / herbs / hint of jalapeño / mineral

Finish: medium viscosity level that coats the palate well / sweet cooked agave at the start of the sip turns into a warm and delicious pepper, cinnamon, and vegetal sweetness flavor explosion / the sip ends with a smooth but spicy and minty finish