Lot 104 | 104-R, Yikes! It tastes like wood chips. Bitter herbal finish. Hot. Not the repo I’m used to from Los Abuelos. This felt rushed & not stabilized or cohesive. Sharp oak, fast mid palate and a rough finish. Will gladly buy another Lote and try again as I love Los Abuelos. Hold the line and don’t sacrifice quality for quantity y’all! Salud

Lot 107 | Nose: Lightly oaked allowing citrus, cinnamon and agave to be highlighted. Flavor: Citrus, honey and pepper and spice warmly fill the palate. A hint of buttery vanilla hard candy.

Lot 107 | The classic cinnamon of fortaleza reposado takes the backseat and somehow there’s more barrel influence - classic vanilla and some cardamom but light. Amazing repo.

Lot 100 | Nose: Oak, cinnamon dark citrus aromas, and a touch of vanilla. Light cellar note and minerals. A dusting of white pepper. Slight floral underpinning. Flavor: Vanilla and leather. A warming pepper blast and accompanying cinnamon “pop” that I had not anticipated from the nosing.

On the nose, immediately I get vanilla, floral notes, honey and cooked agave, in no particular order. Definitely some butterscotch. Some barrel spice. On the palate, definitely honey and butterscotch, and white pepper. I get minerality and that cooked agave is strong but definitely more settled in within the medley of flavors. Some fruitiness, and that briny note from the blanco is subdued. Definitely a little bit of whiskey, but subtle. Overall, A great tequila for Review #50 in Tequila MatchMaker. This is, by far, top 5 reposados for me. It’s a tossup whether I’d reach for this or Terralta. Fantastic tequila, highly recommend. Don’t let the Winter Blend craze turn you off, Fortaleza makes fantastic stuff.

Lot 28 | Lot 28: Agave forward, honey, melon, candied walnuts, plums, white chocolate, white pepper, green apples, pretty summery and well balanced.

Lot 86 | Tasted at Scott's on 05/06/2021

Aroma: Sweet agave, with notes of vanilla, bright and clean. Flavor: Smooth, silky texture, cooked agave taste with hints of vanilla, grass, and pepper. Finish: Ultra smooth, the cooked agave shines through on the finish. Overall: I was looking forward to trying this one, I understand now why this tequila gets so much praise.

Lot 87 | Nose: Fruity introduction: Pineapple/citrus/green apple. A touch of oak. Underlying spices and vanilla trying to emerge. Earthy minerals. Flavors: Oily mouth feel. Buttery and rich butterscotch, with a bit of salinity. The fruit elements from the nosing, carry over into the tasting. Robust pepper heat holds your attention. This is a slight departure in profile from what I normally associate with Fortaleza Repos: More fruity and playful.

Lot 84 | agave shines through on this repo. On the high side for price but Fortaleza is one the top distillers out there

Lot 85 | Nose: Pineapple, oranges, honey and butterscotch. Melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon glaze. Subtle vanilla. And a ripe light colored fruit that is nearing an over ripe state. Flavor: Big fruit and agave footprint. Big flavors in general. Significant pepper heat marries harmoniously with velvety and buttery mouth feel. Cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom contribute another layer. Butterscotch/Graham cracker pie crust/and a dash of quality vanilla...

Lot 73 | In the glass it’s a clean clear light straw color with nice tears immediately after swirl. On the nose I’ve got cooked agave, earth, vegetal, brine, marsh. The palate is, again, clean cooked agave at the forefront with allspice, clove, earth, brine, and a hint of oak. Long finish with a bit of an abbreviated ethanol warmth at the end. Classic valley tequila and always on my shelf!

Lot 80 | My first .375, after 2 pours the bottle is 1/3 gone lol. This is a nicely rich release with caramelized roast agave, barrel spice of oak, caramel, and vanilla, this is tequila creme brulée in the mouth. Glad I have several more of this lote.

Lot 81 | Nose: Lively barrel spice entrance, embracing a crisp oak note and mellow butterscotch. Clean orange and citrus rind. Some flintiness to the aromas. Flavor: Caramel, spice, pepper and brininess. Kicky and creamy on the tongue. Trace vanilla and citrus with a blooming heat factor.

Lot 77 | Nose: Spicy citrus and grilled pineapple. A pleasing sour aroma tagging along. A dark berry or cherry aroma, vanilla and sweet barrel notes. Flavor: Vibrant pepper and barrel spices. Flavor is congruent to aromas: dark ripe fruit notes, rich round vanilla, punchy cinnamon and a citrus twang. A hint of hazelnuts as it winds down. A slightly different flavor profile in this Fortaleza repo.

Lot 74 | Lote 74R. Try number 2... Nose: Cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla tinged oak. Some clay and musty straw aromas. Hints of cedar and fruity agave. Flavors: Robust spices, a kick in the butt dose of white pepper, and oak. A fleeting cherry note, maybe some butterscotch, nutmeg and slow baked camote. It has some brininess to it, and an herbal note. Finishes strong, with an addition of anise. While there is much to recommend in this lote, to me, it has a slightly off musty note in the nosing and tasting.

Lot 71 | A fine representation of recent Fortaleza Reposados.

Lot 72 | Lote 74, not 72 Nose: The overall aroma profile on lote 74 is a departure from most Fortaleza repos in my experience. It opens with spiced pear, a hint of oak, dried powdered ginger, cloves and cinnamon. There is a flowery, perfume like bouquet mingling with the scent of lemon zest. There is just the tiniest hint of lactic and clay notes. Flavors: The palate is atypical as well. It begins with barrel spice and white pepper. It is slightly “perfumey” to the taste. Not a lot of weight in the mouth, but leaves an impression of flowery honey. Finishes with some bitterness, and to me, some confusion. Maybe it is just my palate tonight...

Lot 72 | Light but on point for a Reposado, everything from this distillery is authentic and incredibly made

Lot 55 | When I’m asked what tequila tastes like I tell them to try Fortaleza. It’s made in the most traditional way. It’s classic tequila in my opinion. This Reposado has a nice nose. I taste the agave followed by mineral brine and a complex mix of citrus and slight white pepper. The finish is short to medium with the absence of an alcohol burn (smooth). It’s a pleasant sipper. All aficionado’s should have Fortaleza in their collection. !Salud!

The 6 month reposado is simply one of the best reposados on the market period. I love it!!

Lot 67 | Nose: Subtle oak influence. Minerals and potting soil. A pleasant pinch of cinnamon and cardamom. Considerably more butterscotch aroma than my last lote, #70. Faint vanilla and citrus emerged as it opened up a tad. Flavors: Much more exuberant spices and pepper than the aroma had portended. Butterscotch in the tasting, as promised in the nosing. I’m not picking up the normal cheesy, funky, olive nuances that I usually find in a Fortaleza repo. The white pepper note picks up momentum and heat as it sits in your mouth. Finish has a touch of bitterness with the pepper heat.

Lot 47 | Same as it ever was though this seems to be particularly briny in nature. Fortaleza fermentation funk (that's a good thing) is ever present and this was aged for a proper period of time as it has no sticker. Lightly touched by the barrel, some spice from oak and agave are in evidence. Finish fades to some olive notes and that brine.

Lot 68 | Poured at MBTC 2019. This was spicier than some recent reposado which have had an overall creaminess. A nice change of pace with agave, as always, plus barrel spice of vanilla and oak plus some nice aromas.

Lot 58 | Tasted at Scales in Monterey, CA. Nice caramel, brine, agave. Just solid, solid, solid.