Caramel, oak, butterscotch, nice barrel spices, on nose and pallet, agave is there which is impressive for a 5yr XA / Definite buy if you see it

Nose: cooked agave / vanilla/ caramel/ olive / melon/ banana/ tobacco/ orange/ tea/ all spice / maple/ cream soda Taste: agave / vanilla/ pepper / cinnamon Bomb/ banana/ orange peel / lemongrass / nutmeg/ tobacco/ chocolate/ almond/ molasses Finish: spicy with alcohol kick / lingering pepper and alcohol/ cinnamon and peppermint stay with a clean watery fade away. There are so many powerful taste and aroma experiences in this upper end expression from El Tesoro. The unexpected vanilla and slight tobacco tastes work well to play backup to the cinnamon and pepper bomb that is big! This tequila has some subtle flavors and a beautiful sweetness, but it also uses a flash bang grenade of pepper. This is a truly unique tequila!!!

Paradiso is an appropriate name as the aromas on this are heavenly. I could smell this all day. While agave is there, the fruity nose on this one is front and center. I get barrel notes of oak and vanilla and caramel. The nose is so complex you could continue adding aromas for a while. While the aroma is great, the taste is a tad behind. I get a little more barrel than I like. I think it is coming from the cognac barrels. I do get sweet agave on the front end and much of the vanilla and caramel that I find pleasant. The finish lingers with a cognac taste that is a bit too much for my taste. I still like this one and would recommend it but I’ll take the ET XA over this one.

Blind Donkey San Diego, CA $30 Bottle almost full Champagne glass Preceded by El Tesoro Blanco The blanco is beautifully crafted, heavy on the agave and balanced between the spice with a floral, white pepper and slightly citrus aroma. I love tasting the evolution of the juice and decided to jump to the other end with El Tesoro’s legendary XA. On the aroma what is lost is any hint of agave or citrus. But what comes alive in your nose are distinct but moderate oak barrel notes. Butterscotch, cherry, and caramel are present, but don’t overwhelm the nose like some other (additive?) XAs. Both the blanco and XA are wonderfully balanced. You get no dominance or tidal wave of any single component and if you consider the evolution of this juice you can appreciate the fine barrel work used to lay the ground work for the XA. On the pallet the XA retains much of the pepper and a hint of the cooked agave present in the blanco. Of course, those notes are deeply embedded in the personality of the barrel. Surprisingly, I find the XA bolder and stronger than the blanco. Often times I feel the barrel course corrects the blanco, undercutting it’s punch. But relative to the XA, the blanco is more subtle and even than the XA. Ultimately the XA is a superbly crafted juice whose extraordinary profile emerges from a delicious blanco of the terrior and the perfectly aged barrel strategy of El Tesoro.

Wonderful, fruity nose with oak, vanilla, and cooked agave. For a 5-year XA, there’s a well balanced flavor profile with enough oak and barrel influence, but not overwhelming. The price impacted my rating.

This tequila wasn’t overly complex. Natural sweetness from the agave, minimal barrel influence and a hint of pineapple citric.

10/2  NOM 1139 old style paradiso Batch P-1021 -- Bottle C 29.308 Dated 31/03/11 (March 31, 2011) NOSE: The typical El Tesoro nose = bubblegum, banana, cooked agave, fruit, maple? PALATE: cooked agave, mild oak, brown sugar FINISH: sweet agave, leads to oak, dry medium finish

Initially the aromas are a mixture of apricot and apple, as well as baking spices and hints of vanilla. Leads into flavors of light caramel, cinnamon, oak, baking spices, and agave. The finish can only be described as a rising sensation of peach cobbler blended with the same notes present in the flavor. One of the best extra añejos that money can buy.

On the nose, it’s fruit. Some butterscotch, im getting the oak. Some citrus, a little bit of chocolate. Almost like those Cointreau chocolates but not as sweet. A little bit of banana. The palate is…tantalizing. This goes down like silk. I’m getting some nuts, cinnamon, caramel. The agave is light but enough is there to let you know you’re drinking a fine tequila. Definitely some fruitiness, that banana note from the nose is there. This is a rock solid, delicious XA. A little pricy, but very, very good.

Definitely a treat! Had the vintage Lot C (2013) series Paradiso, flavor wise it’s very complex mainly characterized by red dried fruits notes, then complemented by chocolate and citrusy nuances. Lot C (2008) - This is the best Paradiso/XA I’ve had. Somehow it has notes of peach, nectarines, extremely fruity and overly complex

Really well balanced extra Añejo. Oak, fruity, sweet aroma. On the palate spicy, oak and medium spicy finish. I love that it is not even close to being too sweet.

Oak, cooked agave and cherry or pitted fruit on the nose with hints of orange and vanilla… cooked agave and fruity on the mouth with some black pepper…. Some what complex and full of body

Not too much of a difference between the multi- colored Paradisos from 2016 and on and the newer brown packaging. Both have similar profiles on nose and palate. Warm agave, mocha, candied walnuts, nutty, citrus, figs, cinnamon, apple pie, butterscotch, vanilla, banana, tapioca... so complex and superb balance with a beautiful lasting linger. The older ones especially the Denton bottles are true treasures. The pre-2010s are a few notches above the current releases. One of the best XAs made.

Aroma: Wow, fruit up front (pear apple, light berry) then wood and agave with faint raw pumpkin. Flavor: Peppery oak followed by wooded agave. Not overwhelming wood but just enough to discern that it's an XA. Very well balanced. Finish: A little heated burn for as long as it's aged but still not a deal breaker or a disappointment. Overall great XA and more palatable than some that are over wooded and whisky like. The fruits and bouquet really shines through.

Very good. Smells like a fiery enhanced agave. Very good, oak fruit (apricot), pepper, slight caramel and the agave comes through good. Extremely balanced.

Great aroma! Solid tequila, but strong alcohol and finish for an XA. I definitely prefer El Tesoro's standard XA!

delicious but prefer the XA. Paradiso and XA are both excellent

Really like this sipper. 5 yr XA light on oak notes. Sweet cooked agave. Great finish and after taste. Incredibly balanced.

Aroma : Tropical fruits, citrus, and light herbs meld well with sweet cooked agave. There is the smallest amount of oak too. Taste : Agave and tropical fruits are the main characters here. There is also some underlying cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, butterscotch, and a unique earthiness/minerality as well. Finish : Long lasting and balanced with more butterscotch and light pepper. Note that this review is for the newer label of Paradiso. If I do find an older bottling, I'll update this review to include it.

C series bottle. Very nice blend of sweetness and spice. Finishing with a Balanced herbal, buttery notes that stick around for a while. a 5yr XA over all.

El Tesoro Paradiso is an extra Añejo that has been aged for 5 years in French oak ex-Cognac barrels. It has a light honey color and an inviting nose. I smell the sweetness from the cooked agave and then there are some light fruit notes and a hint of smoke. I taste sweet buttery agave, minerals and a separate alcohol that must be attributed to the Cognac. The finish is butterscotch and a peppery brine with some oak notes. Its complex but light on the pallet in a good way. I recommend trying this product if you have the opportunity. Salud!

New Label- It's a 5 year french oak cognac barrel aged tequila, which gives a lot of fruit (apricot), sweetness, herbal, smoke and spice, and some nutmeg. I really like it. A solid deal for 129.99

Have this neat at Señor Tequila. Excelente taste and finish, with agave, fruits, tropical fruits, vanilla, flowers, banana, cherry flavors that transcend into lingering taste and a great finish. $12/ shot

It’s bold. Smells like oak barrels, then mangos, oranges and cloves. Flavors are layered. Getting wood, herbs, especially anise, giving way to the cooked agave, spices and dried fruit. Complex and quite delicious.

2000 Denton inport... Great aroma, you can pull the cognac right off the nose. Tropical fruit, plenty of cherry, but not overly sweet. Finished clean, not super long. Very enjoyable.