Funky nose and palate. Not for me

Cazcanes rested some high-proof blanco into Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon French Oak casks for less than 2 months. This offering is coming in at 100 proof / 50% ABV. On the nose, I’m getting cooked agave with a hint of alcohol vapors. Some dry wood tannins are present but just past that are some softer notes of rose petals, red fruits, and a hint of a dry buttery cookie like a British biscuit. It’s a pleasant and unique nose. I taste the caramelized agave. It’s pleasantly sweet and spicy at the same time. The sweetness is part floral and part fruit. The Cab Sav FO influence is present but nicely balanced. The pepper has a nice tingling capsaicin effect on the younger and gums. The proof helps to deliver the flavors. This is an excellent Rosa.

Side-by-side tasting of ‘23 and ‘24. Both poured and left to open for 15 minutes. Rating is for the RB92301 Aroma of cooked agave and wet stone. Underlying notes of fruit (cherry?) and mint. Sweet fruits dominate the initial flavor followed by a nice peppery heat and some mint. The 50% ABV makes itself known with some heat but in an understated not dominating way. Sweet/spicy heat lingers for a relatively long finish. Mint shows up again later in the finish. RB92402 Aroma is surprisingly different from the ‘23. Sweet notes dominate (fruit, butterscotch) with subtle hints of clay and cooked agave. Had to double check this was the blanco because the sweetness seemed more reposado-like. After another 10 minutes the sweet aroma dissipates quite a bit. Deeper fruits (plum) emerge with a strong earthy/mineral component. Viscous/syrupy flavor displays strong minerality with cooked agave and some fruit. This one really evolves over time. Warm pepper finish is long lasting. Surprising (almost amazing) how different these two are. Both are very nice. I would probably rate the ‘24 a point or two higher.

On the nose it’s very mellow with nice sweet agave and essence of soft fruit grapes. Pallet is dry with cooked agave, fruit, and caramel

No 9 blanco is a great base. So far I am not a big fan of blancos rested in wine casks but this was good. I’d certainly drink it again. It is nice and fruity. Not a lot of agave shining through and I want that from a blanco. Pretty dark for a rested blanco. Tells me that it took on a lot of the barrel and it taste like it did. Give this a try as it may be just what you are looking for

Delicious Rosa / blanco. Dark color, imparting some great barrrl / wine notes. Love this high proof, flavor forward tequila

Tasted at the Additive Free Week Event

Sampled at LATF, will like to revisit in a near future Love the proof at 50% (Dried Fruits & Astringent finish)

Sept 2023 tasted at LATF. it was a tiny sample so I want to revisit and will update my notes accordingly revisited at ttap distillery Oct 2023 adjusted rating

Tasted during 2023 Additive Free Week. I’m not usually a Rosa style fan but this is one of the best versions of it. Love that it’s high proof! Will need to revisit when I can grab a bottle and enjoy a glass again. Revisited Aug 2024: 2nd batch I think. Aged 31 days. Floral citrus lime aroma. Flavors of agave, white pepper, tart apple with a nice finish. Very nice.

Rosa Blanco Single Barrel- 90 Rosa Blanco Blend- 90

Tasted at start of Additive Free week, dinner

Cazcanes #9 Blanco Rosa Single Barrel 2023 Nose: A gentle nudge of minerals. Lavender. Orange blossom honey. Baking spice, delicate vanilla, and citrus oils. Blueberry, black cherry and nostalgic memories of sipping Welches Concord Grape juice on a summer day. Lightly toasted oak and trace mustiness. Flavor: Thick and velvety. Modest pepper attack awakens the senses. Mellow, medium tannins (in no way arid or astringent), provide a backbone from which to hang some intensely fruity flavors. The big, gutsy fruit and floral elements found in the aromas, follow through to the palate; along the path picking up blackberry, crème de cassis, salted caramel and spikes of dark chocolate. An array of aromatics and flavors carry you along a leisurely, lip tingling, warm finish. 2024 Lote Full Production Run BR92401 Nose: Florals, honey, dark grape influences. Berries and minerals underlying the structure of the profile. Flavor: A playful blast of pepper heat, accompanied by a full mouth feel and a caramel like note. Fruitiness is wedged in amongst the other prominent profile players. The tannins ramp up and taper down. I prefer the slightly sweeter notes of the 2024 Rosa Repo - but only by a whisker. I’d probably rate the 2024 version at a TMM 88, noting that I gave the 2023 Sib an 89. But I’ll take another pour, thank you!

Wow- very enjoyable. Aroma is wet cooked agaves, cinnamon, toasted fruit, barrel notes, pepper, and caramel. On the palate it’s wet agave forward with a hit of spice up front and a a very complex toasted fruit, which has to be the wine barrel aging, and caramel with more heat- peppery oakiness with underlying earthy notes- so delicious. The finish is amazing- agave has coated my mouth and throat with a velvety pepper oakiness with hints of wine fruit and caramel vanilla- so wonderful.

Beautiful red fruits on the nose. Very pretty! Palate has good viscosity but I found the finish slightly short and would prefer better integration of the alcohol. That being said I finished my first bottle in less than a week…

NOM 1614 Batch No: BR9240J. Nice color in the glass. Pleasant nose of agave and some fruit. Taste still has the agave very much present with hints of fruit, pepper and vanilla. The high proof has some alcohol heat behind it. Found it in IL for $47.99 which was a steal.

Well done by Cazcanes with this Rosa. The agave/blanco profile still shines through as it is higher proof but there’s a nice berry, oaky, almost chocolatey flavor that does not over power with a peppery finish.

No 9 Rosa Blanco 2024. A really nice nose on this one. In fact I keep going back to the nose and really enjoy the aromas. The palate is good but has quite a bit of heat and even alcohol from this high proof. A still very enjoyable tequila but needs some time to open up. Nose: cooked agave, berries, citrus, fruity, earth and some hint of alcohol. Palate: cooked agave, berries, black pepper, vegetal, fruity, earth, and alcohol. A great high proof blanco with great notes coming from the wine barrel. There is a good amount of heat compared to other high proofs but not off putting at all.

Nose: agave citrus light fruit alcohol Mouth: fruit agave pepper light citrus red wine finish

On the nose, I pick up agave, a touch of wine, a hint of vanilla, and a bit of spice. On the palate, there’s a nice agave flavor, a hint of caramel, vanilla, some fruity notes, and a red wine finish.

Berries and pepper

Very strong spice and flavor. Long finish that is also very strong.

Light fruit notes on smell. Medium to light body without the typical over tones of wine in some rosa. Light agave with berry and warm alcohol on throat. Smooth to finish with excellent body and never over powering on the palate.

8/13/24 $134.99 - High Spirits 8/31/24 $144.99 - Total Wine

Batch No. BR92401, tasted on 8-25-24. Color: yellow with an orange hue. Aroma: light cooked agave, ethanol sourness, light orange, hint of a grease note, light earthiness, herbaceous, hint of vanilla, hay. Light raw agave. Palate: confirms aromas perceived, greasy & herbaceous notes are more noticeable on the palate, it is also sweeter on the palate. Hint of orange through my retronasal. Finish is medium to long, light raw agave, hint of cooked agave, light orange, herbaceous with light earthy note persists.