Lot 174 | Nose: 23 Clearly my favorite Fortaleza blanco lot nose I can remember. Abundance of sweet spicy pepper, lemon lime citrus, and deep earthy agave. It smells dense, but delicate and lush. Palate: 27 Great mouth feel with plenty of smooth body. Front palate is silky vanilla which quickly turns into a spicy pepper and then soon followed by deep rich agave. Finish: 24 Long rich agave with plenty of butter

Lot 170 | Nose: Light crisp pepper with a nice lemon citrus. Mild cooked emerges as the pour opens up. A pleasant herbal combination of basil, lemongrass, and gentle mint. Palate: Great mouth feel. Very similar to the nose. Velvet smooth lemon and light black pepper off the start. Develops into cooked agave. Good evolution and complexity. Great pour when you can find it.

Lot 150 | Muted agave nose and subtle palate with some bitterness on the finish. Glad I didn’t buy a bottle

Nose: agave cooked / earth / pepper / mineral/ apple / citrus / lemongrass/ lavender/ lactic Taste: cooked agave bomb / pepper / cinnamon/ melon / orange peel / citrus / lemongrass / mint / brine-salt Finish: so much agave and pepper creating a cinnamon flavor sensation that lingers even though the mouthfeel is wet and totally non-viscous. Clean rainwater taste stays with you This blanco (lote 150) gives you everything on the palate. The nose was good, but underwhelming considering the strength of the taste. The finish has a few notes that stay, but otherwise there’s a quick clean finish that is enjoyable.

Lot 167 | Nose: Starts off with heavy spice and pepper. Builds into a sweet cooked agave and nice earthy elements. Lemon citrus on the backend. Palate: Sweet cooked agave with a very nice silty smooth velvet mouth feel. Spice and pepper builds on the finish numbs the roof of my mouth. Sweet lemon with mild vanilla. Long nice finish. Fortaleza is a beautiful treat. This lot is a lot more peppery and spicy than the other lots I’ve had. If you see it, buy it.

Lot 163 | Nose: Lemon pepper agave. Medium sweetness, slight herbal and vegetal aspects. Flavor: Medium mouth feel. Lemon sweetness which develops into a nice pleasant agave. Gentle, clean, and great. Can’t go wrong with fortaleza

Lot 157 | Very nice legs. The nose is sweet with agave and less briney than some lotes I have tasted. Smell of mint, vegetal, orange peel. The taste is agave sweet with earthy notes and honey. This is a nice lote with less olive and brine than others I have had. I like this lote a lot and would buy it again if I see it.

Lot 166 | Nose: Pre swirl yields some mineral presence; green and vegetal notes gently emerge. Post swirl offers fresh raw corn, earthiness, faint cinnamon and a suggestion of sulfur. Hint of lemon lime soda. Flavor: Pepper zing, cinnamon heat and sweetness. Medium texture with balanced salinity. Pepper heat has staying power, and picks up some bitters as it subsides. Finish builds richness into to the profile.

Lot 161 | Nose: Cinnamon, cloves, citrus. Horno fresh sweet agave. Dry earth/soil. A touch of acidity. A passing whiff of Juicy Fruit gum. Flavor: Rich sweet notes. Nutty: salted filberts. Rounded blend of baking spices with a kick of pepper warmth. Rolls nicely over the tongue and palate. The finish brings no surprises, but provides an extended enjoyment of what has preceded.

Lot 164 | Lot 164 served in La Cava de Fortaleza. Gracias a Kobe! As usual great! Less olive flavors than previous batches.

Lot 162 | Price brought the score down ($69 pre tax)

Lot 150 | When I nose this one you can tell it isn’t your everyday Fortaleza blanco. I am guessing it is the bags of fibers floating in the mosto but it has a nice sweet agave nose and while earthy, not as pronounced as say Lote 157. I am pulling in cinnamon and citrus along with a little black pepper. On the tongue this is a sweet agave bomb with some black pepper. I am getting a touch of brine and very much undertones of earth and citrus. This has a great mouthfeel and linger great on the palate and back of the throat. This is a unicorn to find nowadays but it is one when I can grab it, I do.

Lot 162 | Nose: A fresh impression of minerals and cooked agave aromas, laced with medium sweet citrus and spice. Floral notes and mint. Taste: Honeyed sweetness and nuanced baking spice carrying some heat and punch. Light colored orchard fruit, full mouth salinity and oils. A touch of bitters mid palate. Spices dawdle in the finish. The mint cranks up volume in the last moments - becoming borderline too dominant for my tastes.

Nose: Clean, crisp, and bright. A delightfully deep rich agave mixed with black pepper and citrus. Not sweet enough to be lemon and not tart enough for lime. Flavor: Nice pleasant mouth feel with medium heft. Starts off sweetness which builds into agave with butter and vanilla on the backend. Subtle heat builds as the finish settles. Beautiful and complex blanco which is impossible to go wrong with. Fantastic buy if you can find it.

Lot 151 | Nose: Greets with an agave sweetness reminding me of brown sugar on buttered toast. Minerals, green herbs and mint. Next offering up warm spice notes and a whiff of freshly clipped grass. Flavors: A tummy warming cinnamon pepper Firestick entrance. Medium oils, salinity and faint flesh of mandarin. The brown sugar agave impression persists. Can’t find some of my “go to” signature markers for a Fortaleza blanco - nonetheless a delightful sip.

Lot 157 | Tasted at Fortaleza

Lot 155 | very easy sipper. Subtle nose, vegetal palate. Little bit of sweetness on the finish. Not my favorite lote.

Lot 155 | Easy sipper, salty on the nose and nice sweet agave flavors with a note of vegetal

Lot 111 | Nice nose, palate and finish alright. Little bitterness on the finish. Not my favorite lote

Maybe the most drinkable tequila for people ive ever had. Will recommend to people as a "gateway drug" :) Aroma: very very clean fresh aroma. Earthy and vegetative: mushroom & mint. Licorice and pineapple. The smells are all over the place but blend into a smooth smell that is somewhat indistinct. Almost smells like the ocean which is really refreshing. Taste: unbelievably "smooth" for a tequila. Almost tastes low proof. Slightly sweeter than the nose and cantaloupe is the unique flavor i get here Mouthfeel: runny. Less body Finish: short finish. Maybe 10-20 seconds. Unbelievably short honestly. Baking spice and then leaves a hint of sweetness as if you had a drop of vanilla extract

Lot 144 | As usual plenty of sweet, roasted agave. I’m also getting a little bit of grassy note on the aroma. Plenty of good, agave heat in the mouth, but I’m not getting the normal olive notes that are usually present in this brand. The finish is wonderful, long and warm

Lot 154 | Nose: All the usual goodies. Green olives and white pepper. Dusty minerality. A hint of smoke. And of course agave dripping with sweetness. Flavor: Thick in the mouth, briney. Honeyed sweetness with a soft vanilla roundness lingering on the tongue. A bit of coconut? A kick of pepper. Finishes with agave, pepper heat and spice playing off each other with poise. This one is growing on me.

Lot 150 | Creamy earthy agave pepper with a sight bitter back end. Good stuff but not a standout lot like I hoped.

Lot 150 | 2nd Night: Much sweeter and herbaceous than I anticipated. The aroma was soft and verdant with green olive, agave, vinegar, light ethyl, fresh cut plant stems, and pistachio. The taste of stone was more subdued and I gathered sweet plum, green grapes, citrus, some floral, earthiness, grassy bitterness, anise,and sugar cane. Finish is spicy, herbaceous and semi-tart before slackening into an earthen watery essence. My wife doesn’t prefer Forta Blanco typically but did enjoy this Lote noting the sweetness right away upon sipping and remarking that it was easier for her to enjoy this rendition moreso than other she’s had.

Lot 153 | Nose: Rich agave with hints of caramel. Minerals. Round spices, anise and green peppercorns in brine. Flavors: An extension of the aromas, with a velvety texture. Pepper heat ramps up slightly. Silky sweetness with the tiniest bit of almond/maple on the back palate fade. Finish: Given a little time, a wonderful finish evolves.