Big agave nose up front. Vegetal and earthy, with green olives and bell pepper. The entry is not what you'd expect from an over-proof spirit, not as harsh as others in the category. It is oily and palate coating. The finish is long and complex, a mix of bitter/sweet/heat. Fantastic stuff.

Aroma : Cooked agave, herbal, grass, and mint notes hit first, then cinnamon, earth, and some minerality. Like many high proofs, the longer you let this open up the better. Taste : Bright and crisp cooked agave with black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, grass, mint, and mineral notes. There is light spice here and just the right balance of buttery agave sweetness. The texture is thick and oily, and the extra alcohol is barely noticeable considering the higher ABV. Finish : Very long and prolongs all the previous notes with some new emphasis on green olives and butter. Very complex tequila with lots of depth, but every note is distinct and works together in just the right way. This is one of the few times I've had to cut myself off because it's that good. Every tequila fan NEEDS to try this.

Superb and balanced tequila !

A bit pricy, but well crafted tequila is worth it. Best Blanco I’ve had in years. I hope it continues to be made.

The nose is deep and rich. Grassy, earthy, and sweet with loads of agave. I also get notes of banana. Despite the high abv, this is a refined flavor profile. Vegetal with Cooked agave that transitions into a pink peppercorn kick. Lingering heat that dances on the tongue and back of throat, a real treat.

Herb and chocolate on the nose, nothing sharp or overpowering, just warm and inviting. Really rare in my experience for a tequila to taste exactly like it smells but this does just that. Dark chocolate, cherry, marzipan, you get the picture.

This blanco tequila is special! It’s made from the smaller ripe agaves called “Criollos” and it come in at the higher proof of 98.6 (49.3% ABV). I first detect the smell of fresh agave and citrus peel but then there is a sweet almond finish. I taste a lot of agave, bright citrus, white pepper and some brine. The high ABV accentuates the flavors without ruining the finish. The finish is unlike any other finish I’ve experienced. There is a pleasant tingling thats long and a sweet. The $97 price is high but it’s still worth it for a one of a kind. If you’re an aficionado then you must add this to your collection. Salad!

This is a great blanco tequila in the “traditional” fashion. The aroma is full of vegetal notes - cooked agave, dirt/earth, green pepper and mint. The flavor picks up on the aroma and begins softly with vegetal flavors then evolves to a spicy black pepper and cinnamon. Finally, a bitter almond flavor emerges and carries into a long, lingering finish. This blanco takes a spot among some of the truly great blancos in the tequila universe. The aroma, flavor and finish combine into something special. However, with a price of $85 (from Astor Liquors) this blanco is double the price of other great blancos (Siete Leguas, Suerte, 123). So, it is hard to score the Criollo highly on value. 11/03/2018

Aroma: Very unique aroma. I get a lot of mineral notes (clay, wet rocks) and also mint, cinnamon, and flowers. Not something that I've ever experienced before. Flavor: Very smooth for a high proof tequila. I still get a lot of the mineral notes and a lots of mint. There's almost a buttery flavor as well. Finish: Incredibly smooth. I'm surprised it's high proof because there is no burn but finishes really smooth and hangs around.

On the nose I get cooked agave, floral notes, mint, some sweetness, and earthiness. The flavor is full of agave, vegetal, is creamy with a hint of cinnamon. The finish is long with agave and pepper.

Nose: Initial wave of aromas is almost overwhelming. There are many layers here. First sally brings rosemary, hierbas finas, mineral notes and the aroma of wet river rocks. There’s lots of sweet agave and floral suggestions. Hints of cinnamon, toffee. A touch of dandelion. Flavors: Rich luxurious mouth feel, juxtaposing with vibrant notes of pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Super creamy agave sweetness. Lite nutty hint. Finish: It blooms and lingers, and blooms and lingers.... I want more in my glass! Thanks G&S! Edit 9/24/2018 This is truly in a class unto itself. Nothing I’ve ever had compares: It tickles, assaults, surprises and awakens all your senses.

This stuff is absolutely amazing. I get aromas of citrus, a nice light smoke, light mint, fresh sweet agaves, and a naturally sugary and sweet aroma, with the slightest hint of cinnamon and some floral. The taste on this high-proof showed medium to thick oils, a little bit of heat, some anise, minerals, earthy, delicious sweet cooked agave, citrus, green fresh raw and bright, slightly fruity but smooth considering the abv, with a little touch of olive brine. There's a touch of pepper and spice that comes on at the very finish, which is a long amazing ride. I never rate this high. This is special, regardless what the price is, and needs to be tried by everyone who loves quality blanco tequila.....a must!!

Oh my. This is a special treat. Difficult figuring out where to start, so I'll begin at the end and work forward. Let's start with the finish. Killer, long lasting, super pleasant, naturally sweet, and evolving on your palate. For me, I really love a finish that does 2 things: 1) prolongs all of the things you love about the aroma and flavor, and 2) adds something new that the aroma and flavor didn't -- a surprise, if you will. This does exactly that. The finish brings a nice creamy, buttery, clean lingering end to each sip. Try this and you will feel waves of character evolving long after you've swallowed. Flavor: Cooked agave (omg, tons!) black pepper, some vegetal, and mineral notes as well on the palate. A solid example of what tequila can be, should a creator put their heart into it. The beauty here is in the subtleties and the delicate approach it takes. Agave is honored and respected, and allowed to give us its natural gifts. Aroma: This is high proof, so the longer you allow it to open up, the more you get to experience. Don't rush this one because you'll miss a lot. I picked up on cooked agave, earth, and pepper immediately. After some time I detected some cinnamon and mint. Then brine/salt. Then butter. The evolving complexity of the aroma here is impressive. Let it open up and keep checking back to see what other gifts it wants to give you. Bravo, Sophie, for your part in the creation of this masterpiece.

Delicious, creamy and filled with fresh notes of mint, flowers, cream soda snd cinnamon. What a nice surprise in a different variety of blue agave. High proof (49.3%), but you’ll barely notice because it is well balanced.

Made from agave of a certain size, the Criollo Blue Agave stays small at maturity. Roast agave and floral notes along with some alcohol evident in the aroma. In the mouth this almost 50% ABV Blanco just blooms...rosemary, pepper, roast agave and on and on with a finish that lasts a looong time, long time. The open bottle was obtained in the US and is slightly different from the autographed MX release. Excited to see this in wider distribution. Somewhat pricy but bold enough to justify it I think. This really is about Sophie's brilliance as a fermenter and distiller. 10072018

Very unique and I think it’s a really good tequila. Looking at the reviews I thought I’d like it a lot more. The nose is nice. I get vegetal, agave and citrus. You definitely feel the heat when it hits your tongue. The more I drank it the more I liked it. Complex. Pepper, agave, vegetal and citrus for me. The finish it a little hot. I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Fun, unique tequila.

Wow! Absolutely delicious. Rich, sweet agave aroma and flavor. White pepper, green bell pepper. Full, oily mouth feel. Mild, simple finish. Perfect for sipping neat. Do not waste this excellent spirit by mixing it.

This is a unique Blanco... similar to when you wrestle Mascarita. His peppery speed and earthen moves blend unique talent and size for a fantastic match! No12614

Intense peppery taste with a remarkable vanilla cream finish. If pepper is your thing, then this one is a clear and unrestrained expression.

This newcomer to tequila ( 3 mths in) is quickly finding out who the real artisans of tequila are, and this is one amazing high proof blanco.. even the label on the bottle tells the story behind Calle 23 Criollo.. thank you Sophie! Outstanding!

Creamy nose up front. Vegetal palate, a little spicy (more white pepper than black) - interesting savory stuff, for sure. Good, but would I regularly shell out $90 for a bottle to keep it in the rotation? Probably not me personally, but YMMV.

I usually prefer tequilas that have been aged a little but this blanco has so much flavor that it has become an instant favorite. Sweet earthy aroma and lots of complexity in the flavor. The only downside is the price but well worth it.

Bold and flavorful Aroma: cooked agave, licor anise, mineral, flowers, green bell pepper, mint, melon, vegetal, earth. Palate: Well water, agave, natural sugar, mint, cloves, gooseberry, butter cream, vegetal, fruity, black pepper. Finish: black pepper and lots of agave, mint, arugula, coffee beans, sugar, butter, fruits

I love Sophie and her work so my rating could be biased.. However since others rated this tequila so high my feelings may not cloud this judgement too much. This is an extremely unique tequila that is a must try for anyone serious about tequilas. Most producers I met kind of despise these small "criollo" agaves, yet this tequila contradicts that. An amazing expression I love how long the finish is and how it evolves. To me it is kind of earthy and minty on the nose with agave notes. It has a nice long finish with peppery, minty, agave flavors, than it evolves into jusicy acidic fruity like apple and then in the end it has some vegetable, earthy, drier feel to it. It feels like riding a rollercoaster.

Smokey smell, brick oven Fleeting taste, not fulfilling Smooth finish