Reposado Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Siete Leguas Reposado

Posted on April 29, 2022April 21, 2022 by Nick

We love Siete Leguas Blanco in spite of the complete lack of information available online. We’ve previously covered this issue, while the box claims it’s Sazerac Company, they list no mention of Siete Leguas on their site. There’s also no English version of their site readily available, complicating matters further. That said, we love their blanco enough that their reposado was a must try. So is it worth it?

Siete Leguas Reposado

Sight: Extremely light white wine, almost pinot grigio like.

Smell: The nose starts off expressive and tangy with a mix of bright fino sherry and fresh agave. There are prickles of chili peppers, touches of vanilla, and fresh black pepper. Tropical fruits waft out like pineapple, grilled banana, and a mix of wet herbs and minerality. The nose has other hits of spice as well with just a pop of heat.

Sip: The body is like a smack of black pepper and artichokes with a bunch of oak right off the bat. Things starts to smooth out with more agave and grapefruit notes coming through. The tropical fruit flits around the edges and more of the agave notes come forward with more toasted flavors. A hint of cherry or banana also seems present with a little brine. The body has a nice weight and is smooth.

Savor: The finish is smooth with an emphasis on grilled vegetables, black pepper, and hints of oak, spice, and brine.

Siete Leguas Reposado’s nose does not quite match it’s taste, but the entire ride is delightfully complex. The nose implies this fruity, spicy, almost bright wine experience, but the body comes through with roasted vegetable and oak notes, with just hints of fruit. The finish adds a bit of spice and brine to tie the whole ending together. It’s an interesting sip, and keeps bringing me back to try it again.

In Cocktails

In a Margarita Siete Leguas Reposado adds black pepper and lets the citrus shine over a backdrop of smooth agave and gentle vanilla. That artichoke flavor is present with a very caramelized artichoke heart note, but the citrus really checks it. A slight bite of chili and tropical fruits joins in from time to time with a bit of minerality.. Overall, it keeps evolving in the glass, similar to how the tequila works on it’s own.

In Review – Siete Leguas Reposado

Siete Leguas Reposado is both complex and subtle. The flavors of roasted vegetables and pepper are more prevalent than in some over oaked examples of reposado. The fruity notes on the nose and the citrus notes offset this adding complexity and intrigue. At $50, this is heading toward the more expensive side of reposado, but still represents decent value.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Posted on April 15, 2022April 14, 2022 by Nick

In last year’s tequila round up, there was a conspicuously obvious lack of variety. Everything was blanco. The reason behind this was more to have an even comparison field, but also to focus on the more commonly used blanco for Margarita applications. To remedy this, we’ll be taking a look at couple of reposado’s this year, and starting with Olmeca Altos Reposado, the sibling of one of our recommended bottles for starting your home bar.

Before we get too far, a recap on Tequilas. There are both 100% agave and mixto:

100% Agave – Nothing but agave used here in the distillation. No sugars, no color, no additives.
Mixto – Require 51% agave, but the rest can use sugars and neutral grain spirits.

Never use mixto. They are inconsistent and do not provide the quality or flavor needed.

Then there are the age statements:

Blanco / Plata / Silver – Unaged to two months in stainless steel or neutral barrels.
Reposado – Two months to one year in any sized oak barrel.
Anejo – 1 – 3 years in small oak barrels.
Extra Anejo – Minimum 3 years in oak barrels.

For the vast majority of drinks, Blanco / Reposado are going to be your best bets and most cost effective.

Olmeca Altos Reposado

Olmeca Altos Reposado is 100% agave which are aged 7-8 years. They’re roasted in brick ovens and processed with a large Tohana stone. The resulting mash is used into copper stills, and in the case of reposado, aged in used bourbon barrels.

Sight: Bordering on lightly aged Chardonnay or Chablis.

Smell: The nose is a raucous mix of grapefruit zest, caramel, vanilla, and touches of roasted agave. A subtle roastiness pervades and a linger bit of pepper hang around as well with some additional citrus.

Sip: The start is smooth and slightly dusty. A gradual build of caramel, vanilla, and oak start to show up. The citrus on the nose is more subdued and pithy. The roasted agave notes also move in late with a little burnt cinnamon.

Savor: The ending has a soft wood and vanilla note with a bit of agave. There’s a bit of tannin here and some burn.

Olmeca Altos Reposado is kind of calm and gentle, if a little on the straightforward side. The subtle citrus notes and light oak influence really help to give it character that you’d expect from a reposado tequila. That said, it doesn’t scream that it wants to be sipped neat. That’s ok though, its an easy going tequila at a reasonable price point for making cocktails.

In Cocktails

In a margarita, the caramel and vanilla notes come forward with a burly hit of tannic wood. The lime pulls in shortly after, and then expands the citrus. While the ending is slightly tannic and bitter, it’s a pretty smooth margarita. In a Rosita, it really brings some beautiful vanilla and oak notes, but the place it shines is in some of those burnt spice and citrus-agave notes. These shine beautifully against the herbal notes of the vermouth and with the bittersweet notes of the tequila.

In Review – Olmeca Altos Reposado

We generally like Olmeca Altos Reposado at $25-30. It brings a good amount of tequila character without being offensive or overpowering. As an entry point, this tequila is good a starter – but doesn’t open up world of tequila in any particular way. With tempered expectations, there’s a good amount to like about Olmeca, but you don’t need to feel pressure to find a bottle.