Pasote Blanco Tequila is one of those products that if you went to the website and tried to learn more about it, you’d end up concluding it was just another tequila. The webpage informs you that they craft their tequila with rain water, blue agave tequila grown in the highlands, and (also) spring water. The bottle is guarded by guerreros (a reference to aztec warriors that isn’t clearly explained). Does any of that make you want to buy a bottle for $42?
Fortunately, there’s a good number of enthusiasts in online communities who’ve had favorable things to say about tequila, so how does it shake out?
Pasote Blanco Tequila
Sight: Clear
Smell: Cinnamon apples and hibiscus flowers pop out immediately. Notes of roasted agave and lime follow, with a slight smokiness and a grapefruit zest character. There’s also an almost brown sugar like note with plenty of tropical fruit backing it up.
Sip: It starts out spicy and builds with black pepper, cinnamon, clove, and roasted spice notes. The agave and citrus start to kick in, and ripe tropical fruit and slight vanilla sugar tones join them. There’s a touch of salinity and a very herbaceous character begins to build with hints of smoke.
Savor: The ending is more spice, smoke, and roasted agave notes with plenty of almost cinnamon sugar.
Pasote Blanco Tequila is a bold and somewhat spicy tequila. The flavors of spice are the dominate characterestics, but it does a have a bit of sweetness that contrasts against more of the earthy elements. The roasty agave flavors are a good foil to some of the tropical and citrus notes. The net mix is a bit sporadic in its presentation, but the flavors are overall delicious, even for sipping.
In Cocktails
Pasote Blanco Tequila passes along its spice and roasted notes along to a Paloma in a balanced but firm way. The roasted notes even give it a slight smoke character, while the fruitiness compliments the grapefruit soda. The subtle lime and salinity work well to give it a long and refreshing finish. In a margarita, the sweetness of the orange bounces off the smokiness and spice of the tequila. The result is a smooth and silky margarita that leans into a savory meaty flavor with heavy touches of caramel, vanilla, and spice. The flavor is almost earthy, and lingers.
In Review – Pasote Blanco Tequila
Pasote Blanco Tequila is versatile and bold. It plays well in both cocktails and on it’s own. The flavors are complex, if slightly less subtle than some of the other tequilas we’ve tasted. The result though is a tequila that balances notes of spice, smoke, and citrus in a way that no one element seems to show up repetitively. While it costs a bit more, the quality is strongly there at a price in the low $40 and is arguably worth paying for.