Review: Santera Tequila, Complete Lineup
Review: Santera Tequila, Complete Lineup
Santera is a new Highlands-based tequila, 100% blue agave, and bottled in an understated, classy decanter. We tried all three standard expressions. Thoughts on each follow.
All are 80 proof. Available in New York (for now).
Santera Tequila Blanco – Unaged. Modest, but present, agave character is backed by earthy, stony, and flint-like notes. Some sweetness comes to the fore as the body develops, a slight creme brulee note that is laced with touches of red pepper. This is isn’t an incredibly complicated silver tequila, but it finds some grace in its simplicity. B / $42 [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]
Santera Tequila Reposado – Aged in oak for up to seven months. Wood is not particularly evident on the nose, but rather the aroma reveals some surprising fruity character — apples and a smattering of tropical fruit, too. The fruit follows through to the palate, tempering the vegetal notes but playing up the inherent sweetness. Again, it’s a simple tequila that doesn’t really try to reinvent the wheel, but the heavy fruit character offers some distinction over other reposados. B+ / $47 [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]
Santera Tequila Anejo – Aged in oak for up to 16 months. Here baking spices build up considerably, both on the fruit-pie-meets-Mexican-chocolate nose and on the body. The anejo, surprisingly, offers more heat than the other expressions. That fiery character is compounded by the spicy notes, not just cinnamon and cloves, but cayenne too, the lattermost of which lingers on the palate for quite some time. Chocolate and vanilla make appearances late in the game, alongside some bitter notes — licorice, perhaps — that complement the spices. This is the least cohesive member of the trio, but it’s also the one with the most to say. B+ / $55 [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]
Santera Tequila Blanco
$42
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