Review: El Mayor Tequila Cristalino

By Christopher Null | February 12, 2020 |

El Mayor has been on a tear lately, with two special edition tequilas landing spots in our Top 10 Tequilas of 2019 list. Up next for the brand is an on-trend Cristalino bottling, taking its anejo tequila (aged 12 months) and filtering the color out using charcoal.

Let’s take it for a spin.

The nose is bright and fruity and not wood-focused, with ample hints of agave in the mix. Based on the aroma alone, I would have pegged this as a fresh, standard blanco, not an anejo that’s had its color stripped out. On the palate, the tequila quickly changes course and its aging regimen becomes much more apparent. Sexy notes of sweet vanilla wafers, caramel sauce, cinnamon-laced Mexican chocolate, and a touch of gritty barrel char all immediately pop, laced through with moderated notes of fresh, herbal agave. The finish is clean and lemony, with a slight reprise of chocolate.

It’s easy to sip on and hard to put down — and at 40 bucks a bottle, it’s not a bad value, either. Altogether, it’s another winner in a long line of hits from El Mayor, which further solidifies its rightful hold on the top shelf of tequiladom.

80 proof.

A / $40 / elmayor.com