1800 Reposado 100% Agave Tequila (700ml)

Other reviews... The initial aroma is of black pepper and steamed broccoli. Following aeration, a bouquet of succulent scents of Brazil nuts, egg cream and light oak resin appear. An oily flavor of bacon is apparent at palate entry; at midpalate the pepper returns with added tastes of spinach, sage and butter. Finishes elegantly yet zestily as the pepper comes to the fore. Best Buy. 90-95 points - wineenthusiast.com

Although Mexico is famed as the land of the cactus, Tequila is in fact distilled from the fermented juice of the Agave Plant, (not a cactus) otherwise known as the ‘Century plant.’ The Agave plant resembles an unripe, oversized pineapple or spiked cactus which shoots a giant blossom that can take up to twelve years to produce. At maturity, it stands about 5 feet high, is bluish green in colour and has a heart or ‘pina’ . It is these hearts which are actually used in the distillation process, the sweet juice extracted by compression, steaming and washing prior to fermentation & distillation.

The fermentation stage determines whether the final product will be 100 percent agave or mixed ("mixto"). The highest-quality Tequila is made using only fermented agave juice mixed with some water. Mixto however, is made by fermenting and then distilling a mix of agave juice and other sugars, usually cane sugar with water. Mixtos made and bottled in Mexico can contain up to 40% alcohol derived from other sugars. Mixtos that have been shipped in bulk for bottling overseas may have the agave content further reduced to 51% by the foreign bottler. Mexican law states that all 100% agave or aged Tequila must be bottled in Mexico. 100 percent agave Tequilas are clearly labelled as such. Anything else is classified as a Mixto Tequila, however the term is seldom used on bottle labels.