FIVE OF THE BEST: BLANCO TEQUILAS
Don Fulano Blanco
1
£42.99-£49.63, Master of Malt, OnBuy, The Bottle Club, The Drop Store, The Whisky Exchange Produced by the Fonseca family, Don Fulano is made entirely from agave grown on the family’s estate. This blanco is rested for 60 days in stainless steel tanks. A refined tequila with a distinct herbal hit of mint and rosemary, some floral honeysuckle notes, sweet butterscotch and a creamy mouthfeel. 40%
Alcohol Don Julio Blanco
2
£38-£52, Amazon, Drinks Direct, Drink Supermarket, Harvey Nichols, House of Malt, The Bottle Club, The Drop Store, The Whisky Exchange Don Julio is named after the brand’s founder, Don Julio González, who started making tequila in 1942 when he was 17 years old. The flavour profile of Don Julio Blanco is hailed as a classic, balancing creamy and peppery characters with a vegetal note, some lemon, pastry and a clear minerality. 40%
Alc Olmeca Altos Plata
3
£27.50-£48.05, Amazon, Drink Supermarket, Master of Malt, Spirits Kiosk, The Drop Store, Waitrose Created in partnership between Olmeca master distiller Jesús Hernández and two top bartenders from the UK, this 100% agave tequila hailing from the Highland region of Jalisco boasts a nose full of agave character, alongside grass, citrus and spring blossom. These characters continue onto the palate, accompanied by a chalky hint and a cocoa finish. 38%
Alc Tapatio Blanco
4
£24-£32.50, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges,
The Whisky Exchange
Made by legendary distiller Carlos Camarena at his La Alteña distillery, Tapatio Blanco is an affordable exponent of a classic agave-forward tequila, which is perfect for sipping neat or using in cocktails. Mineral, vegetal and peppery, with a hit of lemon and grapefruit, plus further cinnamon spice. 40%
Alc Tequila Fortaleza Blanco
5
£55-£76, Amazon, Distillers Direct, Drink Supermarket, Harvey Nichols, Jeroboams, The Drop Store, The Whisky Exchange
The tiny Fortaleza distillery is situated in Tequila town. The distillery maintains the traditional practices of making the spirit, producing it by hand in tiny batches. Taking a tour here is like entering a time capsule. This has a distinctive grassiness with fresh lemon zest and mint joining rich agave and drying sea salt characters. 40%
Alc
In the next (November 2021) issue of Decanter Laura Foster writes on tahona tequilas, recommending examples to try.