How things have changed...!
Written: Aug 23 '07 (Updated Aug 24 '07)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Big agave and wood notes definition
Cons: The agave feels unnatural, there is no harmony among the flavor elements. Harsh going down.
The Bottom Line: Premium tequila price, but average tequila flavor elements. Too confusing for purists, but good for those looking away from mixtos.
|
|
|
| lirubis's Full Review: Patron Reposado Tequila |
5 years ago I wrote my first notes about Patron repo. Few days ago I re-tasted it after a LONG time. What happened? I do not remember it being awful. But now, it has so many things I dislike I do not know where to begin.
As a Brand, it is no secret that GROWTH is perhaps the best word to describe the Patron tale for the last 3 or 4 years. It is all over the place in the US, I see it in magazines, events, etc. Knowing a lot better tequilas than Patron exist south of the border, I always get this kind of "take my hat off" thing for those guys who know how to use effective marketing. What I can't stand, though, is how much this tequila has fallen in terms of organoleptic qualities.
NOSE
Painfully blunt agave and super-spiked-up ethilic notes are not a good way to start stimulating your senses. The agave sensations are very easy to find all over the place, the sweet burnt feel is evident, but they are loaded with cabbage and apple candy accents. Feels a little unnatural.
The wood notes appear in a weird altered state, strong... but also a bit unnatural too. The oaky sensation comes up in a big way, invading the nose before the agave notes can settle down. There seems to be too much of a fight for center stage on this tequila's aroma. The agave notes are OK, but the alcohol notes and wood come and go as they please. They are all dominant and they do not blend too harmoniously.
MOUTH
The first thing to notice, is the sad confirmation of what the nose told your brain a few seconds ago: watch out for the oncoming barrage of powerful flavor notes. I remembered Patron repo as being much smoother than this newer version I tried. The tongue is hot and peppery at contact, the alcohol notes are very strong and present a serious attack on your tastebuds. Not in the nice way "strong" and pure tequilas do (Centinela, 7 Leguas...), but rather exposing a confusing array of alcohol elements. The agave presence is distant at first. The primary notes are that of fully cooked younger agave (I dont think they use agave older than 8 years on this one), but there is also a funny apple-juice sensation that makes the palate doubt. I might add that there are solid agave traces along with a cabbage-orange note, however, they get lost very soon in the aftertaste.
The wood notes are brash and sharp, too strong for my taste, I do not think that they should be too powerful in a reposado. In this specimen, it tastes like everything has been "forced" into the tequila, all elements just get too "loud" inside the mouth. The oak sensation is a mix of salty-charcoal notes and a semi sweet-tart feel over the palate as well. I do not have an idea where this comes from.
The thin agave presence and weak secondary flavor notes, sadly, take me to the realms of many other "used to be good" tequilas that have lost their artisanal feel and taste, like Cazadores, Jimador or Don Julio used to be before they were sold. This patron does not taste "handcrafted" in any way. One of the worst things I found, was a unpleasant oaky aftertaste at the end of my throat, a bit chemical and salty in my opinion. If you gulp it down fast you cannot really pick this feature up, but if you savor it around the mouth you will find it hard to keep in there for long. The sting is just too powerful.
FINAL NOTES
Overall, this reposado is a blend of firm agave notes and sharp oak elements, combined with a confusing collection of fruity-spicy notes that change in your mouth as the tastebuds try to settle down. The alcohol presence and burn is almost too distracting for most palates to really allow a pleasent sensation while inside the mouth. Perhaps the only thing that I really disliked is a robust sensation of sourness in the nasal cavity and back of the mouth. Hardly an enjoyable sipper if you are used to more refined premium 100% agave specimens.
A tequila with premium image and sub-par flavor is disappointing no matter how you look at it. Compared to most mixtos, it is really good, because of the big flavor definition in the agave and wood notes. Perhaps here lies the secret for success, and consideing the huge passion for Margs and other mixed drinks in the US, Patron repo is a good mixer indeed. Nut for serious, true tequila lovers, this one is $15-$20 USD overpriced, IMO.
I will not argue with the commercial success here. This one is a HUGE improvement for those who use to like lousy mixto tequilas and are now making the jump towards 100% agave tequila. The problem is: you can jump into much cheaper and better tasting tequilas without looking too hard. patron Reposado used to be quite more civilized when I first tried it. sure, they have grown in sales in a monstrous way, but when it comes to the overall qualities and taste...I cannot say the same.
Enjoy!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
lirubis
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Following the sun
Reviews written: 245
Trusted by: 59 members
About Me:
Some of us are born with a stronger sense of curiosity.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.