Santo Fino Anejo Tequila Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: NOM 1107: Tequila el Viejito
• MASH BILL: 100% Blue Webber Agave
• AGE: 2 years in ex-Bourbon casks
• YEAR: 2023
• PROOF: 80 (40% ABV)
• MSRP: $74.98
• BUY ONLINE: Total Wine & More

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: People who like “smooth” and bland tequila.

WORTH THE PRICE: No.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bust.

OVERALL: On the nose, it’s lightly herbal, piney, the faintest hit of caramel and a little bit of alcohol burn are the only fireworks. For a 2-year-old tequila, its aromas are surprisingly muted. On the palate is some cooked agave, roasted pineapple, caramel and good body. A second sip brings in some candied pineapple and sugary pastry. This is an easy sipper, soft and round, but its short on memorable flavors, surprisingly so for an anjeo.

Tequila el Viejito produces a lengthy line of tequilas that likely have no foothold in the American market. There are thousands of tequila brands in the global market, so I can’t remember them all, but I’ve never seen any of the brands produced here, never heard any of them discussed. That music and culinary stars like Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri chose this distillery to produce a brand for them makes me wonder what they were drinking when their decision was made.

Santo Fino Anejo isn’t bad, but it’s bland. For the self-appointed Mayor of Flavortown to scream loudly and season with a big scoop in the food world–yet choose a tequila so bland that it barely whispers to one’s tastebuds–makes little sense. I’ve had Hagar’s Cabo Wabo blanco, and it was decent, wholly suitable for cocktails. So I’m confused as to why he’d sign on to something so bereft of flavor.

I’ll confess: I’m a fan of Fieri. No, not his shows; I don’t like those. I’m a fan of him personally. I met him at a press event years ago and found him super nice, a great conversationalist and a sincere dude. He’s one of those people who flips the interview to you and starts asking good questions and follow-ups. I’ve also never heard a bad word about him among my food press colleagues.

Soooo, I say that to admit that I wanted this to be good. I wanted him to connect his culinary sensibilities to a tequila that was delicious. Didn’t happen. It’s all packaging (click the link to the left and scroll down to NEW PACKAGING) without a good product inside. Sammy, Guy, get in line with all the other celebrities whose tequilas just aren’t good.

BRAND NOTES

Santo Spirits announces the fifth expression in its award-winning portfolio of ultra-premium agave spirits with the rollout of Santo Tequila Añejo. Produced by a third-generation distiller at the 86-year-old El Viejito distillery in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Santo Tequila Añejo is crafted using time-honored methods focused on preserving the heritage of bold agave flavor from when tequila was first made in Mexico centuries ago.

From the carefully-selected yeast, to the two-stage low and slow cooking method, to the precise distillation cuts, the entire Santo production process is tuned towards preserving the traditional flavor of agave-forward tequila. Reinforcing this standard is the fact that Santo Tequila Anejo – like all Santo tequilas – is 100% additive free, meaning nothing is added to mask the agave flavor or to cover for using bitter, under-aged agaves or shorter aging periods in inferior casks.

On the nose, the new añejo delivers aromas of clove, grapefruit peel and golden pineapple anchored in tobacco resin and soft, creamy vanilla. Silky on the palate, and equally dimensional and bright in color and clarity, Santo Tequila Añejo, has a full and long-lasting finish led by peppery cedar, dried desert sage and juicy, green melon.

Helmed by tequila visionary and legendary rocker Sammy Hagar and culinary luminary Guy Fieri, Santo Spirits is committed to showcasing old world style tequilas that harken back to the precision and craftsmanship renowned among Mexican tequileros. As partners, friends and impresarios in their respective fields, Sammy and Guy bring authentic tequila and culinary credentials to the Santo brand.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.