BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Casa Siete Leguas, NOM 1120
• MASH BILL: 100% Blue Webber Agave
• AGE: None
• YEAR: 2023
• PROOF: 80
• MSRP: $50
• BUY ONLINE: Casa Siete Leguas does not ship to the U.S., but it is widely available at better liquor stores and bars.

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any tequila fan or someone who’s interested in trying the spirit.

WORTH THE PRICE: Always and even at higher prices, but don’t tell the distillery that!

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle all day. You’ll want this for sipping, mixing, pouring for friends–a staple worthy of any home or professional bar.

OVERALL: For more than 70 years this simple distillery, located in the remote town of Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico, has created high-quality, traditional tequilas prized by agave sprits fans. Somehow, it’s done this while keeping its prices reasonable, which in these heady days of dizzying premiumization, is no mean feat. Tequila fans who know this brand are forever grateful, too.

That Siete Leguas (Seven Leagues, in English) uses traditional fermentation, crushing and distillation methods is evident in this spirit. On the nose is long-cooked agave, deeply caramelized pineapple, petrichor, warm agave nectar, tropical fruits and flowers, mint and lime rinds. (Bubble gum even sneaks in if you let it rest in the glass a few minutes.) If you never tour a tequila distillery, know that this is what it smells like when agave is roasting in a stone oven.

The body is light, but its mouthfeel is cozily coating. Soon, enough though, the spirit dries things up a bit with its keen minerality and herbal character. Neat sipping is thrilling, but it takes no time to start thinking, “How fast can I make a great cocktail from this!?!”

If you see Siete Leguas Blanco alongside its reposado and anejo siblings, consider buying all three for the sake of comparison. You’ll not regret it.

BRAND NOTES

Nose: Aromas of cooked and raw agave, herbal notes of green grass, spearmint, mint and wild grass. Floral aromas of orange blossom, lime and roses. Citrus tones such as grapefruit, lime and fruity flavors such as ripe pineapple and pear. You will also experience spicy aromas such as clove and cinnamon.

Palate: Mouthfeel is warm, pleasant, silky smooth (weighty on the tongue and palate). Intense, with a light fresh taste and balanced notes of alcohol. 

Flavor: The sweet flavor of cooked agave with herbal and citrus notes as well as the freshness of spearmint and mint.

Finish: The aftertaste is persistent without losing flavor long after having tasted the tequila, making the presence of the fruit flavor and the sweet notes of wood, caramel and vanilla more marked without losing the flavor of the cooked agave.