Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] This tequila breaks one of the unwritten rules in tequila. Most tequilas come from one region. One terroir, one gave source, this one doesn't. Today we're tasting the Mahinta tequila Maestre selection number two, a blanco that blends agave from all five legal tequila producing states in Mexico. And I'll tell you right now, that alone makes this a little controversial. Quick transparency before we dive in. This bottle was gifted to me, but as always, it does not buy my review. If it's great, I'll say it. If it misses the mark, I'll say it too. And this one, I'm genuinely excited to open it up. My hint that my history selection series is about pushing boundaries. And number two might be one of their boldest ideas yet. Instead of highlighting one region each, agave sourced and fermented and distilled separately and then intentionally blended, where talking about agave from Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanaquatro, Nayarit and Tempelias. That's unheard of at this level of execution. This blend was created by Ana Maria Romero, one of the most respected maestros in tequila today. Her fingerprints all over this balance restraint and letting the agave lead, not marketing. This bottle is also really cool and it's very, very artistic. It actually has five sides representing all of the sides of the regions where the agave were grown. So that's pretty exciting. This is bottle number 27202. This is 40% ABV and it says right here it's bottled at NOM 1412 distillery where Mahinta has been made for a long time before they moved. Let's talk about the quick production method. This tequila is cooking low pressure autoclave. So a very controlled process. It's extracted with a roller mill. It's fermented in open air stainless steel tanks. It's double distilled in copper stills, no aging, true blanco, 40 ABV and completely additive free. No shortcuts. All right, let's crack this open. I'm excited about trying it for the first time. All right, there you go. I know this isn't my normal drinking glass. My daughter and her boyfriend got me these amazing Glen Cairns for Christmas. So let's give it a try in that one. Wow. On the nose you get really good cooked agave. I'm picking up some citrus, some lime, some orange peel. There's a nice floral note in there. Light baking spices and a little bit of herbalness. Maybe some coriander or some fennel would be more like the smells that I'm picking up in the finish. Possibly a little bit of juniper or pine as well. All right, let's give it a hit. Nice sweet cooked agave. A really light mouthfeel. I was expecting more of a silky mouth feel. I get a nice, bright citrus note. I get a little roasted, like, pineapple, Cooked pineapple. There's some herbs in there. Maybe that fennel kind of coming through with a little pepper mid palate. The mouthfeel is kind of silky, but it's a little bit light. It's a 40 ABV, so maybe it just drinks a little thin. Definitely not hot. Let's try it again. The finish, it's lingering, it's clean. Some agave sweetness, a little herbal. Nothing really dominates. There's nothing that's, like, overpowering. It's a nice blend, though. It's got a. It's got a lot of flavors going on that are really light, so it's kind of hard to pick out the different things. I. I do pick up a little mintiness, a little bit of juniper, a little bit of citrus, and a nice sweetness. So I guess here's the question. Should tequila be made as a blend from multiple states of agave? Purists would probably say no. I think it's good. It definitely has a way of not showcasing one single terroir, but it does something kind of special, adding them all together. So I guess here's my final thoughts on this or who's this for? This is for blanco lovers. This is for tequila nerds. This is for people who really care about process, who want to taste maybe some complexity or something different. Anyone who wants to taste something genuine, this is for them. If you're only a tequila drinker for margaritas, this one definitely is not for you. Mahinta Mar Midestris selection number two. It is very good. This is a tequila that I would sip on on a regular basis. It doesn't scream out any hype. It's just a nice idea that's really showing the quality of the different agaves made in each area. And the tequila can be made thoughtful, clean, with a lot of flavor. If you've had this Midas selection number two, please drop it in the comments. Let me know what your thoughts are. If you found this helpful, hit the like button, the subscribe button. Drop a comment. Do you think blending agave from multiple states is something in the future, or should it stay regional? I'd like to hear your thoughts. Until next time, sip smart and respect agave. Cheers.
