Tapatio Tequila Blanco 110

Tapatio Blanco 110 is a 100 percent agave tequila from La Alteña, the Camarena family distillery high in the Los Altos plateau of Jalisco. Tapatio is the family's own domestic-rooted brand, the house from which El Tesoro and Ocho descend, and this expression is bottled at the legal ceiling of 55 percent. That high proof gives an agave density rarely met, heavy and oily in the glass.

The highland origin shows in a fruity, rounded core, while the traditional methods give grip and definition. The agave is cooked in the old style and twice distilled in copper pot stills, an approach the house keeps additive-free. Given air, the nose unfolds an opulent run of cooked agave, mint, anise, cinnamon and white pepper lifted by apple and a touch of lemon. The palate lands velvety with balanced heat from the strength.