Review: Tequila Don Julio Alma Miel

Ready for another innovation from the lately-on-fire Don Julio? Alma Miel is a blend of blanco tequila distilled with oven-roasted agave honey plus añejo tequila that has been aged for at least 14 months and finished in Crémant du Limoux (sparkling) wine casks from the Limoux region of France.

Officially billed as a Tequila Joven, let’s tuck into this out-there offering.

To start things off, the tequila has a slight yellow tint — the photo above is accurate as to the color. Moving into the glass, the nose is much more herbal and agave-forward than expected, boldly green and peppery, with only a vague hint of sweeter notes. Whether that sweetness is specifically honey-driven or something influenced by the barrel in a more traditional anejo style is hard to pinpoint, but it’s ringed with notes of caramel and vanilla whipped cream.

On the palate is where things really start to pick up, and while I initially felt the tequila to be a touch closed off, I soon found things gelling well in the glass. Cautious first sips are heavy on the greenery, but time in glass and some patience help to reveal the spirit’s sweeter side. Alma Miel smells like a blanco but it drinks much more like an anejo, melding green agave with notes of vanilla custard, coconut, and lime leaf. Ample, lingering vanilla on the finish invites continued pours from the bottle.

80 proof. NOM 1449.

A- / $100 / donjulio.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]

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