Review: Humano Tequila – Blanco and Reposado
Humano Tequila lays claim to being one of the few tequila producers “with direct control over their production from field to glass,” producing its spirits from single-estate agave cultivated across 1250 acres of the Jalisco highlands. Here’s a lot more detail, should you desire it:
“Our name honors the human touch at each step of production from hand-harvesting and the time-honored work of the jimador, to the gentle cooking, extraction, distillation and aging processes that are essential to making exceptional tequila,” shares Anahi Rivera, COO and Co-Founder of Humano Tequila. “Hundreds of artisans and farmers have worked at our ranch over four generations, and talent runs deep in our community. Our goal is to care for people by crafting an expressive range of quality tequila that fosters meaningful connections while supporting the many families that make the Humano dream a reality.”
“At Humano we believe in making tequila responsibly with a respect for the land and the people that have come before us – and the generations that will follow,” adds Luis Abundis, CEO and Co-Founder of Humano Tequila. “As agave-friendly growers we let our plants reach maturity and hand-select for the highest quality across our estates. This estate approach allows us to work with our farmers to make a range of tequilas as complex and unique as the fields they come from.”
Humano Tequila is made from 100% single estate-grown agave. Hand-selected agaves go through “Agave Wash,” a customized approach to carefully remove impurities, followed by cooking in an optimal combination of autoclave and brick ovens. The cooked agaves are then transferred to roller mills to blend and extract the liquid honey as gently as possible. Fermentation with proprietary yeast in closed tanks helps retain the character of estate agave and is followed by double distillation in stainless steel pots with copper. Aged expressions rest at the Humano distillery in a combination of 100% new American oak and Bourbon barrels and are blended to perfection to achieve a complex and elegant flavor.
While four expressions are available (including an Anejo and a Joven), we received only the Blanco and Reposado for review. So let’s do that.
Both are 80 proof. NOM 1585.
Humano Tequila Blanco – Crystal clear. Very agave-forward on the nose, with a bold attack of green pepper, jalapeno, and white pepper. Time in glass helps notes of lime leaf and lime zest come into focus, but it’s all underlaid with earthiness. On the palate, the tequila has a surprising sweetness, combining brown butter and sesame oil to temper some of the more peppery elements. It doesn’t quite get all the way there, though, and in the end this tequila retains a powerful punch of pepper and greenery — and remains quite savory on the finish. The fade-out is particularly earthy, with notes of mineral-heavy slate and graphite lingering for quite a while. B / $50
Humano Tequila Reposado – A pale reposado, rested for four months in a mix of bourbon and new oak barrels. Bold notes of coconut and brown butter start things off on the nose, a complete diversion from the blanco expression. It’s only mildly peppery here, but the agave still finds some footing, slowly winding its way into greener pastures as it loses some of that initial sweetness. Again, the palate surprises: Vegetal and grassy notes are much clearer, though they’re short of overpowering as the sweeter elements pick up the slack. An animal cracker-like quality imbues the finish with notes of sugar cookie dough and pecan sandies — though it’s cracked black pepper that clings to the tongue the longest. It’s a fun little ride from start to finish, and it feels tailor-made for an elevated margarita. B+ / $60 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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