Lamata Arroqueño

Verdict

A second arroqueño in this batch and a useful counterpoint to Raul Garcia's: where his stays restrained, the Cortes family bottles theirs at 51.2 percent and lets the earth come forward. The extra proof suits the agave's gravity. Buy this one when you want arroqueño with more push, and keep the lower-proof version for the slow nights.

Tasting notes

Nose: Dark earth, dried fig, cocoa, leather, a mineral depth

Palate: Dense and dry at 51.2%. Arroqueño's root-and-dried-fruit weight carried at a higher proof, mineral and long, the refrescador keeping it clean

Finish: Long, earthy, faintly tannic

The bottom line

Buy it for arroqueño with more proof and push