Review: One With Life Tequila – Blanco and Extra Anejo
One With Life is a new organic (and kosher) tequila made from 100% Blue Weber Agave at Tequila Las Americas in the heart of Jalisco. Agaves are roasted in brick ovens and fermented with wild yeast, and the distillate is twice-distilled before hand bottling.
Unusually, One With Life is available in two expressions: a blanco and an extra anejo, with neither a reposado nor a standard anejo on the market. (It’s unclear if they are both made from the same distillate.) Tasting notes on both expressions follow. Both are 80 proof.
One With Life Organic Blanco Tequila – This unaged bottling is sweet and fruity on the nose, with a strong vanilla kick (unusual in a blanco) that pairs well with notes of juicy orange, banana, and a mild layer of white pepper that spices things up. The creamy palate keeps the theme together: Layers of gentle fruit, again heavy on green banana, softening to show notes of cinnamon-dusted nougat — reminscent of horchata. The finish remains supple, chewy, and touched with coconut and a light lacing of pepper. Ultimately, this drinks closer to a reposado than a blanco, and it feels tailor-made for margaritas. A- / $44
One With Life Organic Extra Anejo Tequila – A blend of tequila aged in American oak barrels and French oak barrels for five years. Given that level of age, this expression surprises with its general approachability — it’s fairly peppery on the attack, with plenty of green herbs in the mix, all filtered through a note of caramel, albeit one spiced with a spray red pepper. With extra anejo bottlings, one usually expects a rich, almost syrupy sweetness on the palate, but OWL’s expression is quite light on its feet, feeling much more youthful and agave-forward than its five years of age might suggest. The simple fade-out features hints of honey and butterscotch, though that green agave character is never far out of reach. It’s perfectly enjoyable, but you’ll find similar flavors in much more affordable (and younger) options. A- / $160
One With Life Organic Blanco Tequila
$44
