Review: Santo Tequila Anejo
Santo Tequila is fronted by Sammy Hagar of Van Halen fame and food show celebrity Guy Fieri. We first tried the brand in 2017, when they released their unusual Mezquila, and just a few months ago we tried Santo’s younger tequila offerings: blanco, reposado, and a bold, flavorful 110 proof blanco. Today we finally finish the lineup with Santo Tequila Añejo. All Santo tequilas are made with 100% Blue Weber Agave and are additive free. The añejo is aged in ex-American whiskey barrels for an average of 24 months.
Two years is a rather lengthy resting time for añejo, and the tequila pours pale gold in the glass. The nose is fairly light, showing gentle vanilla, floral notes, perfume, milk chocolate, and a touch of roasted agave. The perfume note isn’t really pleasant, but it is subtle. Taking a sip, the tequila shows much more intense character than the nose suggests. Chewy milk chocolate and cracked black pepper hit first along with a rather strong, but not overpowering alcohol bite. The unpleasant aroma of perfume that appears on the nose is happily absent here. Midpalate, vanilla and light notes of roasted agave appear. The mouthfeel is silky and the finish is fairly long, leaving vanilla and a wisp of agave. I have a personal love for high-proof blanco tequila, so I’ll admit the 110 blanco is my favorite in this lineup, but I suspect most will agree that Santo’s best tequila is this añejo. It showcases both the agave and the time the tequila spent aging in oak.
80 proof. NOM 1107. Aka Santo Fino.
A- / $75 / santospirit.com [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Santo Tequila Anejo
$75
