Olmeca Altos Plata is great tequila bang for your peso

Olmeca Altos Plata, no relation to Legends of the Hidden Temple‘s Olmec, proves tequila can pack great flavor without any of the burn to your throat or wallet.

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The premium tequila market is booming, which means there is no shortage of bottles of silver tequila on the shelf that cost upwards of $50. While those are amazing for sipping, you don’t need to reach that high to find a good drink. Your good friend Olmeca Altos is waiting for you on the middle shelf.

Olmeca is one of the very few distilleries that still use the Tahona Method. This is when a giant stone wheel crushes the roasted agave to extract the juice. Talk about old school. They only use a percentage of it though, which is conveniently unknown, so I can’t say how much is for novelty sake and how much is for quality. It’s said that it actually makes a big difference in the end product though, so I’d suspect it’s a little of both.

Altos Plata is very aromatic, though it’s tough to tell exactly what those aromas are. There’s muted citrus fruit and maybe white pepper. I’ve never stuck my nose in a bottle of white pepper before though, so I can’t say that for certain. (UPDATE: I just stuck my nose in a bottle of white pepper, and I might be onto something)

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The spirit has a creamy mouth-feel as opposed to the typical liquid fire. It’s also sweet right from the get go and all the way through. The roasted agave stands out, a sure sign that you’re drinking good tequila, along with that citrus from the nose. It has a little heat on the first sip, but that might be because it’s 8:45 a.m. Subsequent sips had no trace of heat, just liquid love.

Don’t be fooled by the lower price point. Olmeca Altos Plata is 100% agave tequila and doesn’t have the slightest resemblance to the cheap stuff you’re used to some bro buying you at the bar. While it won’t be my new regular sipping tequila, it’s perfect for cocktails due to being a high quality spirit that tastes great and doesn’t cost a fortune. It’s also ideal for shots, and I’ve yet to have a displeased friend. What more could any guy ask of a tequila?