Assorted tequilas

Photo provided

Sometimes the best way to judge a tequila is in a group. Here are results from a tasting of a quartet of high-end brands.

• Gran Centenario Plata:

Soft, herbal from resting a month in white oak barrels and dry middle notes. Hints of cinnamon and other soft spices run throughout.

• Sauza Hornitos:

This pale gold tequila is a reposada from the same distiller that produces Tres Generaciones. It's rested for three months in American oak barrels, which tends to smooth out the middle notes and balance the complex tastes somewhere between pear and a slight spice.

• Corazon:

The reposada version is twice-distilled in pot stills and rested for up to a year in charred new oak barrels. It's sweeter than the average reposada, which makes it perfect for comparative sampling.

• Don Julio Blanco:

A slight greenish tinge with an initial taste to match -- pleasant brine, dill and clover.

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