SHORT REVIEW: Zumbador Reposado Tequila

Zumbador is a new budget-friendly tequila brand produced at distillery El Sabino (NOM 1643) in Jesús María in the Jalisco highlands by master distiller Roberto Lopez Anaya, a fourth-generation agave farmer and tequila producer. The brand uses 5½-year-old Blue Weber agave grown at 6,922 feet above sea level and cooked in stone/brick ovens (hornos) before having its aguamiel extracted using a volcanic stone tahona wheel. It is fermented without agave fibers (bagasse) in wood and stainless steel tanks before being 2x-distilled in copper and stainless steel stills. The reposado is aged for 3 months in American White Oak barrels formerly used for “whiskey” (presumably bourbon). The lote (lot/batch) under review is L750ZR0003.

The label is beautiful, showcasing the hummingbirds the brand takes its name from.

This review is based on multiple spaced out tasting notes-taking sessions using Denver & Liely Mezcal and Riedel Tequila Flute glasses – the bottle is almost half gone because I wanted to give it a chance (which it needs) to aerate and open up more.

COLOR: Very light straw yellow

AROMA PROFILE: Extremely subtle/muted – with significant time, deep aromas of cooked agave, fresh tropical citrus fruits (orange, lime, grapefruit, slightly sour pineapple), citrusy caramel & vanilla, herbal/vegetal & earthy notes, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, light cloves), minerality & some salinity, sweet tobacco leaf, & white pepper.

PALATE: Leads with a lot of anise and oak tannin bitterness followed by cooked & raw musky agave, dried citrus (orange) peel, the baking spices from the nose, herbal/vegetal notes, light caramel & vanilla, minerality & salinity, & a sweetness masked often by the anise, cloves, & oak tannins.

There is an earthy quality that I like & it does improve the longer the bottle is open, but, unfortunately, I don’t think it lives up to all of the hype it’s getting currently (which isn’t the fault of the tequila). Compared to the hype, it’s rather underwhelming.

MOUTHFEEL: Thin

FINISH: Short (5 seconds)

VALUE: Well priced & well made, but has an aroma & flavor profile that isn’t for everyone.

ALWAYS ON SHELF/BUY AGAIN? Undecided – I’m not sure how often I’ll restock this, though I’m definitely open to trying another lote down the road.