Owned by Pernod Ricard of France, Olmeca is one of the largest tequila brands in Europe and is slowly gaining a foothold in the rest of the world. Olmeca’s products are well available in the Baltic countries and Finland. Like most of the biggest producers, also Olmeca has cheaper mixto product line and more expensive “premium” tequilas, which are purely made from agave. Olmeca Altos is made from 100% blue agave. The juice squeezed from the agave, together with the fibers, are fermented in steel tanks and distilled twice with a copper pot distiller. After distillation, the distillate is allowed to rest for a few months in a steel tank, after which it is cold-filtered before bottling. 70cl bottle bought in Latvia for 18 €.

The aroma is pleasantly citrusy and fruity. Cooked and sweet agave, pineapple, banana, a little pepper and minerals. The mouthfeel is quite thick and oily. The taste is surprisingly dry and light. The taste has roasted agave, grass, a little lemon peel, sea salt and white pepper. The burn of alcohol is quite pungent but very short. The rather short aftertaste is quite grassy and vegetal, and has some nuances of pepper.

When drunk neat, Altos Plata is not very pleasant. The taste remains almost the same with ice cubes. Plata is clearly intended for cocktail use. It goes well with Margarita, Paloma and other cocktails and gives clearly more flavor than Olmeca’s Blanco mixto tequila. Considering the low price, it’s a good and safe choice for both, home and professional bartenders.

81/100