Cierto Reserve Collection Reposado Tequila 750ml

The London Spirits Competition awarded its 2024 Tequila of the Year to Cierto — specifically to the Reserve Collection Añejo. It described a tequila of "medium intensity, offering a balanced profile of caramel and oak on the nose, complemented by light vanilla notes on the palate," and called it the single finest tequila available. When a competition stakes its authority on a single bottle and that bottle comes from your portfolio's flagship lineup, the rest of the collection earns a closer look — and the Reserve Collection Reposado is exactly the bottle that a serious tequila buyer reaches for next.

The Reposado is, in the judgment of Drinkhacker, the most impressive expression in the entire Reserve Collection range. Resting for 11 months in French Limousin oak — the same prestigious cooperage used for cognac and fine Armagnac, prized for its tightly grained, subtle, complex imprint on spirits — it achieves something genuinely difficult in a reposado: bold character and well-integrated flavors that satisfy fans of both unaged blanco and fully aged añejo at once. Drinkhacker rated it A: "bold yet well-integrated notes of sweet vanilla, fresh lime, red pepper, black pepper, roasted agave, and a touch of caramel. The diverse flavors from the agave and from the gentle aging in wood stand out then dance together beautifully to create a reposado that could captivate fans of both blanco and añejo tequila. The finish introduces milk chocolate which lingers as the distinctive flavors slowly disappear. Love it."

Cierto's master distillers — Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza — produce this tequila at NOM 1146, the Tequileña distillery in Jalisco, a facility that also produces ArteNOM Selección, Tears of Llorona, and Don Fulano. The estate-grown Highlands Blue Weber agave is cooked in low-pressure autoclaves and roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel with natural spring water, and twice distilled through copper pot stills — then transferred to French Limousin oak for 11 months of maturation. Zero additives. No artificial ingredients. No shortcuts. The cierto.com tagline says it most directly: "nature's ritual in a glass." The 2025 London Spirits Competition awarded the Reserve Collection Reposado a Gold Medal. Cigar & Spirits Magazine gave it 97 points. The World Tequila Awards praised "smoky agave and nuts on the nose, butterscotch on the palate, full texture, and a delicate hint of milk chocolate" in a "smooth and balanced" finish. Ninety-three-plus awards and counting.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Cierto Tequila is produced by master distillers Enrique Fonseca and Sergio Mendoza at NOM 1146 — the Tequileña distillery in the Jalisco Highlands of Mexico, one of the most respected tequila facilities in the country, home to several of the most acclaimed brands in the premium and ultra-premium tequila category. The Fonseca family has been growing Blue Weber agave in the Jalisco Highlands for generations — the estate-grown agave that supplies the Reserve Collection is hand-selected from these family holdings, ensuring a level of agricultural control from the ground up that most tequila brands, which source agave from external growers, cannot claim.

The production path is uncompromisingly traditional. Agave is cooked in low-pressure autoclaves — a modernized but flavor-preserving approach to the traditional hornos method — then roller mill extracted before fermentation in stainless steel tanks using natural spring water. Double distillation through copper pot stills preserves the agave's natural aromatic compounds and the specific character of the Fonseca family's Highlands terroir. No additives, no artificial flavorings, no caramel coloring, no sweeteners — "no shortcuts," in the brand's own explicit commitment.

The Reserve Collection Reposado ages 11 months in French Limousin oak barrels — the specific cooperage choice that most sharply distinguishes Cierto from the bourbon-barrel-rested reposados that dominate the category. French Limousin oak, from the forests of the Limousin region of central France, is prized for its tight grain, high tannin content, and the specifically complex, spice-forward, vanilla-rich character it imparts to spirits over time — the same wood used for the finest cognac and Armagnac. Eleven months places this squarely in reposado territory while extracting the maximum complex character from the Limousin oak's distinctive properties. Each expression in the Reserve Collection is also blended with aged tequilas from the Fonseca family's private library — containing some of the oldest and rarest tequilas in existence, adding additional layers of complexity to the finished blend.

Critics Reviews

Cigar & Spirits Magazine — 97 Points

Drinkhacker — A Rating (confirmed):
"The nose and palate both showcase bold yet well-integrated notes of sweet vanilla, fresh lime, red pepper, black pepper, roasted agave, and a touch of caramel. The diverse flavors from the agave and from the gentle aging in wood stand out then dance together beautifully to create a reposado that could captivate fans of both blanco and añejo tequila. The finish introduces milk chocolate which lingers as the distinctive flavors slowly disappear. Love it."

World Tequila Awards (confirmed):
"Smoky agave and nuts on the nose, complemented by the sweetness of papaya. On the palate, a rich tapestry of butterscotch flavors enhanced by a full texture and a delicate hint of milk chocolate, culminating in an incredibly smooth finish."

Gold Medal — 2025 London Spirits Competition

93+ International Awards (confirmed — Cierto official)

Cierto official tasting notes:
"An alluring and refined tequila with clear notes of oak, cinnamon and vanilla."

Old Town Tequila (confirmed):
"A refined, amber reposado with light notes of butterscotch, cinnamon and caramel. A delicate reposado with an incredibly light and silky texture."

2024 London Spirits Competition — Tequila of the Year:
Awarded to the Reserve Collection Añejo (sister expression) — "An añejo tequila with medium intensity, offering a balanced profile of caramel and oak on the nose, complemented by light vanilla notes on the palate, leading to a short and light finish." The Reserve Collection Añejo has received over 100 individual awards and was recognized as the finest tequila available by the London Spirits Competition in 2024.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Amber gold — the 11 months in French Limousin oak producing a rich, warm color. Sweet vanilla and roasted agave open the nose with the most specifically and the most beautifully integrated combination of agave character and oak influence: both present, neither dominating. Fresh lime adds a bright citrus lift that preserves the Highland agave's natural vibrancy. Smoky agave, nuts, and the sweetness of papaya add secondary aromatic complexity. Cinnamon and butterscotch add warm, baking-spice oakiness. Oak and caramel round out the aromatic profile.

Palate
Bold yet well-integrated — the defining quality confirmed by Drinkhacker and the most specifically impressive achievement of the 11-month Limousin oak program. Sweet vanilla and fresh lime carry the most vivid primary character. Red pepper and black pepper add genuine spice and complexity that prevents the Limousin oak's sweetness from overwhelming the spirit. Roasted agave adds the most essential and the most specifically tequila-defining mid-palate quality — "not to the point where it doesn't taste like agave," as Uproxx specifically confirmed for the sister Añejo, and equally true here. Butterscotch and caramel build with warmth through the back half. Full texture from the Limousin oak.

Finish
Milk chocolate introduces itself on the finish — the most specifically memorable and the most unexpectedly pleasurable closing note in the entire tasting profile — and lingers as the other flavors slowly disappear. Incredibly smooth, with roasted agave appearing on the finish for a surprisingly bright close rather than the heavy, wood-dominated ending that less skilled 11-month reposados produce.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Suggestions

Neat or Over One Large Ice Cube — the Drinkhacker and Old Town Tequila consensus recommendation; the milk chocolate finish and bold agave character are best appreciated without dilution.

Reposado Old Fashioned
2 oz Cierto Reserve Reposado · 1 tsp agave syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. The French Limousin oak's vanilla and caramel character carries through the Old Fashioned format with genuine sophistication.

Tommy's Margarita
2 oz Cierto Reserve Reposado · 1 oz fresh lime juice · ½ oz agave nectar. The fresh lime in the tasting profile aligns directly with the margarita's primary component — a margarita of unusual depth and complexity.