At Tequileña in the eponymous town of Tequila, Jalisco, home to a range of celebrated tequilas, Master Distiller Enrique Fonseca distills agave predominantly grown in and around his highland hometown of Atotonilco el Alto. For this añejo selección, Enrique patiently ages exclusive tequila in used Cabernet Franc wine barrels from the Loire Valley of France – 60% of the tequila is aged for two years; 40% is aged for three years. The two maturations are then slowly integrated together, before laying into toasted American white oak previously used to age Tennessee rye whiskey, for a master balance of oak and agave.
Tasting Notes
Color: rich amber
Nose: butterscotch, citrus, baking spices, vanilla
Palate: toffee, walnut candy, custard, orange zest, dark chocolate
Data
Master Distiller: Enrique Fonseca
NOM: 1146
Altitude: 5,541' / 1,689 m
Proof: 80
ABV: 40%
Brix: 26° - 27° from Tequilana Weber Agave grown at 4,600’ in municipio of Atotonlico el Alto, Jalisco
Process
- Halved & quartered (cogollo‐removed) agave steam‐roasted without pressure in steel oven
- 30hr roast including 6hr pre‐roast to melt‐off bitters and 6hr cool‐down
- Juice extraction with proprietary screw press method
- Fermented in stainless steel vats using Mendoza wine yeast strains
- Double‐distilled in copper‐pot stills to approx. 53% ABV and reduced with reverse‐osmosis demineralized water
- 60% 2‐year Loire Valley French Oak blended with 40% 3‐year Loire Valley French Oak, then moved to age
one additional year in American White Oak formerly used for Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 40% ABV
