Corralejo Reposado Tequila, 70 cl, 4-CJ-001-38

Product Information

The insights I’ve gained aren’t just from books or hearsay; they are the result of hands-on experience, countless tastings, and an enduring passion for these spirits.

The old town chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was built in 1925 by the townspeople together, with each fisherman placing his piece (it is no longer standing, as it was replaced by a more modern church in the 1980s).The finish is long, fruity, with vanilla, caramel and butterscotch notes and a lingering pepperiness. When the agave is fully ripe at 6 to 8 years old, it is harvested, and the leaves are removed by expert Jimadores.

Producers continued making mezcal with Mexico’s many agave species, but it became clear that one particular plant delivered the best spirits. In 1902, Alsace-born botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber classified this species as Agave tequilana Weber azul, or Weber blue agave. While Corralejo’s Reposado is a decent option, other Tequilas on the market offer a better overall experience. Corralejo Tequila: Drinking guide Tequila Tequila may be bottled without maturation or aged in oak barrels. The length of aging determines how it is labeled: Colorless blanco or silver tequila is aged fewer than two months in oak; reposado between two and 12 months; añejo for more than one year. Extra añejo is a category added in 2006 that includes tequila aged at least three years in oak vats under 600 liters. Generally, the longer tequila ages in oak, the smoother and more full-bodied it becomes. On the palate, the Tequila is smooth and creamy, almost buttery. It’s sweet, along with flavors of citrus zest, caramel, vanilla and honey. There is a distinctive pepperiness, as well as smoke and a hint of earth. There is also a slight green bean/vegetal note. The distillery uses a proprietary yeast strain cultivated from the estate agave’s first press and developed in partnership with the Universidad de Guanajuato.Americans, particularly the famous ones, are in love with tequila. Year after year, the category continues to grow in the States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. In fact, new data suggests it's overtaken whiskey, and will overtake vodka at some point this year. Like wine and other unique spirits, tequila is produced according to regulations that govern its appellation of origin. Tequila may only be made in the state of Jalisco, which includes the town of Tequila, and parts of the surrounding states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. It must be made from blue agave and in accordance with additional rules for ingredients and aging. Spirits made using other agave species or elsewhere in Mexico are classified as mezcal. Tequila production begins with the agave plant, cultivated in Mexico’s desert regions. Early civilizations believed agave was a gift from the gods, which they used as a source for food, fibers and building materials. They would cut off the top of the plant, and the remaining stump filled with a liquid called aguamiel that would ferment into a cloudy, low-alcohol drink. But the sheer volume of tequila brands currently competing for shelf space means that there's truly a bottle out there for every consumer. The Consejo Regulador del Tequila, the spirit’s regulatory body, lists 1,754 tequilas currently in production—and these include bottles labeled blanco (unaged or lightly aged), reposado ("rested," i.e. aged in barrel for two to twelve months), añejo ("aged," i.e. kept in barrel for one to three years), and several other increasingly esoteric categories. On the nose, there are cooked agave aromas accompanied by distinctive vanilla and caramel notes. The Tequila is very fruity, with apple, cherry and citrus notes. There is a bit of smoke, but this is less noticeable than in the Reposado, along with cinnamon and pepper notes.

The process starts when the agave plants are only 2 to 3 years old and are selected and planted in a specialty soil blend. I’m J Highland, and for over 30 years, I’ve been deeply immersed in the captivating world of Tequila, Mezcal, and other agave spirits. The agave hearts are slowly cooked in a stone clay oven for 36 hours, rested for 12 hours, pressed to extract the juice, then fermented for 36 hours. Straight from the heart of Mexico, Corralejo Tequila is made from 100% blue agave and is double distilled to be smooth, mellow, and delicious to drink. Coming in an Añejo variety which has been aged for at least two years in a French Limousin oak cask, the aging gives the tequila a rich, complex flavour profile with aromas of sweet cinnamon and vanilla, followed by sharper notes or orange and tart cocoa. The finish is long and dry, with a hint of citrus.Those who remained loyal to Béthencourt on Lanzarote would use a flimsy boat to rescue La Salle and his men from Lobos.