Tequila Tapatio "Excelencia" Extra Añejo Tequila

"Excelencia," the oldest expression from Carlos Camarena's Tapatio brand, is finally available stateside! Rich and butterscotchy, with hints of black pepper and citrus, it is distilled exclusively from perfectly matured agave at the famous La Altena distillery in Arandas. It is filled into first-use deeply charred American white oak and aged for four years before being transferred into glass containers. It is then allowed to mellow like a fine eau de vie. This juice (Tapatio Extra Añejo) was once used only to add oaky character to underwhelming añejos, but later the distillery began selling it, and it remained a collector's secret until its arrival in the U.S. in 2014. Now, it is a living legend. This batch is even more delicious than earlier releases. Still the same decadent juice, but with a few degrees more ripe agave influence. Ultra limited. The Excelencia Gran Reserva bottling garnered an impressive 98 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute: "Bronze color. Aromas of fresh lumber, luxury tobacco, caramel, prune, eucalyptus, and vanilla-scented black tea with a fat body and a very long cherry-almond, dark roasted agave, sandalwood, baking spices, and root beer finish. A superlative sipping tequila that combines elegant wood with rustic, authentic agave flavors; an outstanding spirit." (04/2018)