Corazon "K&L Exclusive" Barrel #BL-17-A-23-575 Blanton's Barrel Aged Anejo Tequila (750ml)

Blanton’s may be the most famous name in bourbon, but this barrel’s second act deserves some attention of its own. After we bottled the bourbon, the emptied barrel headed to Mexico through Buffalo Trace’s Boomerang Barrel program to be filled with Corazón tequila at Casa San Matías. According to our sources at Sazerac, it spent more than two years in wood before being emptied in 2023, then rested for nearly three years in tank before bottling in April. It’s a story that sounds almost too fanciful to be true, and we have no idea why they waited so long, but the result is another stupendously well-priced añejo for just $35. Let’s taste it! The color is white wine (0.1), showing only a subtle contribution from the oak. The nose is exceptionally gentle and inviting, with roasted stone fruit, vanilla, roasted agave, and sweet oak. On the palate, it’s soft and round, without the spicy backbone of our Stagg barrel. Perhaps it’s the additional resting time or simply the influence of the wood, but this one is considerably more easygoing and, dare I say it, smoother. I usually hate that word when describing booze, but here it fits. If you love a supple, approachable añejo, this is your barrel. If you prefer more spice and intensity, reach for the Stagg. Either way, getting more than two years of barrel aging in an exclusive single-barrel tequila for $35 is almost ridiculous.