Drink

Herradura Ultra Anejo Tequila Review

Herradura Ultra Anejo

Happy National Tequila Day 2020! With the Coronavirus still cancelling some of our favorite drinking holidays this year, I thought I would pick a really nice tequila for you to go out and blow some money on.

I have written about the trend of clear Anejo tequilas coming on the market. I previously reviewed Don Julios version last year. If you don’t know the difference between a silver or plato tequila and these clear anejo counterparts, please read on.

Anejo tequilas are aged much longer than other varietals. Because of this, they absorb much of their color from the barrel along with that deep smokey flavors you usually get with a good one. Silver tequilas aren’t aged long at all, so that’s why they remain clear. For these clear anejos, they follow the same aging process, but than are filtered many times. This filtering process pulls out some of the color and even some of that dark sugary taste.

What you are left with is a very very smooth tasting tequila that still has all the complexities of a normal anejo, but a very refined taste palate. What I like about Herradura tequilas, is their strong spicy profile. Here’s what the distiller says about this tequila: “With the perfect blend of our premium Añejo and Extra Añejo barrels, ULTRA is a crystal-clear tequila. A subtle hint of agave nectar offers a superior taste that will transport tequila connoisseurs beyond smoothness”.

Like many other Herradura tequilas, the beginning is very sweet with a powerful vanilla taste which is not uncommon for aged tequilas. But, where this tequila wins is the finish. It comes together with some spicy tons and ends very smoothly. Easily one of my favorite tequilas at the moment.

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Don Julio Reposado Review

Don Julio Reposado Tequila

Today is National Tequila Day. So, in honor of this important occasion, I am reviewing one of the best tequilas on the market. First of all, Don Julio has been an established brands for many years. Don Julio’s distillery is located in Atotonilco, Jalisco. The agave for this batch is steam-cooked for over 72 hours. The tequila is than double-distilled in stainless steel pot-stills then aged for eight months in charred American oak barrels.

For myself, the three main flavor components of tequila cover three areas. First is the oakiness and smokiness that reposado tequilas gleen from being aged in barrel. Second flavor is the spicy tones that many aged tequilas start to develop. And the final component is the sweetness or fruitiness of the tequila.

What I like best about Don Julio is that the spicy and sweet flavors are well balanced. It comes across as a very smooth finish but still fills your mouth with all the important flavors. The body is a complex with some vanilla along with the sweeter fruit flavors. Though the oakiness does tame the sweetness just a bit, it does keep it from tasting to sugary. Though you might want to use this in a high-end cocktail, this one might be more appropriate from sipping from a nice chilled glass. Happy National Tequila Day!