DON ROBERTO TAHONA TEQUILA
JALISCO, MEXICO
WHY BUY:
This is an exciting new release from a tried-and-true brand, a quartet of their top-tier tequilas, and we’re so eager for you to see what we see in these oaky, smoky expressions that we’re not just giving you early access, but gifting you 20% OFF. Don Roberto has been at it since 1840, and this family-owned operation has done little to change its methods or approach since then. At the heart of these new releases is a tahona, or massive stone wheel. Crushing the agave like this, rather than with industrial machinery, gives a tequila a textural complexity that mass-produced tequilas simply can't match, with vegetal agave character that feels authentic rather than sanitized. More labor for the distiller, for sure, but more greatness for all of us to savor. And now, exclusively yours—at a price that makes savoring history even sweeter.
OUR TASTING NOTES:
That textural character we alluded to up top: it comes through, and strikingly, in the Tahona Plata, which also retains a wonderful vegetal note throughout, and a degree of nuance that many blancos don’t have. The Reposado takes those same pure foundations and adds just enough American white oak influence to create vanilla and coconut notes that pull you in, without over-stepping the agave's natural personality. The Cristalino filters their aged tequila to a crystalline clarity, while marvelously preserving the oaky, smoky flavors that its long stint in barrel was intended to achieve. Finally, in the Añejo, we find the most complete, most compelling Don Roberto experience: months of patient aging have created layers upon layers of vanilla and spice, along with that distinctive smokiness that separates true artisanal tequila from the legion of pretenders.
THE STORY:
Don Roberto operates out of the small town where tequila itself was born, Tequila, Jalisco. It’s the kind of origin story that feels almost too perfect to be true but happens to be exactly right. The Orendain family has been perfecting this craft since 1840, back when most "tequila" was probably closer to moonshine than the sophisticated spirit we know today. They've survived nearly two centuries of industry consolidation, prohibition scares, and corporate takeovers by sticking to methods that are the polar opposite of efficient: jimadores still harvest by hand using ancient tools, that traditional tahona stone wheel still crushes the agave, and fermentation happens in open, natural environments that are intended to preserve flavor notes rather than sterilize them away. The distillery found its current home, in 1995, at Hacienda La Purísima, where the current masters of the form, Abelardo and Gabriel Orendain, know that the best thing they can do is, well — what they’ve always done. Don’t cut corners, take the time, and let the thousands of white oak barrels do the rest.
RECOMMENDED USE:
All four are wonderful to drink neat, or with lime and sal de gusano (and, ideally, in the company of a luscious chicken mole or plate of rich, cheesy enchiladas rojo). But they’re also ideal for mixing into margaritas.
FUN FACT:
The Orendain family has been winning charrería competitions (the national sport of Mexico, somewhat akin to rodeo) for years and years. The sport has been recognized by UNESCO as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the distillery to ensure that your tequilas arrive with pristine provenance. Secure yours today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2026. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NC, NE, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer will expire on Tuesday, January 13, 2025.