One of "The 50 Greatest Tequilas of the 21st Century” (Robb Report): Tequila Tapatio Gran Reserva Extra Anejo

TEQUILA TAPATIO EXCELENCIA GRAN RESERVA EXTRA ANEJO

JALISCO, MEXICO

 

The Robb Report ranked Tequila Tapatío Excelencia Gran Reserva no. 8 on its list of "The 50 Greatest Tequilas of the 21st Century (So Far),” and I’m here to tell you: they weren’t blowing smoke.

If you’re not a tequila snob already, you might be after trying it.

This extremely limited Extra Añejo spent five years aging tequila in barrels, then sat for another decade in glass jugs — a highly unorthodox move for a tequila producer. 

But the result simply cannot be denied, and is almost certain to be replicated far and wide throughout the industry.

This is a tequila of phenomenal refinement, closer in spirit (and execution) to a top-tier Cognac. It’s that smooth, that complex, that nuanced. 

Its singularity announces itself right from the start, with evocative notes of sandalwood and baking spices on the nose, followed, on the palate, by hints of citrus and herbal that call to mind sage and thyme — a world away, in other words, from the vanilla-and-oak profiles that lesser tequilas tend to deliver. The finish manages to be both elegant and vibrant, and will have you reaching immediately for another sip.

What’s astonishing is, Americans couldn't even buy Tequila Tapatío until 2012, when it and other premium producers arrived on a wave from down south that showed us all what Mexicans had known (and been hoarding) for centuries.

By the way: the story behind the brand is almost as good as the tequila itself. Don Felipe Camarena Hernández’s original distillery was blown up during the Mexican Revolution — a fact that would discourage most people from the tequila business entirely. Instead, he spent years selling agave to other distillers before saying "screw it, I'll do it myself" and opening La Alteña distillery in 1937. His grandson Carlos runs the operation now, maintaining its founder’s obsessive high standards, penchant for experimentation, and insistence on making patience a priority in production.

And we’re all the happy beneficiaries.

Fifteen years of aging, family recipes passed down through generations, production so limited it might as well be a rumor — this is tequila as it can and should be, and once you taste it, folks, you’re going to be hooked ... for life.

Our quantities, however, are unfortunately limited, so act now to secure your bottles today!