It’s no secret that tequila (and especially premium, artisanal tequila) is growing at an unbelievable rate in the market. In fact, my two favorite bottles just took $6- and $10-dollar price increases per bottle because these products take so much time to produce. Agave, grown the right way, is a seven-to-ten-year investment, after all! And a lot of the big-name brands that the could once get year-round (I’m looking at you Fortaleza, and you, G4) are going to allocation-only status. That’s why I was so excited to be able to snag a couple bottles each of these really interesting aged tequilas, produced (without additives!) at NOM 1139, the production facility responsible for the cult-favorites Tapatio and fan favorite El Tesoro!
While the production of Excellia has recently moved to NOM 1110 (all of the blanco available from here on out will come from 1110) there are still a precious few bottles of the Reposado and Anejo available that hail from NOM 1139…and we were able to snag two of each. Check ’em out!!
Excellia Reposado-This reposado was aged for 9 months in ex-Grand Cru Sauternes and Cognac (20+ year-old) barrels. This pours a pale gold hue, with bright clarity. The nose shows fruity and earthy cooked agave, with a pleasant, delicately-musky floral note (has to be from the Sauternes?) overlaid. There’s also pepper, and subtle hints of wood. On the palate, this is a well-oaked, toasty, woody reposado, with notes of old French oak and golden fruit (likely from the Cognac influence) and cooked agave. I get hints of spice, subtle herb, and floral notes, with a firm but delicate, oak backdrop. There’s a very subtle, natural sweetness on the finish. This is what reposado is supposed to be like.
Regularly $74.99…$66.99/bottle on sale!! (we received two bottles)
Excellia Anejo-This tequila was aged for 18 months in ex-Sauternes and ex-Cognac casks. It pours a medium gold with bright clarity. The nose shows beautiful notes of creme brulee, toasty oak, and a hint of herbal agave…it’s interesting and really attractive. On the palate, this is a very wood-forward, elegant anejo, with caramelized sugars, fresh flowers, and subtle hints of sweet, earthy cooked agave. It’s oak-foward, but it’s in no way over-oaked. It’s lean, but there’s richness too, thanks to the barrels used for aging. There’s plenty of dried herb spiciness on the finish. It’s unique and tasty. This is definitely worth a look, especially from 1139 (without additives), before the move to NOM 1110.
Regularly $89.99…$77.99/bottle on sale!! (we received two bottles)
Because of the limited nature of these bottlings, we don’t even have them out on the shelf…if you want a bottle, just come on down and see me and ask and we’ll hook you up!
Cheers,
Dan
Rock Bridge Wine and Spirits 