(Photo: El Tequileño)
El Tequileño, the renowned distiller playfully self-described as "Mexico's best kept secret," announced its foray into the trendy still strength tequila category on Tuesday.
The bottling — fittingly dubbed ElTequileño Still Strength — clocks in at 50% ABV, just five percent shy of the legal maximum for agave spirits in the United States. Production of the expression was overseen by Jorge Antonio “Tony” Salles at the brand's NOM 1108 distillery. Said to balance aromas of cooked agave, roasted fig and orange zest with flavors of lemon peel and white pepper, the bottling represents the latest from a brand frequently eager to explore uncharted possibilities.
“As tequila's popularity soars, there is a growing demand for innovative expressions that push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of agave spirits," Steffin Oghene, VP of International Sales for El Tequileño remarked in a news release. "At El Tequileño, we like to rise to the challenge of crafting something never seen before and steering innovation in the industry, as seen with the debut of the world’s first-ever Reposado Rare."
Within the U.S., tequila is almost always bottled at the legal minimum of 40% ABV, a figure achieved by cutting down spirits with the addition of water. The standardized alcohol content helps maintain consistency in the eyes of consumers, while also acting as a convenient cost-cutting technique for distillers.
A recent push toward still strength tequila has sought to upend the status quo. The term — thought to have originated with Tequila Fortaleza — describes expressions that explore above and beyond the alcohol content typically associated with agave spirits.
The category has caught on like wildfire over the past couple of years. Acclaimed imprints like Cazcanes, Pasote, Santo Fino, Tequila Ocho and Suerte have piled on with various takes on the concept; El Tequileño claims its latest release is one of only 15 still strength tequila offerings currently available in the U.S.
Other bottlings have demonstrated El Tequileño's propensity for innovation. The brand rolled out one of the first-ever confirmed additive-free cristalinos, followed quickly after by the debut of a first-of-its-kind Reposado Rare aged for six years in a 25,000-liter vat — a size considerably larger than that which can legally be classified as an añejo.
El Tequileño Still Strength is available in select national and local retailers at a suggested retail price of $64.99. For more information, check out the distiller's website here.
“We honor and uphold the principles established by my grandfather, Don Jorge Salles Cuervo, in every tequila we craft at ElTequileño,” master distiller Tony Salles said. “We start with the finest mature agave from Los Altos de Jalisco, meticulously crafted to produce the most exceptional tequila. Fermented in open tanks and exclusively distilled in copper pot stills, our Still Strength tequila boasts remarkable robustness and complexity, offering a silky mouthfeel and a smooth finish.”
