(Photo: Gran Centenario Tequila)
Gran Centenario Tequila is paying tribute to its 19th-century founder with one of the brand's most expensive bottlings to date.
Dubbed Gran Centenario Gallardo, the darkly-hued extra añejo is aged in new American white oak and French oak barrels for at least three years before finishing in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. After distillation, the spirit undergoes the brand's propriety "Selecion Suave" process, in which newly rested tequilas are blended with aged reserves. The technique is perhaps best exemplified with Gran Centenario Leyenda, a four-year extra añejo mixed with reserves aged up to fifteen years.
Here comes the kicker: Gallardo will be limited to just 679 bottles retailing at $600 each. If you'd like to add the exclusive showpiece to your collection, find the bottle here.
Like all products from Gran Centenario, Gallardo features a ridged Art Deco-inspired decanter. A set of twisted silver wings spouting from the top pays homage to the brand's angel logo, itself a nod to Mexico's Angel of Independence.
Alongside industry-usual imprints like Jose Cuervo, 1800 and Maestro Dobel, Gran Centenario is owned by Becle, the world's largest tequila producer. While Cuervo dates its roots to 1812, Centenario was founded in 1857 by Lázaro Gallardo, a tavern owner now recognized as the first tequila master distiller in history.
Gran Centenario Gallardo Tasting Notes, Per the Brand
Color: "A dark amber hue, adorned with shimmering golden nuances"
Nose: "Prominent notes of vanilla and oak"
Taste: "Evoking hints of banana with a sweet and slightly creamy note, adding complexity with figs and a hint of earthiness, along with the refreshing crispness of apple, the nutty undertones, and the vibrant sweetness of red fruits"
