Tequila discovered the unique barrel aging just in time

If you think about it, tequila ripens a lot before it’s even made.

It takes at least seven years for an agave plant to grow to the point where it can be harvested for tequila, which means that even an “unaged” blanco has years behind it. But that’s no reason to completely forego the time in the barrel, especially when the aromas and flavors of oak can enhance the underlying character of the spirit.

Most reposado (aged 2-12 months) and añejo (aged 1-3 years) are based on a single barrel type: the used or former bourbon barrel. Since bourbon distillers can only use their kegs once, they resell them to manufacturers of other spirits, making the vessels ubiquitous. Ex-bourbon barrels typically create vanilla, caramel, and gentle spice notes in tequila, with deeper flavors corresponding to the longer time in the barrel and the number of previous uses of the barrel.

However, some manufacturers are looking for other barrel types beyond the bourbon barrel to create different and unique flavors in their tequila. A native Scot, Story wood Founder Michael Ballantyne was inspired by a visit to San Miguel de Allende to age tequila in Speyside single malt barrels. “I didn’t know anything about tequila other than my college days and photography,” he admits. “It usually ended in regret.”

But sipping tequila was a different story. After experiencing a great tequila in Mexico, Ballantyne became addicted and tried to lure his friends home. They insisted on treating the ghost like a marksman – until he offered it to them in a Glencairn tasting glass or a fine Rocks glass. “That was the lightbulb moment for me,” he says. “If you can change your perception just by looking at the glassware, what can you do when you actually put it into single malt whiskey casks?”

Ballantyne says his goal with Storywood was to “bring two cultures together into one” – something a much larger and more established brand is also trying with their latest barrel experiment. Patrón just got Sherry Cask Aged Añejo. brought on the market widespread, after a restricted version that was available in duty free shops a few years ago. This tequila release spends two years and four months in oloroso sherry barrels from Spain, hand-picked by master distiller David Rodriguez to work well with the blanco tequila.

“It’s so difficult to get these barrels,” he says, explaining that unlike bourbon producers, sherry bodegas don’t often sell their used barrels. “We attended at least ten [bodegas] to see what is the best option for us. ”Rodriguez notes that Patrón was Patrón’s choice instead of the sweeter Pedro Ximénez sherry Oloroso because of the flavors derived from its base ingredient, Palomino Fino grapes.

The careful maturation has paid off: Patrón Sherry Cask Aged creates a clever balance between the classic agave notes of tequila and the dried fruits and the soft spiciness of sherry. “We are so proud to produce this combination of two cultures: France and Spain,” says Rodriquez, who took over as master distiller in 2020 after having worked with former master distiller Francisco Alcaraz for almost two decades. “When you try our product, all of our employees’ energy is there.”

Below Storywood, Patrón, and a few other tequilas that have spent some time in interesting barrels:

Maturation: Speyside single malt scotch

Ballantyne aimed to strike a balance between the base tequila and the aging barrels, focusing on complementary flavors. Because Storywood uses Lowland agave, it is earthy and grassy. “When I tried the Blanco for the first time, [thought] Speyside kegs would work really well because they’re cute, ”he explains. In the Reposado (aged 7 months) this juxtaposition is expressed in a vanilla, herbaceous nose with aromas of orange cream and pepper on the palate, while the Añejo (aged 14 months) lets the barrel lead and a robust oak backbone forms with gentle herb and agave notes .

Maturation: Oloroso sherry

Although sherry barrels are common for the maturation and refinement of whiskeys like scotch, they have so far been used less for tequila. Oloroso Sherry is dry and oxidative, with nutty, spicy and dried fruit flavors that merge seamlessly into the sweet agave of tequila. Rodriguez says the process wasn’t easy; For a year and a half, spirit and barrel do not get along. However, at the age of two, the taste profile changed, proving that patience pays off.

Maturation: PX sherry

Backed by LeBron James and a number of the liquor industry and other business heavyweights, Lobos launched three expressions in late 2020, all of which spent time in PX sherry casks. In contrast to its sibling Oloroso, PX is a syrupy-sweet wine that gives the spirit rich fruit and chocolate aromas. In the Joven, which only gets a short finish, the PX comes through with subtle fullness, but the Reposado (aged six months) and the Extra Añejo (aged three) take on more dessert-like properties, including delicious cream Brulee. Read our full review here.

Maturation: California red wine

A blanco tequila the color of Provencal rose? Apparently it is possible; The Consejo Regulador de Tequila says that this delicately fruity, millennial pink tequila, which spends 30 days in red wine barrels from Napa, Sonoma and Santa Barbara, is a “Rosa Blanco”. Its añejo sibling spends longer in these barrels, matures for 18 months and ends up with a much darker copper and gives notes of caramel and vanilla. Calirosa also has a celebrity connection, with Adam Levine and his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, partners.

Maturation: French red wine followed by Oloroso sherry

Doubling the barrel influence is a bold move: while it can lead to amplified flavors, the added finish could just as easily ruin an otherwise great tequila. Código has thrown caution to the wind with this special edition of its Rosa expression, which normally ages for a month in French oak barrels and is then bottled. This time, however, the brand recommended by George Strait has decanted the spirit again after three months and given it a generous finish in fino sherry barrels. With its blushing hue and rich flavors, tequila looks almost as good as it tastes.