
ArteNOM Selección de 1146 Añejo
ArteNOM · Destilería El Pandillo (NOM 1146)
ArteNOM's 1146 Añejo is what happens when barrel aging complements rather than conceals the agave. Eighteen months in American oak gives structure and depth, but the highland terroir of Jesús María — bright, mineral, vegetal — stays audible throughout. This is añejo done with restraint and intelligence.
Nose
Rich cooked agave and caramel lead, with butterscotch and a distinct oakiness. Vanilla and warm cinnamon round out the aromatics, and there's a subtle earthy mineral note behind everything.
Palate
Full-bodied and layered. Dark chocolate and honey meet on the mid-palate, supported by oak and a gentle pepper warmth. The cooked agave character persists, never obscured by the barrel influence.
Finish
Long and warming, with caramel, oak, and a faint tobacco leaf note fading gradually.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Brick oven cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation
- Region
- Jesús María, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Brick oven cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- NOM
- 1146
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Highland Old Fashioned — 2 oz ArteNOM 1146 Añejo · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir with ice, strain over a large cube, garnish with an orange peel.
Food Pairing
Mole negro with slow-braised chicken
Crafted at the small, family-run Destilería El Pandillo in the highlands of Jalisco, this expression is part of ArteNOM's terroir-driven project — each bottle sourced from a different NOM to showcase how place shapes tequila.
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