Calle 23 Añejo Criollo Tequila
Calle 23 · Destilería Leyenda del Milagro (NOM 1576)
Calle 23's Criollo Añejo is a profound expression of place, channeling the volcanic terroir of Jalisco through a rare agave varietal that few distillers dare to work with. The mineral backbone is extraordinary—persistent, layered, and utterly aligned with this issue's theme of granite memory. This is tequila as geological autobiography.
Nose
Opens with deeply roasted agave and wet clay, evoking the mineral-rich volcanic soils of Jalisco's highlands. A secondary wave introduces toasted almond, dried orange peel, and subtle white pepper. Underneath, there is a persistent earthen quality—almost like wet stone after rain—that anchors the aromatics.
Palate
The entry is silky and medium-bodied, leading with cooked agave sweetness that quickly pivots into a striking minerality, like licking a sun-warmed river stone. Dark caramel and baking spice weave through the mid-palate, while a distinct herbaceous thread of dried thyme and sage adds complexity. The criollo agave varietal imparts a distinctly savory, almost olive-oil-like richness that sets it apart from standard blue weber expressions.
Finish
Long and resonant, with lingering notes of damp earth, black pepper, and toasted oak fading into a clean mineral echo. The finish leaves a lasting impression of terroir—granite and soil memory encoded in spirit.
- Agave
- Agave Tequilana Weber Azul var. Criollo (rare ancestral varietal)
- Production
- Slow-cooked in traditional stone ovens for 72 hours, crushed with a tahona stone, naturally fermented with native yeasts in open-air wooden vats, then double-distilled in copper pot stills
- Region
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-cooked in traditional stone ovens for 72 hours, crushed with a tahona stone, naturally fermented with native yeasts in open-air wooden vats, then double-distilled in copper pot stills
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- Aging Vessel
- Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
- NOM
- NOM 1576
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Granite Paloma — 2 oz Calle 23 Añejo Criollo · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 oz mineral sparkling water · Pinch of flaky sea salt · Build in a tall glass over ice, stir gently, garnish with a grapefruit wheel and a sprig of thyme
Food Pairing
The spirit's deep mineral character and savory herbaceous notes find a natural partner in the complex bitterness of mole negro—with its charred chiles, dark chocolate, and warm spices—draped over tender braised short ribs. Serve alongside roasted root vegetables and a side of earthy black beans.
French-born biochemist Sophie Decobecq founded Calle 23 with a scientist's obsession for terroir, and her Criollo expression—made from a near-extinct ancestral agave varietal—captures the mineral memory of Jalisco's iron-rich volcanic earth in every sip.
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