
Espolòn Añejo Tequila
Espolòn · Destiladora San Nicolás
Espolòn's añejo over-delivers for its price. The oak influence adds depth without masking the agave, and the balance between sweet and spice makes it versatile across neat sipping and cocktail work. A smart entry point for anyone exploring aged tequilas.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Cooked agave and caramel dominate the opening, followed by vanilla bean, toasted oak, and a subtle thread of dark chocolate. A background note of baking spices rounds things out.
Palate
Smooth entry with butterscotch and roasted agave, moving into dried fruit and cinnamon at the mid-palate. Oak presence is measured — it frames rather than overwhelms, letting the agave character stay central.
Finish
Medium, with lingering caramel, a touch of pepper heat, and a pleasant oakiness that fades cleanly.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (Los Altos de Jalisco)
- Production
- Tahona-crushed and roller mill, open-air fermentation with native yeast, aged in lightly charred new American oak barrels
- Region
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Tahona-crushed and roller mill, open-air fermentation with native yeast, aged in lightly charred new American oak barrels
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1440
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Ember Old Fashioned — 2 oz Espolòn Añejo · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 3 dashes mole bitters · Stir with ice, strain over a large cube in a rocks glass, garnish with a flamed orange peel.
Food Pairing
Braised chicken thigh in mole negro with toasted sesame seeds and warm tortillas. The mole's chocolate and chili complexity mirrors the tequila's dark chocolate and pepper notes.
Crafted by master distiller Cirilo Oropeza at NOM 1440 in Los Altos de Jalisco, Espolòn uses 100% blue Weber agave and wild yeast fermentation in open-air tanks before aging in lightly charred American oak.
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