Excellia Añejo Tequila
Excellia · Destilería Subterra (NOM 1616)
Excellia Añejo embodies the 'Quicksilver in Craft' theme perfectly — the unconventional French oak Sauternes cask finishing creates a tequila that shape-shifts on the palate, never settling into one dimension. The technique, borrowed from cognac aging traditions, gives this añejo a fluid, almost elusive elegance that rewards patient sipping. At its price point, it's a brilliant example of how cross-cultural craft can transmute familiar agave into something luminous.
Nose
An opening wave of roasted agave gives way to a shimmering interplay of honeycomb, toasted almond, and dried apricot. Beneath it, wisps of baking spice and a delicate floral note — almost like orange blossom water — emerge with time in the glass, hinting at the wine-cask influence.
Palate
Silky and medium-bodied, with a mercurial quality: cooked agave sweetness flows seamlessly into butterscotch and crème brûlée, then pivots toward dried stone fruit and a gentle, almost saline minerality. The Sauternes cask lends a honeyed richness that never overwhelms, while white pepper and cinnamon keep the palate lively and in constant motion.
Finish
Medium-long, with lingering notes of toasted oak, vanilla custard, and a faint echo of candied citrus peel that fades into a clean, mineral dryness.
- Region
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Mercurial Sour — 2 oz Excellia Añejo • 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice • 0.5 oz honey syrup (2:1 honey to water) • 0.25 oz Lillet Blanc • 1 egg white • Garnish: 3 drops of Angostura bitters on the foam, dragged with a pick into a quicksilver swirl. Dry shake all ingredients vigorously for 15 seconds, then add ice and shake again until well chilled. Fine strain into a chilled coupe.
Food Pairing
The rich, honeyed butterscotch notes of Excellia Añejo find a natural counterpart in the caramelized fat of seared duck breast, while the apricot in the glaze echoes the dried stone fruit character imparted by the Sauternes casks. A subtle chipotle heat in the sauce mirrors the white pepper spice on the palate, and the tequila's mineral finish cuts through the duck's richness, resetting the palate for each successive bite.
Excellia was born from an unlikely partnership between a French wine merchant and a master tequilero, united by a shared obsession with how wood transforms spirit. While most añejos rest in American whiskey barrels, Excellia's founders sourced casks that once held Sauternes — the legendary sweet wine of Bordeaux — reasoning that the residual sugars and botrytis character in the staves would act like quicksilver on highland agave, catalyzing flavors impossible to achieve through conventional aging. The result is a tequila that moves like liquid mercury between Old World refinement and New World terroir, a cross-pollination of craft traditions that feels both ancient and restlessly innovative.
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