
Fortaleza Añejo
Tequila Los Abuelos (NOM 1493) · Destilería Los Abuelos, Tequila, Jalisco
Fortaleza Añejo is what happens when traditional methods meet patient barrel aging — and neither rushes the other. The tahona wheel produces a spirit with more texture and mineral complexity than a modern roller mill, and eighteen months in oak adds caramel depth without burying the agave.
Nose
Cooked agave sweetness greets first, then butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel build slowly. Give it five minutes and cinnamon, toasted oak, and a subtle earthiness emerge from beneath the initial sweetness.
Palate
Silky and rich, with caramel and butterscotch leading into warm cinnamon, vanilla bean, and roasted agave. The oak is present but restrained, adding structure without masking the agave character.
Finish
Long and elegant, with oak tannins, gentle cinnamon warmth, and a lingering cooked agave sweetness that recalls the tahona-crushed piñas.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave, estate-grown in the Tequila Valley of Jalisco
- Production
- Stone oven roasted, tahona wheel crushed, open-air wooden tank fermentation, double distilled in copper pot stills. Additive-free.
Cocktail Suggestion
Cocktail — The Tahona Old Fashioned: Combine 2 oz Fortaleza Añejo, 0.5 oz agave nectar, and 2 dashes mole bitters over a large ice cube. Stir slowly for 30 seconds.
Food Pairing
Pair with: Mole negro with braised chicken — the sauce's chocolate, chili, and warm spice layers harmonize with the tequila's oak-aged complexity.
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