The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Fortaleza Añejo
TequilaIssue 25

Fortaleza Añejo

Tequila Los Abuelos (NOM 1493) · Destilería Los Abuelos, Tequila, Jalisco

$7880 (40% ABV) proof18 Months in American OakFifth-generation tequilero Guillermo Erickson Sauza produces Fortaleza at Destilería Los Abuelos in the town of Tequila, Jalisco — using the same methods his family pioneered in 1873. Estate-grown Blue Weber agave is slow-roasted in a traditional stone brick oven, then crushed by a two-ton volcanic tahona stone wheel, fermented in open-air wooden tanks with native yeast, and double distilled in copper pot stills.
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.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

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.

Specifications
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.
Serve & Pair

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.

Train These Aromas
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