Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength
Fortaleza · Destilería La Fortaleza (Tequila Los Abuelos)
A masterclass in blending from one of tequila's most revered estates — Winter Blend distills the essence of Fortaleza's three core expressions into a single, sunlit pour that rewards contemplative sipping.
Nose
A luminous opening of cooked agave and warm honey rises first, followed by bright citrus peel, sweet cream, and a whisper of vanilla-touched oak. Beneath sits damp earth, crushed black pepper, and a faint herbal breeze of mint and eucalyptus.
Palate
Silky and viscous, the palate delivers pronounced roasted agave sweetness braided with caramel, buttered brioche, and orange oil. Mid-palate opens into cinnamon, gentle oak tannin, and a mineral streak reminiscent of wet stone from the Sauza family's historic estate.
Finish
Long and gently warming, with lingering agave nectar, black pepper, dried herbs, and a soft vanilla-oak fade. The still-strength proof adds structure without ever turning hot.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Agave slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, crushed by tahona and roller mill, open-air fermentation with native yeasts in wooden tanks, double-distilled in small copper pot stills. Bottled at still strength without dilution; a proprietary blend of Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo components.
- Region
- Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico (Lowlands)
- Cooking Method
- Agave slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, crushed by tahona and roller mill, open-air fermentation with native yeasts in wooden tanks, double-distilled in small copper pot stills. Bottled at still strength without dilution; a proprietary blend of Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo components.
- NOM
- NOM-1493
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Amanecer en Jalisco — 2 oz Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz orange blossom honey syrup (2:1 honey to warm water), 2 dashes orange bitters, grapefruit peel. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, express grapefruit peel over the surface and drop in.
Food Pairing
Slow-roasted pork carnitas with charred pineapple salsa, warm corn tortillas, and a squeeze of lime — the tequila's honeyed agave and citrus lift the richness while the pepper and mineral notes echo the smoky char.
Crafted by Guillermo Erickson Sauza, fifth-generation descendant of Don Cenobio Sauza, at the family's original 1873 distillery in Tequila — where volcanic-stone tahonas still crush agave harvested by hand from estate fields at the foot of the volcano.
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