Herradura Ultra Añejo Cristalino
Herradura · Casa Herradura (Brown-Forman)
Cristalinos divide opinion, but Herradura Ultra makes the strongest case for the category. The extended aging builds real complexity before filtration removes the color — what remains is an añejo's depth dressed in a blanco's transparency. Pour it blind alongside an unfiltered añejo and the conversation gets interesting fast.
Nose
Cooked agave leads, followed by vanilla and butterscotch from the extended barrel aging. A gentle floral character — almost like dried lavender — floats above notes of toasted oak. The carbon filtration strips color but leaves aroma largely intact.
Palate
Silky and medium-bodied with a sweetness that stays on the right side of elegant. Caramel and honey merge with a minerally backbone that keeps the agave identity clear. Cinnamon warmth arrives in the mid-palate, along with a touch of almond.
Finish
Smooth and lingering with vanilla and a whisper of pepper. The oak tannins have been almost entirely softened, leaving a clean, sweet close.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Tahona and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, charcoal filtered post-aging
- Region
- Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Tahona and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, charcoal filtered post-aging
- Distillation
- Double distilled in stainless steel pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1119
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Crystal Paloma — 2 oz Herradura Ultra · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz agave nectar · 2 oz sparkling water · Build in a salt-rimmed Collins glass over ice, stir gently, garnish with grapefruit wedge.
Food Pairing
Grilled white fish tacos with mango salsa
Produced at the historic Hacienda San José del Refugio in Amatitán, where Herradura has distilled tequila since 1870 using estate-grown agave and natural fermentation with wild yeast.
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