
Herradura Ultra Añejo Cristalino Tequila
Herradura · Casa Herradura (Brown-Forman)
Cristalino tequilas polarize purists, but Herradura's version makes a compelling case for the category. The añejo base provides genuine depth — cooked agave and oak influence survive the charcoal filtration — while the clarity and smoothness open doors for sipping occasions where a heavy reposado might feel out of place. Style with substance.
Nose
Cooked agave and vanilla rise immediately, joined by gentle butterscotch and a light floral note of rose. There's a subtle minerality underneath and just a trace of white pepper.
Palate
Silky and polished. Vanilla and caramel are prominent, with cooked agave sweetness threading through honey and a whisper of oak. Mid-palate brings subtle cinnamon and a clean citrus brightness — lime zest — that cuts the richness.
Finish
Medium, clean, and slightly sweet, with fading vanilla and a mineral dryness. The filtration removes some complexity but leaves elegance.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Stone oven-cooked agave, natural fermentation, double distilled in stainless steel pot stills, aged in American oak, charcoal filtered
- Region
- Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Stone oven-cooked agave, natural fermentation, double distilled in stainless steel pot stills, aged in American oak, charcoal filtered
- NOM
- NOM 1119
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Clear Horizon Paloma — 2 oz Herradura Ultra · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.25 oz agave nectar · Top with sparkling mineral water · Build over ice in a salt-rimmed Collins glass.
Food Pairing
Ceviche with mango and serrano chile
Produced at Casa Herradura's historic hacienda in the Amatitán valley, where agave has been cooked in traditional stone ovens and fermented with natural yeast since 1870.
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