The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Siete Leguas Reposado
TequilaIssue 6

Siete Leguas Reposado

Casa Siete Leguas (est. 1952) · Siete Leguas Distillery (NOM 1120), Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico

$5080 (40% ABV) proof8 months in American white oak barrelsAtotonilco El Alto, Jalisco Highlands — where Don Ignacio González Vargas founded his distillery in 1952, naming it after Pancho Villa’s famous horse, and where today the family still uses brick ovens, tahona stones, and wooden fermentation tanks in a process virtually unchanged in seven decades.
If El Tesoro is the tequila nerd’s tequila, Siete Leguas is the tequila maker’s tequila. This is the distillery where Don Julio González originally made his tequila before launching his own brand — yes, Don Julio tequila was born at Siete Leguas. The family has refused every shortcut the modern tequila industry has embraced: they still use brick ovens when autoclaves are faster, tahona stones when roller mills are cheaper, wooden fermentation tanks when stainless steel is easier to clean, and copper pot stills when column stills would be more efficient. The result is a tequila with a mineral complexity and savory depth that industrial methods simply cannot replicate. The Reposado’s eight months in American oak adds just enough vanilla and warmth without obscuring the agave and terroir. When tequila professionals talk about “the old way,” this is what they mean.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Cooked agave, honey, white pepper, lime zest, damp clay, and a savory herbaceousness that speaks directly to the highland terroir.

Palate

Elegant and earthy — sweet roasted agave, mineral complexity, cinnamon, green olive, butter, and a silky texture from the tahona production that coats the palate.

Finish

Medium-long with lingering agave sweetness, pepper, wet stone minerality, and a clean, dry herbal quality.

Specifications
Agave
100% Highland Blue Weber Agave
Production
Brick oven roasted (36 hours), tahona stone-crushed, open-air wooden tank fermentation, double distilled in copper pot stills
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Cocktail — The Highland Paloma: 2 oz Siete Leguas Reposado · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · ½ oz fresh lime juice · ½ oz agave nectar · 3 oz Topo Chico. Build over ice in a tall glass, stir gently. Salt rim optional. The tahona’s mineral character amplifies the grapefruit’s bitter edge for a paloma with real depth.

Food Pairing

Pair with: Carnitas tacos with salsa verde and pickled onions. The tequila’s savory earthiness and herbal quality mirror the pork and salsa, while the agave sweetness balances the acid from the pickled onions.

Train These Aromas
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