The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Terralta Añejo
TequilaIssue 71

Terralta Añejo

Terralta · Destilería El Pandillo (NOM 1579)

80 proof2-YearJalisco Highlands, Mexico
Felipe Camarena's Terralta Añejo is aged tequila done with discipline. Two years in barrel adds complexity without turning the spirit into a wood-bomb. The agave speaks clearly throughout — a sign that the distiller's hand was steady from field to bottle.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich cooked agave and butterscotch open the nose, followed by vanilla, baking spice, and a wisp of dried leather. Underneath there's a pleasant earthiness and a bright note of cooked pear.

Palate

Silky and well-integrated. The oak influence provides caramel and cinnamon warmth without obscuring the agave character, which still reads as sweet roasted piña. Pepper builds in the mid-palate alongside a pleasant honey note.

Finish

Long and warming, with lingering oak, butterscotch, and a gentle agave sweetness that fades slowly into mild smoke.

Specifications
Agave
100% Blue Weber Agave, Jalisco Highlands
Production
Brick oven-cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, copper pot distillation
Region
Jalisco Highlands, Mexico
Cooking Method
Brick oven-cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, copper pot distillation
Distillation
Double distilled in copper pot stills
NOM
1579
Additives Free
Yes
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Terralta Oaxaca-Style Old Fashioned — 1.5 oz Terralta Añejo · 0.5 oz mezcal · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 dashes mole bitters · Stir with ice, strain over a large cube, garnish with an orange peel.

Food Pairing

Mole negro with braised chicken

The Story

Master distiller Felipe Camarena crafts Terralta at the high-altitude El Pandillo distillery, where his family's multi-generational tequila legacy meets an uncompromising commitment to additive-free production.

Train These Aromas
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