The finish is long, fruity, with vanilla, caramel and butterscotch notes and a lingering pepperiness. Betsy Andrews has been writing about wine and spirits for two decades. While reporting for Food & Wine and Travel & Leisure, she spent quality time in Jalisco’s agave fields watching piñas being harvested, and in distilleries watching them be rendered into the elixir that is tequila. Drinking at the side of master distillers, crawling the bars of Guadalajara and Tequila, she acquired a taste for, and a keen interest in, Mexico’s premiere spirit—especially the añejos and extra-añejos, which are always how she likes to end a meal. Tequila may be bottled without maturation or aged in oak barrels. The length of aging determines how it is labeled: Colorless blanco or silver tequila is aged fewer than two months in oak; reposado between two and 12 months; añejo for more than one year. Extra añejo is a category added in 2006 that includes tequila aged at least three years in oak vats under 600 liters. Generally, the longer tequila ages in oak, the smoother and more full-bodied it becomes. Only 1,600 bottles of Corralejo’s new 25th Anniversary Extra Añejo Tequila have been made, the brand has revealed. The limited edition Tequila, produced in Guanajuato, Mexico, is both a tribute to 250 years of Tequila-making tradition and 25 years of Corralejo Tequila. I did not know going into this that Corralejo was such a historical name in tequila. Hacienda Corralejo was founded in 1755 and was the first estate in Mexico to produce tequila as a commercial venture. Corralejo is the only distillery to use the Charentais method of distillation. It is the same distillation process used in making French cognac. According to the facts sheet that Corralejo included with my bottle, this method allows for capturing more of the aroma and flavors that are so distinctive to Corralejo tequila. But how does the final product taste to drink? Let’s get right down to it. CORRALEJO TEQUILA REVIEW

The clove flavor is too intense for my taste, and the cough syrup aftertaste makes it taste unusual. If not bottled unaged as Blanco, the Tequila is put in oak barrels to age. The tequila is then bottled at the estate. Is Corralejo Tequila Mexican owned?A tequila labeled simply “gold” or “joven” is unaged, possibly with caramel coloring or other sweeteners added. Those who remained loyal to Béthencourt on Lanzarote would use a flimsy boat to rescue La Salle and his men from Lobos. Unfortunately, the Corralejo 1821 Extra Añejo is too heavy on the oak, leaving little room for other flavors to shine.

The Blanco has a sharp alcoholic taste that dominates the flavor profile, while the Añejo has a strong clove taste that may not be appealing to everyone. This blue agave juice may make a 100 percent agave spirit, or the producer may add up to 49 percent non-agave sugars, such as sugar cane or corn sugars, to make a “mixto” or “regular” tequila.Founded in 1775, Hacienda Corralejo was the first estate in Mexico to produce tequila commercially, and for nearly 250 years their methods have remained the same. 100% Agave, copper-pot stills, aged inFrench Limousin oak. Layers of complex flavors satisfy even the most discerning tequila connoisseur.

With a hint of peach, a sprig of fresh mint, and a splash of lemon juice, this creative take on a classic Margarita is the perfect complement to Corralejo Silver’s light peppercorn aromas and crisp flavors.

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This cookie is used to detect and defend when a client attempt to replay a cookie.This cookie manages the interaction with online bots and takes the appropriate actions. The fermentation length, temperature and yeast affect the development of flavor compounds or congeners that produce a specific tequila style. Some producers add piña fibers called bagasse to the fermentation vessel to enhance the complexity of the spirit. Regulations demand that tequila be double-distilled in pot stills, or produced with a continuous still that has at least two columns.

Spain lifted the ban for good in 1792, and in 1795 gave a license for the production of tequila to Jose María Guadalupe de Cuervo, maker of what is now the world’s best-selling tequila, Jose Cuervo. Producers continued making mezcal with Mexico’s many agave species, but it became clear that one particular plant delivered the best spirits. In 1902, Alsace-born botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber classified this species as Agave tequilana Weber azul, or Weber blue agave. Although it’s not a bad Tequila, it’s overpriced, with many other extra-aged Tequila options on the market that offer more value and a more appealing taste profile. Made with 100% Blue Weber agave, the 40% ABV Tequila has been hand-harvested from the Hacienda’s fields, slow-cooked in stone clay ovens for 36 hours before being fermented and double distilled in column stills and Alembic copper stills imported from Spain, using the 400-year old Charentais method pioneered by Cognac distillers in France.My journey has seen me as an owner of sophisticated bars and renowned liquor shops, and even as a Mezcal distiller, honing the craft from scratch. On that first landing, Béthencourt remained on board the ship while La Salle and Remonnet de Levedan went ashore to explore the island and look for locals. The arid North of the island was not densely populated and the conquistadors found little in the way of local life.