Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo Tequila

Absolutely incredible !

Another in the occasional series where I say “I don’t often drink x but this is amazing,” brought to you tonight by tequila. I can’t remember when I last drank a tequila neat but I’d happily pour this for savoring like a fine whisky. The nose is packed with flavors of toffee and grilled pears, with a hint of celery. Tasted blind, I’d swear the combination of gentle caramel and sugar cane suggested some sort of bourbon or armagnac finished in a rum cask. Only a vegetal note on the finish hints at its botanical origins. There’s more flavor here than in many a 43% whisky, so cheers to @ctbeck11 for sharing this pour.

@pkingmartinmartin , @ctbeck11ck11 @Richard-ModernDrinking and I had our quarterly online tasting. We had 4 pours …all amazing. 25yr Proof and Wood Light whiskey, Tears of Llorana tequila, Del Maguey Iberico, and a no name local only mezcal from a oaxacan distillery. Okay, I’m no tequila expert, but I did have more than enough to have one listed as my all time best. This is it. It’s my all time favorite tequila I’ve ever had. This is a whiskey drinker’s tequila. It’s layers and layers of complexity, almost like a well aged Speysider finished in tequila cask. Aged 5 years, in a cognac, scotch , and Sherry casks. Heavy in rancio, custard, toffee. Expensive, but so damn good. I’d you’re going to buy one tequila, this is it. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the pour!!

Smokey... adding this a week after tasting so that is the thing I hang on to. Not what I expected and in the best possible way. One of the finest spirits I have ever had.

Tears of Llorona is an interesting one where the tequila is aged in oak barrels which aged Scotch, sherry and cognac for around five years then bottled at 43.0%. I’ve been interested in trying this one for some time, but could never bring myself to buy a bottle. Thankfully, @ctbeck11 was very generous and provided me with a sample to taste. The nose is light and delicate that starts with floral notes and a roasted agave hello before a background of light smoke with the fruits front and center of white grapes, tinned peaches and salted mango then comes caramel flan that transitions to a stronger but still mild smoke with roasted asparagus, fried yucca root and cinnamon churros with a spicy dark chocolate dipping sauce with low ethanol burn. The taste is a light mouthfeel starting fruity with limes, oranges and persimmons that quickly goes to a clay minerality along with a drying ginger, black pepper and cinnamon spice that then fades to churros followed by roasted agave, olive oil covered grilled asparagus, fried yucca root and vanilla meringue with low ethanol burn. The finish is short with light smoke, lime, sautéed apples, persimmons, vanilla pudding, spicy dark chocolate, black pepper, ginger, and moderate oak spice. This is a very complex tequila that was a lot of fun to break down with a nose of florals, citrus, light smoke, sweets, roasted veggies and spices followed by the palate leading with fruit forward before an earthy and spicy mix that fades to fried sweets, roasted veggies and creamy sweets that finish with a light smoke, citrus, chocolate and a mild spice. At $250, I’m happy to have been able to taste this fine and complex tequila but would likely never buy a bottle as my preference leans towards unaged Del Maguey Arroqueno mezcal at half the cost. If you’re looking for a very complex tequila with layers of flavors, I’d recommend giving this one a try at a bar before committing to a full bottle.