Tequila Anejo, 'Castle & Key Barrel Aged', Amatitena

• Añejo tequila produced in Amatitán, Jalisco (NOM 1477) • Maestro Tequilero Alberto Partida • 100% Azul aka Blue Weber (Agave tequilana) • Single estate agave from Las Rosas field • Cooked in a traditional, mesquite-wood-fired stone oven (without steam) • Milled using an automated tahona (traditional stone wheel mill) • Open-air fermented with fibers (bagasse) in wooden tanks (tinas) using spring water and ambient yeast • Distilled in historical wood-fired copper pot stills from the 19th century • Aged 1 year in Castle & Key Restoration Rye whiskey barrels • 2112 bottles produced • Aromas of herbsaint and marjoram, fennel and dill, avocado leaf, wet hay, raspberry seed, fallen maple leaves, fresh tobacco, burnt marshmallow; the palate brings notes of birch, a touch of salted caramel and toffee, cinnamon bark, baked pear, nutmeg, and sweet potato • Additive free • 42% ABV A hotly anticipated collaboration between two of our favorite young artisan distillers, this añejo tequila marries the distinct, terroir-driven approach of Amatiteña with the complex structure of rye whiskey barrels from Kentucky’s own Castle & Key Distillery and Speyside Cooperage. Aged on-site in Jalisco for one year, exclusively using ex-Restoration Rye barrels, Amatiteña’s Castle & Key Añejo walks the same line of balance between delightful decadence and contemplative complexity that the brand’s aged tequilas are known for while adding a unique spin. The tequila pours translucent pale gold in color, seeming to imply a delicacy that the spirit’s powerful profile immediately upends, with bold aromas wafting up from the glass and filling the imagination. The tequila industry typically relies on the bounty of available ex-bourbon barrels for their aging needs, yet the green, herbaceous notes which rye whiskeys often offer arguably make a more compelling complement to the savory and vegetal palate of great agave spirits. Consider this Exhibit A.