Fortaleza Tequila Reposado 70cl
Take everything that makes the Fortaleza Blanco a cult favourite — the volcanic tahona, the brick ovens, the open wooden fermenters, the copper pot stills — and give it a few months in American oak. That's the Reposado, and it might be the sweet spot in the range for a lot of people. The Sauza family heritage is all here, additive-free, made the slow way at their lowland distillery in Jalisco.
It rests roughly six to nine months in American oak, long enough to take on colour and warmth but not so long that the agave gets buried. The barrel simply rounds off the edges of that vivid blanco character and folds in a layer of sweetness.
On the nose you'll find cooked agave leading, with vanilla, citrus peel, caramel and butter over a light oak frame, plus a herbal sage lift. The palate is where it really sings — sweet cooked agave, apple and citrus, vanilla and caramel, a dusting of baking spice and a roasted, nutty depth. The finish runs long and clean, gently peppery, with the oak and agave properly in balance. At 40% it drinks beautifully neat.
This is the bottle I'd hand someone who says they don't like tequila. It tends to change minds.
How to Serve
Neat in a copita or tulip at room temperature is how to appreciate the balance. It also builds a serious old fashioned. Skip the freezer — you'd flatten all that lovely detail.
Where to Drink It
Milroy's of Soho, for a bottle that rewards a knowledgeable pour. Tayēr + Elementary, for agave treated with respect. Scarfes Bar, for a slow one by the fire.
Food Pairings
Try it with slow-cooked carnitas and a warm tortilla — the caramel and spice sit right at home. Or sip it after dinner with a wedge of aged Gouda.
