Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] If you think 100 proof tequila is about heat, you haven't tried this because this isn't strong for the sake of being strong. This is Amatatan Almerhoven, a limited release 50% ABV, a blend from the valley of Amatatan produced at La Roca Distillery NOM 1646. And this bottle is intentional from the start to the finish. All right, we're back talking about another hoven. Hovens have quickly become one of my favorite categories of tequila. This is 65% still strength blanco that's been aged 8 months in glass and 35% reposado aged 8 to 10 months in ex Wild Turkey Kentucky bourbon barrels. Wild Turkey barrels are known for a heavy char and a bold spice extraction. Instead of a soft vanilla sweetness, you get toasted caramel, baking spice and an oak grip. And then it's proofed at 50% ABV with deep well water, not chill filtered, no additives. Certified organic estate grown agaves. These agaves come from over 800 acres of certified organic estate fields in the valley of a Matatan. Volcanic soil and mineral rich soil. Let's talk a little bit about production. Harvested by hand by experienced timidoras. And if you've never got the chance to see it, you gotta go and watch them do it. It's amazing. The pinas are then slow cooked in traditional stone ovens for about two days.
[00:01:21] Low temperature, gradual caramelization of those natural sugars. Once cooked, these are crushed in a roller mill. And that's important. A roller mill is an efficient and consistent way to extract the sugars from the agave while preserving the agave's fibers. So that way you're not creating a lot of bitterness. After extraction, fermentation happens in open air stainless steel tanks using organic yeast. And this distillery is surrounded by lemon, mango, olive trees. The meaning of ambient yeast population contributes to the subtle aromatic complexity of this tequila. It's an environmental fermentation, not a lab driven flavor. This is double distilled in copper pot stills. Copper removes sulfides and refines the spirit while preserving the agave vibrancy. Then it comes to split aging. These guys are putting this high proof tequila in 20 liter glass bottles and just letting it rest. And that is an old school way of storing tequila. And it also is a way to let the tequila breathe and become what it is today. And then they take that other part that's been rested in 200 liter x wild turkey barrels and they blend it together. Different aging environments, different textures, then blended and that's where the magic really happens. As you can see, I've been hitting this one. Let's get it in the glass and let's get a nose on this one. There you go.
[00:02:44] Let's dive in and get a deep smell. Okay. You get a lot with this one. You get cooked agave, you get white pepper. You get baking spices, toasted caramel. There's a neat espresso type note and a little bit of chocolate that I get with this. And there's also a lot of like valley minerality and some vegetable notes. Okay. Can't wait to taste this one. Wow. This is one of those tequilas that when you smell it and you get the nose on it and then you taste it, it's completely different up front. Cooked agave, the next flavor I get is a little bit of clove or like a grassy note and then cinnamon. A dark, like caramelized note. There's that chocolate that I picked up in the nose, but more like a bitter cacao. A subtle like, almost like a coffee bean. You do get a nice salinity or a faint, like, flavor of olive brine. If you ask me, if this was 100 proof or 50 ABV, I would not be able to say that. It's. It's not harsh, it's not alcohol forward and it's not hot. It's intense in flavors, but definitely not a lot of alcohol flavors. The finish is long, it's peppery, it builds slowly, like it just gets stronger and stronger. There is a nice tannic oak note in there, and it has this nice minerality hit, but it also leads with agave, spices and minerality. So, you know, I'm thinking back about those Wild Turkey barrels and why that really matters. Wild Turkey is a heavily charred, bold, caramelized, spicy flavors. This means the reposado component, which is the backbone of this is not just sweetness. It's a lot of those other spicy flavors that I'm picking up when blended in glass age still strength blanco, you get a contrast of purity with the structure of that Wild Turkey bourbon barrel. This is a very deliberate barreling and it's a great hoven look. This is a limited release. Price wise, you're going to look somewhere around 75 to $100. And if you love hoven tequilas, this is one that you should try. I love the fact that it is hundred proof as a hoven. There's so many more flavors there. If you've had this one, drop a comment. If you've had Almaton, tell me what you think of this. Tequila. If you like these videos and you like learning more about tequila, hit that like and subscribe button and cheers. Know what you're drinking?
