[00:00:00] What happens when you take a really good tequila? You put it in a barrel that once held bourbon and then was used later to make orange bitters and then let the tequila sit in there for almost two years. Are you going to get something incredible or is the barrel going to completely take over the tequila? Well, today we are going to find out. This is the new Terra D on Sueno orange bitters single barrel Anejo. It's volume two. Selected by Rob Gerard of the Tequila collecting. And this is why I join clubs like the Tequila Collective. Not just cool shirts, but great information and also some access to some really incredible bottles of tequila. If you remember, I reviewed the cherry bitters on Yeho right here, just not too long ago and well, maybe Rob's done it again and created something as incredible as this one. We talk about this one being in bourbon barrels. One of the things they were allowed to say was that this was aged in Woodford Reserve barrels. So take a guess on this one if you want to. Now here's something pretty cool. I was talking to Rob about this bottle today and he shared a little bit of the story behind it. Like we talked about, the barrel originally held bourbon, then it was used to make orange bitters and finally it got filled with an sueno blanco at 45% alcohol. So you've got a barrel that's pretty interesting history before the tequila ever goes in. And here's what the story got a little better for me. Rob said he tasted this back in January 25 and right away he knew that was going to be something special. But he also knew it wasn't ready yet, it needed more time. So he continued to taste it over the following months, letting it develop in that barrel until finally deciding to pull it in August of 2026. And Rob also said to his knowledge, this is the only orange bitters barrel rested tequila to hit the market. And that's really what he was trying to accomplish with these barrel select.
[00:01:31] He's not interested in just picking another ordinary on Yeho and releasing it as a single barrel. He's trying to find something unique, something that gives people a completely different tequila experience. And I think that's pretty cool. Now if you remember the cherries bitters release that that tequila spent about 20 months aging. This one spent approximately 24 months in the barrel. So instead of those darker fruit notes that we're dealing with orange bitters, I'm expecting it to be a completely different animal. All right, let's talk about tequila itself. Coming out of Nom 1580 in the Highlands, they're using traditional brick ovens, roller mill, open fermentation in stainless steel tanks without fiber, and then double distilled in copper pots. Master distiller, the one and only Sergio Cruz. And working alongside is master blender Oscar Vazquez. And I've had the opportunity to learn quite a bit about Ensueno recently. I did get to sit down with Matt and have a great interview. You might want to check that one out. I really appreciate all the cool things they're doing with their tequila. There's a pretty cool connection to the Day of the Dead with this release. The orange bitters concept plays tribute to the beautiful orange marigolds used in Mexico to honor their remembered loved ones. This bottle in particular is bottle 218. And as of the day that I'm recording this, there is still bottles
[email protected]. now what I want to know is whether all the time in these unusual barrels has really enhanced this tequila or covered up the agave. Because you guys know I love a good anejo, but I still want it to taste like tequila. Let's get this thing in the glass. As you see fresh pop.
[00:02:54] Gotta get a good pour in there right away. That orange color is pretty cool. Okay, let's get on the nose. Okay, on the nose. Right away you get a nice cooked agave and you get an orange. Not like a, an orange candy, but like, like, just like a deep orange note. There's also a sweet, like a bourbon vanilla type toasted note. And there's also a lot of baking spices, maybe some clove. Okay, let's take a sip of this one.
[00:03:19] Really nice cooked agave, a really nice barrel note, almost like a. An oaky vanilla, but a little ways through there. All of a sudden you get this orange bitters influence. You get sweet orange and then you get this bitterness of the orange peel, and then it kind of dries out as it starts to go into the finish. So the much different than the cherry, where it's more dark and fruity and a neat sweetness, this one kind of leans into some of that bitterness. Not in a bad way. It's actually really cool.
[00:03:49] It's almost like having an agave old Fashioned, you know, without the ice and the orange and not quite as sweet as an old Fashioned. They're adding some things in there to make it sweeter. This is just has a nice, I'm gonna say just a nice pure agave sweetness. The finish might be my. Actually the favorite piece of this. There's orange peel, like those oils come through, you get some crisp like wood tannins and then that dryness and then that warmth kind of comes in.
[00:04:14] And I gotta say it's not a, it's not a peppery, it's, it's maybe a little bit of baking spice, maybe just a touch or hint of cinnamon in the finish, but it is, it's really kind of cool and dry. There is more orange showing up than what I expected. The cherry one didn't have this distinct cherry flavor that this one does. But the key is underneath all of these flavors, these oily, bitter orange flavors, you still get that beautiful cooked agave. You still get to taste of tequila and what tequila is supposed to, you know, taste like. So if you're looking for something really complex that's going to be really different that you're going to sit down and try, this is definitely a great bottle for that. Now if I, if I compare this to the cherry bitters release, these two are completely different that the cherry was that like I mentioned, the darker fruit, a sweeter agave, more leaning into the anejo, where this one I'm going to say is kind of deviating from how a tequila anejo tastes like on a normal tequila anejo. So I think Rob accomplished exactly what he was trying to do. He found something incredibly, incredibly unique. Now would I call this an everyday sipping on Yeho? Probably not. I think it's a really interesting example of how a barrel can influence Tequila without completely covering up agave. And remember, at the end of the day that's what I like is Tequila to taste like tequila. So this is a very interesting pour. I really look forward to how it's going to open up even more. This may be the first Tequila that I've ever had that I would put over a block of ice and just enjoy it like an agave old fashioned because all of the flavors are there without having to add anything. But I will say sipping it neat like this is also a great experience with a lot of amazing flavors. Now remember as the day I'm recording this video, it is still available. So if you're looking for something really unique, definitely check this out. And now I want to hear from you. Have you tried both these releases and which one did you prefer? The cherry bitters or the orange bitters? Let me know down in the comments. And if you haven't watched my original cherry bitters review, go check it out on my YouTube channel. Hopefully there'll be a link in the description. Thanks for watching. See you on the next one.
