Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] This might be one of the most underrated reposados in all of tequila. And I don't say that lightly. This tequila with a state grown highland agaves, volcanic spring water, open fermentation, copper pot distillation and a blend that includes 18 month Anejo. Yet somehow it completely flies under the radar. Today we're going to break down El Tecaleno Gran Reserva reposado and why this bottle quietly punches way above its weight. Now, if you're new here, this channel is dedicated to traditional Tequil tequila, real production and what's actually in your glass. No hype, no gimmicks. And if you've been following along the channel for a while, you already know I gravitate towards tequilas with heritage, process and balance. And this bottle checks all three. This isn't your average reposado. Like I mentioned in the beginning, El Tech Eleno Grand Reserve reposado is 100, a state grown blue Weber agave. And what's really cool is the tequila is made in the highlands, bottled in Guadalajara. And the agaves come from the highlands where the agaves naturally are a little bit sweeter, maybe a little more floral. This is minimum aged 8 months in American Oak. Blend in some 18 month aged Anejo to make this repo. That last part really matters too. It isn't just the wood time, it's the intentional blending designed to bring some depth without losing the agave. El Teculinha was founded in 1959 by Don Jorge Saez Cuervo, a direct descendant of one of the most influential families in tequila history. But instead of chasing scale and shortcuts, Don focused on the fundamentals. Island agaves. Clean fermentation, exceptional water and a balance in the final spirit. One of my favorite details of this tequila, they remove the cogoia, a bitter core of the agave before cooking. That extra step alone tells you everything you need to know about the intent of this. This legacy's now moved forward with master distiller Tony Sias. And I'm really looking forward to having a brand interview soon where he could talk about how this company came to be and his job of keeping it alive today. All right, let's talk about how it's actually made. And since I was just there, there's some great videos that I'm going to show as we talk through this cooking. Steam pressure autoclaves done just right. Anjorge in 1959 carefully controlled the no rush cook coia removal process to avoid any bitterness and have some of the best Cooked agave you'll ever taste. As the steam goes into the agave, they flush it out. And then after that, water that's removed from the first part of the cooking. From there, all of those honeys are collected. And you'll see these pipes running along the back of these autoclaves where that agua meal runs into the tank that's part of the musto to make the tequila. The water here is huge. El Tech Eleno uses volcanic spring water flowing directly from the extinct volcan de tequila. Only four distilleries have access to this mineral rich water source. And that water shows up in the texture and the minerality, flavors. Trust me, it's there. From there, they're going into the roller mill, which is a four pass roller mill. And you will see in the video that I shot watching everything go through the roller mill, how the water rushes down onto the agave and those agave fibers are pressed through that roller mill. And you'll see underneath how all of those juices are collected and delivered to the same tank. From there, they're going into fermentation, which is open air concrete vats that are influenced by the 150-year-old mango trees that are all around the property. That is part of the natural fermentation character. And it also gives a little tropical lift without the funk distillation. Check it out in the video. Brand new copper pot being distilled. Everything is done through copper pots. Copper pots create a cleaner spirit, better removal of impurities, and more character is preserved. Everything here is intentional. Nothing flashy, nothing rushed. All right, let's get this in a glass.
[00:03:50] Okay, let's jump in.
[00:03:54] Great cooked agabi.
[00:03:57] I get some honey, some like caramelization smell with a little bit of pear, some vanilla.
[00:04:06] I want to say cinnamon, but I think it's more like nutmeg and just a gentle amount of. Of oak. Like you get that oaky kind of caramel smell that maybe what's going along with the pears? Like just a caramelized oak smell.
[00:04:25] Gosh, it smells so good. Okay, let's dive in on the taste. Cooked agave, there's a. A little bit of a floral note. The agave is like a caramel flavor with a light toffee, little bit of vanilla. There's a nuttiness that I'm going to say is maybe like the richness of a macadamia nut. There's a little baking spice and a perfume floral note going into the finish. The finish is long, it's warm, has a lingering agave Sweetness. There's a soft wood type spice with that nuttiness. There's no bitterness, and it's not dry at all. There's not like a tannic dryness that you get in some reposados. But that makes sense, being all American oak. This is the kind of finish that you want to do it again. Like, it changes a little bit each time. All right, how do you drink this, and who's it for? Sipping. First and foremost, the best way to enjoy this is neat. If you like to add an ice cube to bring a little bit of the. Chill it up and change the flavors a little bit. Sure, maybe you do a large cube. If you're, you know, one of those people that like cocktails, Mexican old fashioned would be great. You'd still let that agave sit out there. But who's it for? To me, this is for blanco drinkers who really want to have that extra flavor of the oak without diving into an anejo. This is why I keep coming back to El Tecaleno. Honestly, this is just damn good tequila made the right way. If you're sleeping on this one, Gran Reserva Reposado, head to the store and pick it up. It's time to rethink it. You can pick it up anywhere. Total Wines, it's all over Indiana. They have great widespread distribution.
[00:05:53] You can always go to their website and look for it there. If this review helped you, hit the like button, the subscribe button, do me a favor. Drop a comment of what you think about El Tecaleno Grand Reserve Reposado, and as always, drink responsibly, and I'll see you on the next pour. Cheers.
