This Tequila Aged in a Cherry Bitters Barrel… and They Waited 20 Months

[00:00:00] This tequila was aged in Woodford Reserve barrels that also held cherry bitters. And the crazy part about this one is it almost got bottled too early. All right, today we are going to dive into this seriously unique bottle. This is the terra D ensueno 2026 private reserve. A single barrel selection from none other than the Tequila Collective. This barrel is awesome. It first held Woodford Reserve bourbon and then it was used to make Woodford Reserve's cherry bitters. And then tequila rested in it for 20 months. And here's the kicker. Rob Gerard actually went down to the distillery in January of 2025, tasted it and said it's good but it's just not ready and that's rare to let it rest even longer. So what might have been a reposado today is an anejo that was aged for 12, 20 months. Let's talk about the base juice in here first. Fully mature agaves grown at 7,118ft elevation. They use traditional stone oven cooking, roller mill for extraction, natural open air fermentation with a yeast blend and they use the Mozart method. From there it's twice distilled in copper pot stills and non chill filtered. So you get the full, full texture, full oils, nothing stripped out. Let's get this in the bottle. This is a fresh pop and I'm excited about it. I really love all of the information on the back of the bottle as well. And I like the cool red label they put on this one. [00:01:39] All right, let's get a nose on this one. Get a really nice cooked agave. I get like a really deep caramel note and maybe because I have cherry in my mind, I just have this dark cherry and vanilla note. There's also a little bit of like a bitter herbal note as well. And I do get some spice. And one of the things I always get with Ensueno is cinnamon. So maybe that spice will turn into that cinnamon in the taste. Let's dive in. [00:02:07] Sweet cooked agave, really nice cooked agave actually. Then it goes into a little bit of a caramel and a little bit of an oaky note mid palate. I do get that cherry influence. I did truly expect it to have a little bit more cherry than what it does, but it has really picked up that mid palate on. I pick up that spiciness, I pick up just a subtle hint of a cinnamon and then the finish just kind of hangs on with some heat. Some cooked agave and that little bit of a cherry with this little bit of a spice note in the as well, this is really complex and I'm sure that once this opens up that there's going to be even more to it. So I want to take another taste and see if I can pick up anything else. [00:02:51] Yeah, even in that second taste, that cherry influence comes in mid palate. Behind that cooked agave, I get oak, cherry, light spice, maybe a hint of cinnamon. Not as much cinnamon as I like in, in sueno, but maybe that cherry bitters and the oak kind of tame that down a little bit. This is one of those tequilas where every single decision really mattered, not rushing it, letting that barrel evolve and utilizing something that's a little different, like a cherry bitters barrel. This isn't your typical anejo and it's a single barrel with a story and I like it. Rob did a great job picking this one. And let's go back to something I talked about earlier this year and I talk about a lot is joining some of these agave clubs. The Tequila Collective is a club where you can join. You learn lots of information about brands. They have some sip sessions and you get special edition tequilas like this one where you can get discounts or be able to buy it before the market. So this is just another reason why to join a club like the Tequila Collective. So definitely check that one out. If you're into unique barrels and additive free tequila and limited releases, this is one to definitely look out for. Drop a comment if you would try a tequila aged in cherry bitters barrel and always sip responsibly. [00:04:05] Have a great night. Cheers.