Your cart is currently empty!
Your cart is currently empty!
Tasting with Jamie Orendain this summer, the still strength was hands down our favorite expression from their line up. Jaime mentioned this is also the family favorite, drunk as a high ball. For their Artesenal line, the agave is roasted in their original brick ovens and fermented in cement vats (rather than the modern steel autoclaves and tanks). All resulting in a more robust flavor profile.
This tequila is supreme for Ranch Water, or if you're on the hunt for something comparable to Fortaleza Still Strength, but under the radar and far more accessible.
-Saman
Eduardo and Jamie Orendain are fifth generation owners and master distillers who operate Tequila Arette. The Orendains are considered a part of the “Tequila Founding Families,” in addition to the Sauzas, Juan Beckman from Cuervo Tequila and others. The Orendains are all about quality and refuse to cut any corners; they do not use any chemicals to accelerate the fermentation process.
Made from 100% estate-grown lowlands Agave, Arette has always prioritized quality over quantity, preserving the original artisanal practices. After 15 hours of roasting, agave are shredded and fermented with a special house yeast in the distilleries original cement vat for 6-7 days, and finally pot distilled and double-filtered before bottling. The Artesanal Fuerte is bottled at a significantly higher proof than their regular blanco, 50.5% abv. On the nose, there is pepper, slight vanilla, honey, leather, an earthy note, cooked agave, anise, and smoke. The palate is exceptionally easygoing for a high proof tequila, but the flavors are certainly full and assertive. It's earthy, slightly smoky, spice and pepper with some anise, honey, and a hint of citrus, with a balanced sweetness present throughout.