The Herradura Ultra Anejo Tequila

Herradura’s Ultra Anejo is unlike any other tequila I’ve had. It is a blend of extra anejo tequila (aged 49 months) with anejo, which is a bit younger. Then they put it through a charcoal filter so it’s clear like a blanco.

Why do they filter it?

Who cares? It tastes amazing! At $70 a bottle, this is not mixing stuff. This is the stuff you serve to your father-in-law after Thanksgiving dinner. This is the stuff you sip with a Cuban cigar in the other hand. This is the stuff you savor and hide from your friends who want to do shots. If I see anyone with a lime and salt in one hand a shot of Herradura Ultra Anejo in the other, I will slap the drink out of their hand.

Tis better to throw good tequila on the ground than to waste it on swine, as the good book says.

Don’t think this stuff tastes like regular tequila, though. It’s a sweet, vanilla-almond bomb. According to the press release from last year, they add a bit of agave nectar before bottling, which may be why it’s so sweet.

In fact, it has none of the typical, vegetal tequila characteristics. It has more in common with an aged rum than it does with tequila.

The finish is ultra smooth, with nary a hint of burn in sight.

The Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Tequila

The unaged tequila in Herradura’s newest Coleccion de la Casa is an unaged spirit bottled straight from the still at 110 proof. I, for one, have never seen a tequila with that high of a proof content.

Compare it to the Ultra Anejo, and the two are night and day. This one is much harsher, but not as much as you might think considering the lack of maturation and the higher proof.

It is still absolutely drinkable on its own, or perhaps just slightly chilled.

This Coleccion de la Casa is meant to highlight the agave and only the agave. Nothing from the barrel. Nothing filtered out. Just the pure agave spirit.

Unlike an aged tequila, this one keeps its pepper vegetable quality. The finish reminds me of roasted peppers.

If you know someone who loves unaged tequila, then this bottle’s for them. At $90, it’s a special bottle. Keep it, too, away from the margarita lovers. Don’t let them be fooled into thinking this is just another blanco.