La Adelita, single estate tequila has received superb and superlative recognition in international spirits competition. Fill the snifter with chilled tequila and enjoy the story.
Story by Terry Check
As an amazing entrepreneur of luxury cult-like brands from wine to bourbon, Chris Radomski has partnered with the proprietor of Hacienda la Capilla, a boutique distillery in the Los Altos region of Jalisco just east of Guadalajara creating La Adelita Tequila. With early beginnings in 1885, Don Antonio Aceves founded the town, Capilla de Guadalupe in the Jalisco Highs region noted for its moderate climate and volcanic soil, excellent for agave farming. Devoting his life to cultivating agave and producing tequila, he created a family tradition. Aceves’ descendants harvested agave, selected by hand, crating one of the finest tequila brands in Mexico.
The agave fields are tended for seven to nine years until the agave is ripe. The harvester, “Jimador” trims the numerous leaves from the agave until the heart, “pina”, weighing between one to three hundred pounds, can be extracted from the ground. The pinas are then cut in half, chopped into small pieces, and cooked in stainless steel autoclaves starting the conversion of carbohydrates into fermentable sugars. Mechanical crushers mince the fibers which are then washed with water to remove the juices. The fermentation of ten to twelve days transforms sugars to alcohol. The next step is two or three distillations of the fermented alcohol in small copper pot stills increasing the alcohol content to 40% by volume. Except for the Blanco tequila, the distilled alcohol is aged in American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon, and then re-toasted in Mexico before use at the distillery.
La Adelita, single estate tequilas descriptions by the distillery:
BLANCO
Color: Bright and Clear Tasting Notes: Pungent aromas of lime-juiced agave — tart, ripe, and sweet — lead to a zing of spiced vanilla bean on the tongue, with a warming effect that melts into a chocolate coating. The spirit finishes with a wet-stone sensation, followed by a settling sweetness.
BLACK
Color: Crystal clear, showing pronounced legs in the glass Aging: 18 months in second-use American Oak whiskey barrels. The barrels are re-toasted in Mexico, medium toast. Process: Single barrels of añejo selected & filtered via a proprietary process to remove color maintaining the flavor profile. Tasting Notes: This spirit offers up a salty, pulpy nose with additional aromas of cashew, anise, and oak. A sweetness highlights that first sip, sparked by white pepper and nectarine zest; semi-sweet peach nectar ensues, bringing on a velvety finish.
REPOSADO
Color: Fawn Aging: three months in second-use American Oak whiskey barrels. The barrels are re-toasted in Mexico, medium toast. Tasting Notes: Perfumed with dill and just-ripened agave, this expression is semi-sweet yet buffered by salinity; toffee, oak, and walnut dot the palate with dryness. The edgy texture grips and almost tightens the tongue before a bold finish of tobacco and mocha.
ANEJO
Color: Light copper showing viscous legs in the glass. Aging: 18 months in second-use American Oak whiskey barrels. The barrels are re-toasted in Mexico, medium toast. Tasting Notes: The nose picks up expressive and direct scents of buttercream, lime, and fresh agave. Powerful in its bold flavors, it has a vegetal character that emphasizes a well-integrated cedar-butterscotch. Well balanced and quite dramatic.
EXTRA ANEGO
Color: Crisp Amber-Golden, deep silky legs in the glass. Aging: 48 months average in second-use American Oak whiskey barrels. The barrels are re-toasted in Mexico, medium toast. Tasting Notes: Following succulent waves of honeyed heather, sassafras, marzipan, and apricot nectar, flavors of sweet milk chocolate and white-peppered orange blossom arouse the palate. A continuing fragrance envelops the senses for a memorable Cognac-like sipping experience.
How best to enjoy La Adelita tequila?In my opinion, it is best to chill the tequila and enjoy the spirit neat. Close your eyes, sip slowly, taste the agave essence and detect flavors alone the way. If you prefer a good margarita or a pink lemonade cocktail, checkout La Tequila website for recipes at https://www.laadelitatequila.com.
