Tonala Tequila Anejo Suprema Reserva

I'm a big fan of the talavera Tonala añejo, so upon seeing that they had a 4 year añejo (really an extra añejo) that was reasonably priced, you can bet that I would be excited. Something interesting about it is that is is finished in sherry casks. This is common for single malt scotches, but it's the only tequila that I can think of that does that. It comes from the very large NOM 1472 (Fabrica de Tequilas Finos) which makes 30+ brands/expressions of tequila. A sherry finished XA...this should be a unique experience.

Price: $55-65/bottle

Aroma: A nose that is more reminiscent of a good cognac. There's lots of spice, oak and ripe fruit. The agave is very faint.

Initial Taste: A really nice combo of honey, fruit, agave, oak and spice. Very complex, but also really easy to drink and enjoyable.

Body: The spice and oak come forward a bit more in this medium body with nice oils. The so many flavors to love along all parts of the palate that are mentioned in the initial tasting notes.

Finish: The finish is nice and long. It starts with the spice and sweetness and then finishes with the oak and a touch of smoke. Great balance and lingering flavors. It highlights all of the great tastes that are there throughout the drink. The sherry finish adds a nice extra touch.

While this tequila might not have the big agave flavors that some tequila lovers may like, it has enough to be recognizable as tequila. At the same time, spirit lovers of all types can fall in love with this one. There's aspects of tequila, whiskey, scotch, cognac and rum in this. It's really easy to sip and has a ton of flavor throughout the drink. Combine that with the reasonable price for a 4 year aged tequila and Tonala Suprema Reserva is a real winner. If you like to sip spirits, you should definitely buy/drink this one.

Bought 5/7/10, paid $55 online. Sampled from a 6 oz shot glass. Tonala NOM-1472, is sister to many excellent Tequila's by this distiller, I did not hesitate to buy. The bottle is a let down, simple, clear glass almost cheap looking and a small cork top. At least it does not hide the beautiful product inside. In the glass, Tonala looks like cognac, smells like cognac, mmm, and at first blush slides into your mouth like... cognac. It must be cognac! nope. The four years the agave spent in the sherry/bourbon barrels was time well spent. I like cognac, but I love Tequila and this tequila will not disappoint. The nose is sweet floral/fruity no alcohol and a wiff of agave. Thick and syrupy in the glass, slow heavy legs ultimately forming large tears. Fills your mouth as you might expect, heavy but settles nicely. If you let it soften, the finish has minimal heat and is very smooth, with almost no after taste. If you swallow immediately, you'll get a flurry of heat and character that is lost if played with too much in the mouth. Complex, smooth and interesting. Plenty of surprises in every oz. Tonala is an excellent tequila. It distinguishes itself because the maker went to great lengths to make something that stands out rather than being just another bottle on the shelf. A top 5 anejo, the bottle is the only let down here.

Tonala 100% Agave 4 Yr. Suprema Reserva Extra Anejo Tequila - NOM 1472. The appearance is a warm deep amber color with the standard pearls and slow legs. The fact that this tequila was aged in sherry and bourbon oaks barrels is very obvious in the nose. It's fruity with high bourbon, sherry, and spice, but not as much as you'd expect after aging 4 years. This is still very much tequila, with a very smooth body and not as hot as single barrel bourbons. It has a full smoky agave flavor, semi sweet, with mild bitterness. There are definitely more bourbon elements here than sherry with a dominate slow woody alcohol burn and a mild agave finish of medium duration. Everything I'd hoped for from this fine tequila was delivered, but it didn't exceed my expectations. The strong bourbon traits of this anejo diminish somewhat after the bottle has been open for a while. There is a fancy version of this bottle, hand blown with a couple of shot glasses encased inside, mine is the plain one with a wood and cork stopper but without much else to mention. I purchased this bottle on-line at Hi-Times for 52.99 per 750 ml. If you prefer a unique aged anejo and like bourbon I think you will enjoy this one.

I realize there are two schools of thought. But as far as an anejois concerned, this the best I have ever tasted. I've been drinking tequila for 35 years. The first thing you notice is the smoothness. Like drinking liquid velvet.! The least amount of burn I have ever experienced in any tequila. Expensive for sure, but worth it? a resounding YES!

Tonala 4 Year Suprema Reserva, tasted from a Reidel on 06/12/08 at 12:30pm. This long aged anejo gets its dark red color from the Sherry its aged in. This intrigued me because I had never had a tequila aged in Sherry. The aromas that stood out were bitter fruit and spices. You can smell the aging in this tequila and it lacks in agave aromas. So not much was expected upon tasting this "bourbon" style tequila. The taste was very woody with hints of dark chocolate, almond and coffee. This tequila has long legs but was too oily for my palate. Medium bodied, balanced alcohol and the finish was simple. I think the age overpowers this tequila and I give it a B/B+