Review: Quintaliza Tequila Reposado and Reposado Cask Strength
Quintaliza makes one style of tequila and one only: a reposado which is coffee-aged. What the heck is “coffee-aged?” It’s finished in oak barrels that previously held brewed organic coffee, “made from sustainably sourced beans harvested in Chiapas, Mexico.” The aging process is actually patented, allowing “Quintaliza to achieve its distinctive bold taste and aroma naturally from the barrels, while still honoring and not overpowering the agave at the heart of the spirit.”
The underlying tequila is 100% agave, initially aged in ex-American whiskey barrels for 2 months before finishing in the coffee barrels for 3 additional months. Mike Winters, founder and CEO of Quintaliza Tequila, is careful to note that this is not a liqueur nor a flavored tequila product — though I’d also argue it’s not a straight tequila either. It’s something different, something unique.
“We don’t soak coffee beans or do any infusing, mixing, or blending of any kind. Quintaliza Tequila never touches one drop of liquid coffee,” says Winters. “It took us two years of experimentation and product development to get it right, but that’s what it takes to create something that’s never been done before.”
We got a bottle to taste along with lab samples of the tequila as a blanco and in its pre-coffee-aged reposado form. Quintaliza also sells the same tequila in a cask strength version, which we also had the chance to try. We’re not reviewing the lab samples, but thoughts on the two commercially available products follow.
NOM 1522.
Quintaliza Tequila Reposado – Expressive agave and gentle notes of coffee make for a nicely rounded nose that evokes notes of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon-spiced cafe au lait. Easygoing on the palate, the greener agave notes are considerably more tempered here, as light notes of caramel, almond brittle, and eventually coffee dominate. Again, the coffee is as breezy and mild as can be: This doesn’t taste like a flavored tequila, but a brown sugar note does offer some sweetness. Sesame oil, ever so slightly savory, is heavier on the finish, with a lightly peppery quality lingering — and plenty of vanilla-laced coffee too, of course. A gem. 80 proof. A- / $75
Quintaliza Tequila Reposado Cask Strength – Actually just 5% higher in alcohol, the cask strength version of Quintaliza does come across as just a bit hotter, but also a bit fruitier, with notes of spiced apple and orange peel that you don’t get in the standard expression. While the vanilla notes pop, the coffee is actually tempered a bit here, making more room for chocolate and a reprise of orange zest on the finish. More than anything, there’s a purer agave element in the mix, leading to a somewhat ruddy, earthy conclusion. It’s solid, but frankly the standard reposado is a bit more to my liking. Turns out the coffee is what I wanted to see the most. 90 proof. B+ / $85
Quintaliza Tequila Reposado
$75
