Fortaleza Winter Blend 2020 Reposado Tequila Cask 750ml

Fortaleza Winter Blend 2020 is the second annual release in what has become one of the most closely watched limited series in tequila, and it remains the most experimental of the run. Produced at Destilería La Fortaleza in Tequila, Jalisco under NOM 1493 by the Sauza family's fifth generation, it begins where every Fortaleza expression begins: agave cooked in a brick oven, crushed by tahona, fermented with the fibers, and distilled in copper pot stills to a still strength blanco at 46 percent alcohol by volume. Rather than proof that spirit down before resting it, the distillery laid it into barrel undiluted and bottled it the same way. Three separate parcels were aged and then married. One rested in used medium char American oak. One rested in second fill French oak, previously used to mature the 2019 Winter Blend. The third, and the reason this release is talked about the way it is, rested in American oak that had previously aged an English style ale. The American oak parcels rested roughly six months, the French oak roughly ten. What comes out of that marriage is unmistakably Fortaleza at the core, all cooked agave and mineral earth, but wrapped in something no other tequila quite offers: a cider like brightness and a soft yeasty malt character carried over from the beer barrel, cutting against the French oak sweetness so the finish stays dry rather than syrupy. Bottled at barrel strength with no additives, no colouring and no sweetener. Only 7,050 bottles were produced worldwide, each hand numbered on the neck strip, and the release has long since left retail shelves. For collectors of the Winter Blend series or of tahona produced tequila generally, the 2020 is a cornerstone bottle.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Pale golden straw with a warm amber cast, natural.

Nose: Cooked agave and warm butter up front, then vanilla cream, butterscotch, apricot and cinnamon, with a distinct cider like lift and a faint bready malt note from the ale barrel.

Palate: Thick and oily in texture. Caramelized agave and baked apple lead, followed by black pepper and toasted grain through the middle, with French oak sweetness arriving late.

Finish: Long and warming, drying rather than sweet, with butterscotch, soft oak spice and a lingering effervescent tang carried over from the beer cask.

FAQ

Q: What makes the 2020 Winter Blend different from other Fortaleza releases?
A: The beer barrel. One of the three components rested in American oak that previously aged an English style ale, contributing a cider like acidity and malt character found in no other Fortaleza expression.

Q: What does cask proof mean here?
A: The blanco went into barrel at its natural still strength of 46 percent and was bottled without dilution. Unlike many barrel strength products, the proof is fixed at 92 across the entire release.

Q: How rare is this bottle?
A: Only 7,050 bottles were produced worldwide, each individually hand numbered. The release is long discontinued and trades exclusively on the secondary market.

Q: Is it additive free?
A: Yes. No additives, no added colouring and no sweetener. Colour and flavour come from the agave and the wood.

Q: What is a tahona?
A: A two ton volcanic stone wheel used to crush cooked agave, the traditional method Fortaleza still uses. It is slower and lower yielding than a roller mill and produces a richer, earthier spirit.

Q: Where can I buy Fortaleza Winter Blend 2020 Reposado online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.