Casa Centinela has been making tequila since 1904, while a predecessor began distilling on the site in 1890.
In 1904, founder Porfirio Torres Pérez officially established La Destiladora Tequila Centinela, making it the first official tequila distillery in the city of Arandas, Jalisco.
It is one of the oldest continuously operating, family-owned tequila houses in the Los Altos (Highlands) region. It holds roughly 60,000 to 68,000 American white-oak barrels, giving it one of the largest aging capacities in the tequila industry.
Centinela translates to “sentinel” or “guard.” The brand is known as the “Guardian of True Tequila,” reflecting its commitment to traditional Highland tequila production.
This extra añejo is aged for three years in American white-oak barrels. Centinela uses Highland agave that is at least seven years old. The agaves are cooked for 36 hours in masonry ovens, then rested for another 36 hours.
They use a roller mill, then ferment the agave juice in stainless-steel vats for four days with a proprietary, lab-cultivated yeast strain.
To round out the liquid's natural complexity and texture, the master distillers add a touch of agave juice “aguamiel” at the end of fermentation. They then distill in stainless-steel stills with copper coils.
Let’s try it!
The aromas are rather pronounced, even though it’s only 80 proof. There’s a dusty caramel and roasted-agave note. There’s natural agave sweetness from the roasted agave, which also provides the caramel note. There are hints of brown butter, molasses, and baking spices, too.
The flavors are consistent with the aromas. Up front, I’m tasting roasted agave, caramelized sugar, and baking spices from the American oak barrels.
It’s well-balanced and not overly oaked, even though it’s aged for three years. There’s some nice pepper that punches through the sweet notes and lasts into the finish.
Overall, this is a balanced and enjoyable three-year extra añejo.
NOM | 1140 |
|---|---|
Agave | Jalisco (Los Altos) |
Cooking | Stone or brick ovens |
Extraction | Roller mill |
Water | Deep well water |
Fermentation | Stainless steel tanks |
Still | Stainless pot with copper coil |
Age | 3 years in American white oak barrels |
ABV | 40% |
Tequila Report Score: 88
88 points out of 100 (4.4 out of 5 points)
Price $229.99
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