Elevación1250 Añejo Rosa Fuerte

Elevación1250 is owned by Canadian advertising executive Todd Hummel and Hacienda de Oro master distiller Iliana Partida. Fun fact: originally Todd wanted to call this tequila ILIANA, but Iliana wanted NO part of that!

Todd and Iliana are leaning into FULL rosa on this one. In fact, going forward, Elevación1250 will ONLY produce wine-rested tequilas.

Todd sources his Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from the Guglielmo vineyards in California. They are still “wet,” with a tiny bit of wine remaining in them.

The first fill of tequila rests in these barrels for two weeks to produce their Blanco Rosa. Then the same Cabernet barrels are refilled with tequila, which ages for 12-14 months to produce the Añejo Rosa Fuerte.

Reusing the same barrels creates a “kinship” between the two tequilas and supports Elevación1250’s commitment to sustainability. After the Blanco Rosa and Añejo Rosa Fuerte are bottled, the barrels are charred—enhancing flavor and aroma by caramelizing the wood’s sugars and creating a layer of char that interacts with the spirit.

This process not only adds complexity but also helps to filter impurities, resulting in a smoother final product.

The barrels are then treated again with the same Cabernet Sauvignon and refilled for less than a year to create a future Rosa Reposado. You heard it here first!

This Añejo Rosa Fuerte is bottled at 44.4% ABV (88.8 proof).

I have been tasting this tequila during production for over a year at multiple proofs, and while some were a tad “hot,” the final result is absolutely delicious.

The production methods are highly efficient, using an autoclave to cook the agave and a roller mill to extract the juices for fermentation in open-air stainless-steel tanks.

The “mosto” (fermented juice) is then distilled twice in stainless steel stills with copper coils. The copper adds an element to the final product that lands very well with my personal palate.

What do you say we try this?

On the nose, I am experiencing cooked agave, red wine, barrel spices, plum, cherry, a lot of almond, light coconut, honey, and butter. It is a beautiful nose.

On tasting, I get an even deeper cooked agave flavor. A lot of the wine comes through in a wonderful way, with slightly less almond but more plum and cherry notes, barrel spices, pepper, and more coconut on the palate than on the nose.

This is an incredible value, and I highly suggest you pick up this bottle to try at your first opportunity.

More from Elevación1250: All of our Elevación1250 coverage, including reviews, lists, scores, and more.