Fortaleza Blanco

Fortaleza Tequila, founded in 2005 by fifth-generation distiller Guillermo Sauza, carries on a family legacy dating back to 1873.

Produced in Tequila, Jalisco, it’s made using traditional methods — brick ovens, volcanic-stone tahona, open-air fermentation, and copper pot stills. Each small batch is bottled by hand in artisanal glass. Revered for its pure, agave-forward flavor and craftsmanship, Fortaleza stands as one of the most authentic representations of classic tequila making today, and is an incredibly popular (and now hard-to-find) brands, with retailers often marking up prices substantially.

Nose: A quick hit of agave then some minerality and lime stand out with nice accents of pepper, a vegetal earthiness

Taste: The agave stands front and center and next in line was a nice balance of citrus and minerality that is followed by some vegetalness, pepper and a subtle hint of cinnamon. A nice mouth feel with a warm cinnamon candy and peppery finish.

This brand also makes a 46% still strength blanco that ups the flavor ante.