As a maker of Mezcal expressions for a number of years, when The Lost Explorer brand decided to get into the tequila game, they must have wanted to go over the top with flavors.
Then, when they enlisted the help of Maestro Tequilero Enrique de Colsa, the industry took notice.
Long before celebrity tequila and flavor profiles with additives flooded the market, de Colsa helped shape the modern premium tequila category during his legendary years with Don Julio.
With his skills and focus now aimed fully at authenticity and traditional tequila-making methods, you can start to see exactly why The Lost Explorer deserves attention.
When the brand handed the keys to de Colsa, they must have had huge expectations for him to create and build a profile that would gather attention.
And it did for the Blanco. It caught the palates of connoisseurs on the merit of taste but also from great publicity, including an Agave Matchmaker blind tasting in 2025 that showed panel members really loved it.
The release of the first reposado from the brand seems to have slid under the radar, however.
It’s made at Destileria El Magnifico (NOM 1258). Produced in the Valley near El Arenal and Amatitán, the Reposado’s barrel notes are the hero here, the agave taking a backseat.
And though it is not agave forward, for the connoisseurs, those barrel notes are exceptionally bold and enjoyable. Using blends from Sauternes wine casks, Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry casks, and ex-bourbon barrels, this Reposado’s flavors come off more like a finely crafted extra anejo.
On paper, it sounds dangerously overdesigned. But on the palate, de Colsa keeps the wood just restrained enough that agave peeks through, albeit as a supporting role.
If you like incredible barrel flavors, this one is a must try.
Nose: caramel / vanilla / butter / cooked agave / vegetal / herbal / banana / hint of melon / black tea / baking spices / hint of tobacco / butterscotch / molasses / maple / hint of chocolate / roasted nuts
Taste: vanilla / caramel / mild cinnamon / pepper / tobacco / cooked agave / banana / dried fruit / green apple / melon / lime / black tea / herbal / butterscotch / molasses / leather / roasted nuts / minerals
Finish: medium viscosity that coats the palate well, leaving some pepper and caramel flavors as some of the end notes on the final swallow / a touch of tobacco and spiciness follows as an aftertaste
NOM | 1258 |
|---|---|
Agave | Jalisco (Los Valles) |
Cooking | Stone and brick ovens |
Extraction | Roller mill |
Water | Deep well water |
Fermentation | Stainless steel tanks with champagne yeast |
Still | Stainless steel pot with copper still |
Age | 4 months in wine casks, sherry casks, and bourbon barrels |
ABV | 40% |
