Volans Reposado

Volans tequila represents a partnership between two families: Chad and Cristina Allen, who hail from Guadalajara, and Felipe Camarena and his sons, who distill in Jesús María in the Highlands of Jalisco.

This partnership must have been signed in blood, or even holy water, because Volans is the only tequila made from all three water sources available at the famous El Pandillo (NOM 1579) distillery: rainwater, natural spring water, and deep well water.

You might expect different waters to be blended for use throughout a single distillation, but this is not the case. Camarena distills three separate blanco tequilas, each using only one distinct source of water, then blends those tequilas together at the end to create the Volans profile.

How big of a deal is water to your tequila? It’s enormous! A typical 40% ABV tequila, like this Volans Reposado, is 40% ethanol, and the remaining 60% is nearly all water.

Water isn’t the only environmental highlight. Volans uses mature agave grown in the red soil around Jesús María, and natural open-air fermentation impacted by the flowering plants and fruit trees around the distillery. The bees buzzing around the distillery really stood out to me the last time I was there!

For its reposado, Volans ages in used American oak barrels that previously held bourbon for four to six months, delivering light barrel sweetness and spice to an agave- and mineral-forward base.

Aroma: agave, minerals, citrus, black pepper, faint vanilla.

Flavor: agave, grapefruit, black pepper, more vanilla, light jalapeño, light oak.

Finish: nice, peppery and citrus-peel finish punching above its 80 proof.

Volans Reposado has a lovely aroma and balanced taste with a robust finish. If you like an aged tequila with agave, minerals, citrus, and spice, with just enough barrel to round it out, this is for you. It’s one of my go-to reposados.