FIVE OF THE BEST: REPOSADO TEQUILAS
Tequila has different age classifications – blanco, reposado, añejo and extra añejo – depending on how much time the spirit spends in barrel. Blancos spend no time in oak, while añejos spend at least one year, and extra añejos a minimum of three years. Reposado translates as ‘rested’, and is defined as being aged in oak for at least two months but less than a year. This means reposados are versatile tequilas that you can either use in cocktails or sip neat.
1 AquaRiva Reposado
£29.99-£32/70cl Amazon UK, Drink Supermarket, Soho Wine Supply, The Drink Shop
Cleo Rocos of TV’s The Kenny Everett Video Show fame is a bona fide tequila lover, and AquaRiva is her own brand, created specifically with cocktails in mind. The reposado is aged for a minimum of six months in ex-American whiskey barrels. Sweet caramel and delicate honeysuckle intermingle with cooked agave, lemon and cinnamon. Alcohol 38%
2 Casamigos Reposado
£57.49-£70/70cl Amazon UK, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Selfridges, Soho Wine Supply
Created by actor George Clooney and his friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, in collaboration with a Master Distiller, the story goes that Casamigos was initially intended to be served to friends and family in the trio’s homes in Mexico. It’s aged for seven months in American white oak barrels, and the nose boasts caramel, green and peppery agave, along with cocoa powder. On the palate, further caramel sweetness is joined by violets, black pepper and sweet spices. Alc 40%
3 Don Julio Reposado
£43.95-£50/70cl Amathus Drinks, Hard to Find Whisky, Hedonism, House of Malt, The Drink Shop With its distinct squat bottles, Don Julio is revered by tequila lovers for its high quality. This reposado is aged for eight months in American white oak barrels. Flavours of desiccated coconut, cinnamon, lemon, butterscotch and vanilla lead onto a toffee apple and raisin finish. Alc 38%
4 Fortaleza Reposado
£64.55-£79/70cl Amathus Drinks, Amazon UK, Casa Agave, Drink Finder, Gerry’s, Harvey Nichols, Hedonism, Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange The tiny distillery of Fortaleza in Tequila town is a living history of how tequila used to be made, with everything imaginable done by hand. The reposado is aged in American oak, and the oak’s influence is clear, with vanilla fudge ringing out, along with sweet agave characters. Ripe peach and nectarines are underlaid with an earthy terracotta note and dusty tannins. Alc 40%
5 Herradura Reposado
£32-£49.95/70cl Amathus Drinks, Asda, Gerry’s, House of Malt, Prestige Drinks, Robbie’s, The Drink Shop, Urban Drinks
While blanco is the leading style sold by most tequila producers, for Herradura it’s its reposado, which became the world’s first commercially available reposado tequila when it was launched in 1974. Aged for 11 months in American oak barrels, it’s creamy upfront, with fruity pineapple, pear and unripe banana, sweet demerara sugar and macadamia nuts. It has a drying finish with dried chilli flake notes. Alc 40%