Mijenta continues its pathbreaking ways in the world of tequila under the direction of master distiller (maestra tequilera) Ana María Romero Mena, who’s broken much ground for women in the industry. A master at fermentation, distillation, barrel aging, and blending, for the Mijenta Maestra Selection No. 1 project, she used Blue Weber agaves grown 8 years from seeds in Presa de Otomites in Jesús María in the Jalisco Highlands (Los Altos), something very rare in the industry where agave saplings (hijuelos) are usually used for planting new crops – This takes the whisky notion of “grain to glass” to an entirely new, more impressive level.
Produced at distillery Destiladora de Los Altos (NOM 1412) in Arandas, Jalisco, this high proof blanco tequila is bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) using deep well water. The agave is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, its sugars (aguamiel) is extracted using a roller mill, fermentation in stainless steel tanks is open-air, and it is 2x-distilled in a stainless steel pot still.
The lote (lot/batch) under review is #1, bottle #01-0011369. It is a limited release. This review is based on multiple, spaced-out tasting notes-taking sessions using Riedel Tequila Flute and Denver & Liely Mezcal glasses.
COLOR: Crystal clear with heavy waves/shards of silver throughout
AROMA PROFILE: Cooked agave & baking spices (sweet cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom), vegetal & floral notes including mint & anise, earthiness & minerality, prominent citrus (mix of lemon & grapefruit), tropical fruits (sour roasted pineapple & summer melons), & powerful black pepper.
PALATE: The flavors mirror the nose – Prominent cooked agave & baking spices, mint & anise, lemon-grapefruit citrus, the tropical fruits from the nose, kick of black pepper, minerality, & Mijenta blanco’s characteristic floral notes (though less than on its normal blanco).
MOUTHFEEL: Incredibly viscous/creamy/oily – Amazing!
FINISH: Long (10+ seconds)
VALUE: This blanco is dangerous – it’s such an easy sipper that you’ll forget it’s high proof. Delicious special release from a fantastic brand.
ALWAYS ON THE SHELF? Yes – I have many bottles & will replace them as long as I can.
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