El Mayor is a solid, well-produced budget-friendly tequila brand produced by Destiladora González Lux (NOM 1603) in Arandas in the Jalisco Highlands (Los Altos) by the González family – master distiller and patriarch Rodolfo and his daughter/distiller Grace and son Paul. Their extra añejo is a blend of tequilas aged 3½ -5 years in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels from Luxco.
Like all of the brand’s tequilas, it is made using González estate-grown Blue Weber agave that is grown in sandy, mineral-rich soil which are hand-chopped and steam roasted in an autoclave. The sugars (aguamiel) are extracted using a roller mill before they are fermented in stainless steel vats using a family yeast strain. The tequila is 2x-distilled in stainless steel pot stills before barrel/cask aging. The final tequila is bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV).
What follows are initial tasting notes from three separate tastings over a month using Denver & Liely Mezcal and Riedel Ouverture Tequila Flute glasses with varying aeration times. The tequila benefits from aeration time in the bottle and the glass.
Dark amber/copper, the extra añejo has a medium-long viscosity and coats the palate well. The aroma and flavor profiles both include prominent oak/barrel notes, making this a good introductory tequila for bourbon drinkers. On the nose are also aromas of dried fruits (raisins, dark berries), cooked agave, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, light cloves), toasted notes, dried cacao, dried orange peel, unsweetened dark chocolate, white pepper, and smoked tobacco leaf.
The flavors mirror the aromas with the addition of barrel char smokiness, black pepper, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and some balanced anise and oak tannin bitterness on the finish. Slowly rolling the tequila across your palate while bringing in some air brings out the dried fruit notes. The fruit flavors in this are dried fruits rather than the blend of dried and grilled tropical fruits from the regular añejo. Herbal/grassy notes in the latter are replaced here with oak/barrel notes.
The finish is long (9-10 seconds) and finishes with a rich, full drying sensation across the palate closing with a punchy mix of baking spices, black pepper, tobacco leaf, and charred oak. I’m looking forward to seeing how the extra añejo continues to evolve in the bottle.
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