Herradura Coleccion de la Casa, Reserva 2013 – Cognac Cask Finish Reposado
By Steve Coomes, Tequila Aficionado Contributing Writer
In October, I visited Casa Herradura Tequila distillery, in Amatitan, Jalisco, Mexico, where I and five spirits writers tasted the new Coleccion de la Casa, Reserva 2013 – Cognac Cask Finish Reposado. Aged 11 months in American Oak and finished an additional three months in cognac barrels, the new tequila, released this fall left me both perplexed and intrigued.
After just a few sips, I was challenged to conceive what master distiller Maria Theresa Lara was seeking from the second barrel maturation. Clearly, it wasn’t the common profile of an añejo.
Its tasting notes claim a hint of smoked oak, but it eluded my nose and palate. Agave, however, was well represented, as were some delicate vegetal notes. Though leggy in the glass, the mouthfeel was lean: a quick entry followed by a quick exit. A writer beside me described its finishing as “drying,” which was dead on: neither abrupt and sherry-like, nor lengthy and tequila-like.
Curious about the reposado on which the Cognac Finish was built, I asked if we could taste it, and our hosts happily obliged. The differences were stark. The Cognac Finish lacked most of its cousin’s sweetness and fuller mouthfeel. Where one may imagine a double dose of wood might amp up the vanilla, caramel and cinnamon, all three were somewhat muted.
The trade-off was redolent spice, especially white pepper, an abundance of agave, lightly herbaceous undertones and hints of citrus and pineapple. When we lunched later, its lean profile paired amazingly well with a menu that included raw clams and roasted lamb.
This is a sophisticated tequila, well balanced and nicely structured. It plays no tricks and keeps no secrets. What you get after a few minutes’ rest in the glass is largely what you get 20 minutes later—if you let it rest that long that is. Suggested retail: $89 per 750ml bottle; to be sold in Mexico, United States, El Salvador and Australia.
Tequila Aficionado is proud to welcome rising star in tequila and travel journalism, Stephen Coomes, as a Contributing Writer and Reviewer. His steady gigs include roles as contributing editor for Nation’s Restaurant News (the U.S. restaurant industry’s largest publication), restaurant critic and feature writer for Louisville magazine, feature writer for Edible Louisville and Seafood Business magazines, Kentucky travel and dining contributor for Southern Living, and dining blogger for Insider Louisville. He also writes marketing, PR, web copy and ghostwrites for numerous private clients. You can visit Steve online at www.stevecoomes.com.
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