Review: Volcan De Mi Tierra Cristalino
Volcan De Mi Tierra is one of four tequila’s created in a 50/50 partnership between Moet Hennessy and the Gallardo Family. Maestro de Tequila Anna Marie Romero Mena was recruited to create the tequila. The other three expressions include a Blanco, Reposado, and Volcan XA a blend of Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo tequilas. Volcan Cristalino is made from a blend of anejo and extra anejo tequilas. These tequilas are crafted at Agrotequilera de Jalisco where Volcan De Mi Tierra is the only tequila made. Volcan De Mi Tierra Cristalino is made from a blend of 75% lowland agave slow roasted for 44 hours in a Mampostery oven, and 25% highland agave baked for 12 hours in an auto clave oven. Once cooled some of the extracted juice is fermented with champagne yeast and some rum yeast in both wood vats and stainless steel tanks. The anejo tequila is aged in American oak whiskey casks and the extra anejo in former European oak cognac barrels. The tequila is blended and filtered to remove the color and some of the wood notes before bottling. It pours to a pale straw color. The aroma leads with dried dark fruit, vanilla, oak, agave, tobacco, and grape. Additional time brings out almond pulp, and baking spice. The grape, vanilla, oak, baking spice, caramel and agave entry has a soft water feel building to a viscous tart current, almond, and dried fruit peak. It fades with mineral, caramel, tangy current, and chocolate and finishes with oak, baking spice, bittersweet tannins, and pepper. I have not sampled a lot of Cristalino tequilas yet but of those I’ve tried Volcan De Mi Tierra stands out as the smoothest and most flavorful.
NOM: 1523
40% Alcohol
Score: 93
Award: Gold Medal