By now, everyone’s been clued in to the lime shortage that’s taking down the margarita and Corona drinkers of the world. We can’t imagine tequila without a lime but some distillers are turning to the barrel to find flavor beyond agave and lime.
Inspired by whiskey drinkers everywhere, tequila is taking a note and getting its flavor from the barrel. We’re not talking your usual smokiness that comes from sitting in a cask for a few months, but flavor that typically comes from the previous inhabitants of the barrel. From sherry to French Cognac barrels, tequila is starting to spend more time in the barrel resulting in a smoky, smooth and unexpected flavor profile.
The latest tequila on the market, 1800 Milenio is embracing the barrel aged tequila trend to its fullest. The extra-anejo spirit spent four years in a French Cognac barrel before being aged for five years. According to our sources, it has a great vanilla sweetness that balances perfectly with the smokiness of the barrel. It better, it’s $125 a bottle.
Could we be ditching the lime for good? Not so fast. Barrel-aged tequila is still a newbie on the market but we’re excited to see where it takes our margaritas.