Arrogante Tequila Anejo

Arrogante Tequila Añejo comes in an unusual bottle that warrants immediate attention. In particular, the bottle's mouth is wider than any I have seen. In fact, there is a pouring spout on the lip of the bottle - a first for me. So - the presentation is quite impressive - but what about the liquid inside?
In a tasting glass, the añejo expression is a rich golden copper with hints of red. Legs stick like glue to the sides of the glass - and they will "pearl" as well as drain in streamers - very unusual but not unique. Clarity is not quite crystal clear. In the nose, I detect a wide variety of things but agave and floral influences are strong with undercurrents of fruit and spices; smells like heaven, frankly - a nice strong distinctive odor. Opening the mouth, i can break down the elements a bit more precisely to include vanilla, roasted agave and brown sugar. Now, for the first taste which mirrors the nose very closely. Of course, i must add a slight alcohol burn that rapidly fades in subsequent swallows. The pedigree (or finish) is fantastic with a low burn - cinnamon, pear, apple and more brown sugar.
This tequila should cost more based on the taste so it is a real bargain. It is going to go fast on my bar. If you have time to sip this over a fairly extended period of time - say two hours - it will mellow out and you would swear you are drinking a non-alcoholic version of tequila. HA! I never said that about a tequila before. Also, the mouth feel is very creamy - almost like a liqueur. I must admit the name "Arrongante" turned me off at first, but I can see why the makers of this juice were so confident.

Price: $40-50/bottle

Aroma: Slow cooked agave with ripe fruit and hints of vanilla and spice.

Initial Taste: Even with the aging, the initial taste has plenty of agave. Ripe fruit is there as well with a touch of oak.

Body: A nice oily body that coats the mouth well. There's a lot of complexity without being overly sweet. Agave, fruit, oak, touch of vanilla caramel and a pleasant spice & pepper aspect. There's a lot of flavor, but it's all in good balance.

Finish: Again, a balanced finish where the spice comes through nicely for a medium length linger. A nice finish to a nice tequila.

I love it when an aged tequila doesn't lose tough with the agave essence that makes tequila so great. Arrogante Tequila does just that with this añejo. It's got nice barrel qualities, without being too sweet. Whatever, they're doing over at NOM 1467, they're doing it well. This is priced well at around $40, but the bottle presentation is high class and the juice is definitely a keeper.