And today we are once again talking about a Tequila. A Sierra Tequila, to be precise. Anyone getting a shock now while nervously starting to look around for traces of salt and lemon can calm down and have a look on my article about the Sierra Milenario Fumado Tequila, which I published two weeks ago. In contrast to the slightly smoky Fumado, which reminds more than just a little bit of a Mezcal, today we are dealing with a mature quality. (provided test product)*
Well, strictly speaking, every Tequila is a Mezcal, but I won’t go into that again today. For very basic information about the spirits genus, I recommend you to have a look at my article about the Casa Noble Reposado. There, among other information, you can find out what it means if a Tequila is a Reposado: it has to be matured for a time between at least two months and a maximum of 364 days. From the manufacturer we learn in detail: the Sierra Milenario Reposado matured for “up to nine months” in American white oak barrels. So far, so good.
As also with the other Sierra Milenarios, when it comes to the marketing story it is associated with a protective deity of the Tzolkin calendar, in the case of the Reposados that is the Jaguar deity “Ix”. Unfortunately, the bottle I was provided with lacked the beautiful pendant around the neck of the bottle, but of course it’s all about the content.
Therefore, we learn once more from the back label that it is a still pot tequila that has been bottled with an ABV of 41.5% vol. In addition, the agaves come from the Los Altos region and were distilled by Master Distiller Rodolfo González-González. However, in order not to repeat myself unduly, I would like to recommend my article about the Sierra Milenario Fumado Tequila to everyone interested in further details about the Milenario series. Much more interesting at this point is how the Milenario Reposado performs!
Tasting Notes:
Aroma: The full potpourri from the white oak barrels is noticeable right from the start: Vanilla, honey and caramel combine with typical earthy agave notes, the characteristic white pepper, herbs and some cinnamon.
Flavour: Very sweet and fruity for a tequila, although with typical reposado character: Honey, pineapple, earthy agave and a hint of peach, chocolate and toasted oak barrel notes, again white pepper and herbaceous tones. The alcohol is well integrated and carries the aromas very nicely, without ever becoming sharp.
Finish: Long, spicy with associations of almonds and cinnamon.
Without a doubt, we are dealing here with a solid qualitaty Reposado Tequila, which has nothing to do with the rather dubious reputation of the Sierra brand. One of my absolute favourites in combination with Reposado Tequila is the Buttermilk Margarita from Bettina Kupsa. Nevertheless, since I have already introduced it, I wanted to do something different today. Something that does not sound any less funky to many at first glance: the Clinton Street Pub’s Jalisco Egg Cream.
This drink from the eponymous bar in Portland, which bizarrely is made without any egg, has a list of ingredients that may make you frown at first: Reposado Tequila, milk, soda water, Amaro and Fernet. In the original, different brands are called for than the ones I used (I used the Nardini Amaro and the Nardini Fernet), but the fact that it also works with other brands in the end speaks for the recipe. I discovered the drink on the website of the Portland Mercury, where the people at the Clinton Street Pub refer to the drink as follows: “Crisp, bittersweet Mexican chocolate – no egg required”. Personally, I think that the recipe can still stand a tiny bit more of sweetness and because I wanted to emphasize the aim of the drink, I have added only a bar spoon of white cream de Cacao. But this is not mandatory.
Recipe “Clinton Street Pub’s Jalisco Egg Cream” (slightly varied version):
4.5 cl Sierra Milenario Reposado Tequila
3 cl fresh whole milk
1.5 cl Nardini Amaro
1 Dash Nardini Fernet
1 Barspoon white Crème de Caco (optional)
soda water
Preparation: Shake all ingredients except for the soda water vigorously on ice and strain into a glass filled with fresh ice cubes. Top with soda water.
Glass: Highball
Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon stick
Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online
*The fact that this product has been sent to me free of charge for editorial purposes does not – in any way – imply any influence on the content of this article or my rating. On the contrary, it is always an indispensable condition for me to be able to review without any external influence.