Caramba Tequila Extra Añejo Review

This will be my first official write-up of a Tequila classified as “Extra Añejo.” The new extra añejo labeling is placed on all Tequila’s that have aged more than three years so we’re working with a really mature product. I’m going to dig right into it because I’m too excited to hold back any longer.

First, the color has to be mentioned in Caramba Extra Añejo because it’s so dark and copper toned much like a freshly polished copper pipping. The color seems to have taken on the properties of a bourbon whiskey. Compared to a standard Añejo, this is much more deep and dark in coloring which shows the barrel aging has been working wonders on the presentation.

Moving on to the nose; my initial impression is that of a caramel agave. The Caramba Extra Añejo exhibits a very familiar bouquet, a bourbon-style vanilla profile. I went in for a long deep sniff and received a potent alcoholic punch showing me this spirit has a good amount of power to it that needs to be respected. Unlike a Scotch Whisky, the nose doesn’t present smokey properties and follows more of a American Kentucky straight bourbon with a sweetness that made me salivate a bit after a few more sniffs.

Tasting the Caramba Extra Añejo is a fun experience to say the least. The thick viscosity was impressive. Upon this thickness rode a nice black pepper spice which ran across my cheeks and down the flat of my tongue with a predominance towards the front sweeter tip. This followed with a buttery agave mid-palate transition and a very sensually silk finish that leaves a long creamy oak behind for minutes after the sip.

The mouth feel matches that of a whiskey five times older but requiring much less time to mature to such a level of taste. Ironically, the mouth feel and nose reminded me of a straight bourbon but the taste didn’t give me any other bourbon attributes. The Caramba Extra Añejo does not burn as it goes down, remaining smooth with a clean finish throughout the tasting experience.

After my initial tastings I added a bit of room temperature spring water to the extra añejo to see what else I could work out of the glass. I received a much stronger oak and vanilla flavoring than prior, the finish was slightly lighter and the agave was a bit more pronounced. Oddly enough, I never received any real chocolate notes, which I almost expected going into the tasting.

The Caramba Extra Añejo makes a great complex sipping Tequila. In many ways, I’ve found this extra añejo to go far beyond a standard tequila, almost becoming its own spirit. It seems this tequila has adopted properties from a whiskey, perhaps through using whiskey barrels to age the tequila yet it doesn’t lose its own identity in the process.

You can expect to pay roughly USD $99.99 for a bottle of Caramba Extra Añejo and receive a well crafted sipping experience. If you’re looking to bring a well aged tequila into your home and try an extra añejo with a reasonable price, Caramba is a good choice. Other extra añejo alternatives may run you USD $300+ for such an aged tequila.