Añejo Tequila is always a fun spirit to explore because of its richness and dynamic complexity. Today, I’m tasting El Gran Jubileo Tequila Añejo Tequila (imported by Central Texas Spirits) to see how it stands up against my palate. I poured the añejo tequila into a glass and held it up to the light, it has a fantastic presentation of rich bright gold coloring. I’ve seen darker añejo’s for sure, but the sexiness of the coloring cannot be denied.
This is a five year aged tequila in brand new American oak barrels so I’m not expecting to smell or taste any whiskey or cognac flavors but what do I know? It’s time to put it to the test!
The nose is that of brown sugar with a very fresh muted pineapple flavor and a slight vanilla bean. You can dive your nose right into the glass and get almost no hints of strong alcohols, much different than the El Gran Jubileo Blanco. The nose just gives me a nice warm and tender flavor with no single aroma dominating the party.
The taste is an entirely different experience. The attack is warm and inviting sweet vanilla with a great smooth viscosity. As I swirl it around my mouth I’m revisited with the brown sugar sweetness followed by a very light black pepper spice and a numbing on the tip of the tongue. Much like the aroma, no single flavor jumps out at me, requiring me to play games with this añejo to look for the unique flavors with my eyes closed. It took many sips to pick out the butter, oak, lime and the most unique of profiles… butterscotch.
The butterscotch arrives in the finish, often times after exhaling. While we’re not talking schnapps intensity of butterscotch this definitely draws from a different pool of añejo experiences. I’ve had caramel intensities, spicy white peppers and rich agave and pineapples but nothing with butterscotch before! I believe this flavor arrives from the fresh oak flavors, which usually pop out as buttery smooth combined with the sweetness of this spirit.
El Gran Jubileo Añejo is a great after-dinner sipping spirit. If given the option between this and a Grand Marnier, I’d choose the slightly sweeter style of this Añejo because it offers more than an orange flavored cognac. Now, is it worth USD $64.99? I’d be hesitant as a consumer who’s never had the spirit before because of the expanding selection of Tequila’s on the shelf, but the cost is definitely worth the unique experience if just once, especially for those that find my tasting notes desirable in a tequila.
Overall, think sweeter brown sugars, butters and muted spice and you’re focusing on some of the fine features of the El Gran Jubileo Añejo. It doesn’t have the salty agave intensity I’m used to seeing in an aged Tequila but often times I yearn for someone doing something different with Tequila. There are so many brands, how else should one brand make their mark?
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