TCV Craft Spirits Book

Tequila

LIBÉLULA MEXICO In May 2016, the Cadre Noir Imports team visitedMexico with one goal; create the best possible tequila for a Combier margarita.

Libélula Tequila 80pf #685523 / 1.0L / $26.15

FORTALEZA MEXICO Beautiful hand-crafted, stone-milled tequila by fifth-generation Sauza family using traditional techniques, all echoing their unique heritage, authentic production process and artisan methodologies. The agaves for Fortaleza are slow roasted in steam driven brick-oven, 100% tahona ground, fermented in open pine tanks, and double distilled in copper Alembic stills. Blanco #691204 / 750ml / $44.99 100% Agave Tequila: The Fortaleza line-up is fantastic but the Bianco shows the purity of the spirit with tons of depth. Vegetative, roasted herbs, spice, orange peel and coriander shows this is a sipper to enjoy. “Best of the Best” Best Lowland Blanco Tequila Judge Favorite Reposado #691207 / 750ml / $52.67 100% Agave Tequila: Aged in barrel for up to nine months, no less than six, and is authentic tequila, the kind that would make Sauza’s ancestors proud. Añejo #691201 / 750ml / $67.99 LIMITED 100% Agave Tequila: Aged two to three years in oak barrels and has a beautiful silky smooth character that does Añejo right: rich, but not cloyingly sweet. Tequila Still Strength Blanco 92pf #880490 / 750ml / $52.67 Aromas of fruit, baked fully-ripened agave, green olive, and earth are invitingly present. Slightly brighter and a touch more rustic than the regular blanco, the accents of butter, olive, earth, black pepper, and vegetal qualities in the flavor are enhanced because it comes straight from Fortaleza’s small copper pot still, without adding water prior to bottling. For years, the only way to sample this was to visit the distillery in Tequila, Jalisco. Bottled at 46% alcohol.

After visiting countelss distilleries and blending, shaking (and tasting) hundreds of margaritas, they created the portfolio’s first custom tequila, specifically calibrated to make the best tasting margarita paired with Combier Liqueur d’Orange. Made from 75% blanco (steam-cooked in autoclaves) and 25% reposado (brick oven cooked; aged minimum 8 months in once-used American whiskey barrels).

PERFECTED MARGARITA

INGREDIENTS 1 oz Combier Liqueur d’Orange ¼ oz Agave Nectar 1½ oz Libélula Tequila 1½ oz fresh lime juice DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients in shaker with ice, shake for ten seconds, then strain into rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with lime wheel. — CNIBRANDS.COM

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