Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco Tequila 750ml

Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco is a Blanco Tequila from Destileria La Fortaleza in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. This expression is bottled directly off the second distillation without any cut of water, additive-free, at 92 proof.

Fortaleza traces back to 1873 and the founder of the modern tequila industry, Don Cenobio Sauza. Today the distillery operates under his great-great-grandson Guillermo Erickson Sauza out of NOM 1493 in the town of Tequila, Jalisco, using the same traditional methods that defined tequila before industrialization: 100 percent estate Blue Weber agave grown on the family's hillside ranches, brick-oven slow cooking, tahona stone-wheel extraction, open-air wooden vat fermentation, and double distillation in small copper pot stills. The bottles themselves are hand-blown in Mexico.

On the nose, it shows baked ripe agave layered with green olive, citrus, fresh herb, and earth. The palate brings concentrated cooked agave, black pepper, vegetal depth, butter, and mineral notes, and the finish carries a long, oily, savory close.

By skipping the typical proof cut before bottling, Still Strength preserves more of the oils, aromatics, and body that get lost when most Blancos drop to 80 proof. It drinks well neat or over a single large cube.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
• Origin: Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico
• Distillery: Destileria La Fortaleza (NOM 1493)