Fortaleza Astor Single Barrel Reposado Tequila 750ml

Fortaleza Astor Single Barrel is a Reposado Tequila from Destileria La Fortaleza in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. This single-barrel selection was hand-picked exclusively for Astor Wines & Spirits, the long-established New York City fine-spirits retailer, and aged a full twelve months in a single ex-bourbon American oak barrel before being bottled at 93.8 proof, additive-free.

The Astor Wines Fortaleza pick was filled in July 2021 and rested for a full year before bottling - longer than most Reposado picks - giving the spirit extra oak time before it was released at natural still-cut strength rather than proofed down. Each bottle is drawn from one single ex-bourbon American oak cask, preserving the specific character of that barrel rather than the blended consistency of the core Reposado. Production follows Fortaleza's traditional methods at NOM 1493: 100 percent estate Blue Weber agave, brick-oven slow cooking, tahona stone-wheel extraction, open-air wooden vat fermentation, and double distillation in small copper pot stills.

On the nose, it shows cooked agave layered with vanilla, caramel, and dried fruit from the longer ex-bourbon rest. The palate brings rich oak integration, dried-fruit sweetness, baking spice, and a fuller body from the natural still-cut proof, and the finish carries a long, lightly tannic close.

The full twelve-month rest plus the unblended natural-strength bottling pushes this single barrel further into Anejo territory than typical Reposado picks. It drinks well neat or over a single large cube.

• Size: 750ml
• Proof: 93.8 (46.9% ABV)
• Age: 12 Months in a Single Ex-Bourbon American Oak Barrel
• Origin: Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico
• Distillery: Destileria La Fortaleza (NOM 1493)