Fortaleza Añejo Tequila

Nose

Rich cooked agave, caramel, and vanilla lead, with layers of dried fruit, toasted oak, and a hint of dark chocolate. Subtle earthy and herbal notes sit underneath, a hallmark of the tahona process.

Palate

Full-bodied and silky, with baked agave, butterscotch, and roasted nuts at the core. Cinnamon spice and dried citrus peel develop mid-palate, balanced by the warmth of 18 months in American oak.

Finish

Long and warming, with lingering vanilla, toasted oak, and a gentle agave earthiness. Clean and satisfying, with no artificial sweetness.

Style

Rich, structured, and earthy. A serious sipping tequila with genuine depth and traditional character.

• 100% Blue Weber agave, harvested at full maturity
• Traditional tahona stone wheel extraction
• Crafted at NOM 1493 (Tequila Los Abuelos)
• Open-air fermentation and copper pot distillation
• Aged approximately 18 months in American oak barrels
• Completely additive-free: no glycerin, caramel, or flavouring
• One of the most respected añejo tequilas in the world

Fortaleza Añejo is produced by Fortaleza at Tequila Los Abuelos (NOM 1493). The distillery is owned and operated by the Sauza family, direct descendants of tequila pioneer Guillermo Sauza.

Fortaleza is globally respected for preserving pre-industrial tequila-making techniques, placing flavour, tradition, and agave integrity above efficiency or scale.

• Tequila Matchmaker: Rated 94+ points, consistently ranked among the top añejo tequilas globally
• San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Multiple medal recipient
• Difford's Guide: Highly rated for traditional production and flavour integrity
• Widely recognised by agave enthusiasts and spirits critics as a benchmark for traditionally made añejo tequila

• Agave purists who want a tequila made without shortcuts or additives
• Whisky and spirits collectors looking to explore premium aged tequila
• Neat sippers who appreciate texture, depth, and traditional craftsmanship
• Gift buyers seeking a prestigious, story-rich bottle for a serious spirits drinker
• Anyone curious about what tequila tasted like before mass production changed the category

Best enjoyed neat in a wide-bowled glass to appreciate its texture and complexity. A few drops of water can reveal additional citrus and savoury notes. This is a true sipping tequila, best taken slowly.

Fortaleza is one of the few large-scale tequila producers still using a tahona stone wheel for extraction. In a category increasingly dominated by diffuser-produced, additive-laden spirits, Fortaleza stands apart by doing things the hard way on purpose.

The Sauza family connection gives this bottle genuine historical weight. This is the same lineage that helped build the modern tequila industry, now choosing to step back from industrial production and make something worth drinking slowly.

We stock Fortaleza because it represents exactly what we look for: provenance, process, and flavour that speaks for itself.