The First Vin Chicago Private Barrel of Tequila!
Led by brothers Eduardo and Jaime Orendain, Arette Tequila handcrafts some of Mexico's most respected agave spirits at their family distillery in the Jalisco lowlands.
Nestled in the shadows of Volcán de Tequila, at the village where it all started, Arette is the only producer that owns and farms every Agave plant that goes into their Tequila. Not even the vaunted Fortaleza, their good friends and next door neighbors, can make that claim.
Today, we bring you the exclusive opportunity to acquire a special Single-Barrel, Cask-Strength bottling of their Reposado Tequila!
The barrel we have chosen is designated "R-50" by the distillery. Expressing impressive nuance, sophistication and complexity, it offers a unique character that simply cannot be found in a blended bottling.
In just a few days, the Orendain family and their team will "dump" this barrel into just over 200 bottles, all of them destined for Vin Chicago. Today, on a pre-arrival basis, you can lock in on one or two of them.
While we have previously brought you sixteen barrels of Whiskey, this is our FIRST-EVER private barrel of Tequila. Read on for the rest of the story, then click down on the Big Green Button to secure a stash for your collection and as holiday gifts for the Tequila drinkers in your life!
=============
Arette "Vin Chicago Barrel #17 - R50"
Artesanal Suave Cask Strength Reposado Tequila
Jalisco, Mexico
~~~~~~~~~~~
Along with Sauza, Cuervo and Herradura, the Orendains are one of the original four Tequila Founding Families. Of these four, they are the only to remain 100% independently family owned.
We connected with Alejandro Orendain (son of Jaime) and his family's Arette Tequila via our longtime friend, Christophe Bakunas. A spirits specialist, and advisor to Vin Chicago for over twenty years, Christophe had Alejandro prepare samples at the distillery and send them to Chicago for us to review.
The contents of each barrel were handcrafted in small batches from their estate-grown Blue Agave plants. While they were made using the same techniques, the samples from each barrel tasted quite different. One sample in particular, from barrel R-50, stood out with a unique appeal that stood above the rest. With Christophe's blessing, it is this barrel that we bring you today.
What does this delicious Tequila taste like? First, it’s incredibly delicious and very smooth. Showing a slight tinge of yellow/gold color, this otherwise clear Tequila jumps from the glass with an array of complex aromas including lime, radish, white pepper, mint, smoke, white peach, vanilla, corn husk, roasted herbs and jalapeño. In the mouth, this delicious Tequila immediately impresses with a soft, voluminous feel and flavors that expand to include more spice, red pepper, toffee, salted lime, minerality and masa.
As this is a from a single barrel, it will be bottled at cask strength. Where their typical blended Suave Reposado is adjusted to 40% ABV, today's bottles are expected to sit just above 46%. The exact ABV won't be known for a few more days, when the bottles are filled!
Unlike most Tequilas where the piña is roasted in an autoclave for around 15 hours, the Agave for this Tequila is slow cooked at low pressure in brick ovens for around 36 to 48 hours. The roasted piña is then allowed to cool and crushed using an old technique, gently extracting the sweet nectar. The juice then spontaneously ferments in concrete vessels before being twice distilled in copper stills. Alejandro’s father and uncle oversee the dramatic cuts, with a generous removal of heads and tails, leaving the purest corazón for barrel selection and aging. The young Suave Tequila is then transferred to used American Bourbon barrels, where it spent five months, taking on a light yellow color.
Incredibly long and sophisticated, the result is a truly exciting drink. If you love Tequila, Mezcal or limited-production collectible spirits of any kind, this one deserves a spot in your cabinet. With the holidays fast approaching, this is a great opportunity to get an early and easy start on your holiday shopping!
Vin Chicago Pre-Arrival Price: 79.99
