Corazón Tequila has announced the 2018 release of its limited line of Expresiones del Corazón, the fourth in the annual series.
Each year Corazón releases a lineup of barrel-aged tequila expressions. The 2018 lineup includes Buffalo Trace Distillery Old 22 Añejo, Sazerac Rye Añejo, and George T. Stagg Añejo. All of these aged in barrels that previously held some of the world’s most highly awarded whiskies from Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Also part of the lineup is the Artisanal Blanco.
The Buffalo Trace Distillery Old 22 Añejo aged at least 22 months in Buffalo Trace Distillery bourbon barrels which held whiskey aged at least 22 years. It tastes of toasted caramel, cooked agave, toasted oak, vanilla and light ginger, the company says.
Sazerac Rye Añejo aged 24 months in Sazerac Rye barrels, and has a velvety sweet taste, with caramel, nuts and citrus flavors.
George T. Stagg Añejo aged 22 months in George T. Stagg bourbon barrels, and has a balanced taste of cinnamon, chocolate and green apple.
The Artisanal Blanco rested for 60 days in stainless steel, and has a sweet, soft, mint, eucalyptus and slightly tangy taste.
The Corazón brand, which falls under the Sazerac umbrella, comes from Acatic, Los Altos Jalisco at the Casa San Matías Distillery, which counds more than 130 years of tequila making experience.
Using 100 percent blue agave from the highlands of Jalisco, the brix for Expresiones del Corazón are measured to determine sugar levels before harvest, rather than a traditional clear cut. Two sets of agave were harvested, one with a lower sugar content and flavored a little drier, and one with a higher sugar content considered a little sweeter for agave, resulting in more floral notes, the company says. The result was a harmonization of the two sets of agave in the Blanco, which was then used as the base for the other Expresiones del Corazón.
The filled barrels rest in the first row at Casa San Matías aging facility in Acatic, Los Altos Jalisco. The barrels undergo evaluation every two months until the desired characteristics are achieved. They are then bottled as single barrel tequilas.
Expresiones del Corazón are now available nationally; however, quantities are limited. The suggested retail price for the Artisanal Blanco is $59.99 per 750-ml. bottle, Buffalo Trace Distillery Old 22 Añejo is $79.99, George T. Stagg Añejo is $79.99 and Sazerac Rye Añejo is $79.99.
The Artisanal Blanco, Buffalo Trace Distillery Old 22 Añejo, and George T. Stagg Añejo are each 80 proof, while the Sazerac Rye Añejo is 90 proof.
