Review: Gran Centenario Leyenda Extra Anejo Tequila (2009)

Review: Gran Centenario Leyenda Extra Anejo Tequila (2009)

Review: Gran Centenario Leyenda Extra Anejo Tequila (2009)

Reportedly the first ever “extra anejo tequila” — a new designation recently allowed under Mexican law, established in 2006 for tequilas aged three years or longer — commercially released (others have since followed), Gran Centenario‘s Leyenda is as dark a tequila as I’ve ever seen.

The oak-brown color is seriously misleading, for this is as elegant and approachable a spirit as you’ll find (especially in the tequila world), offering spearmint tones on the nose and very surprising citrus character alongside deep vanilla notes in the body from all that time in wood. Orange and spice linger on the finish, giving way to a minty finale that is crystal clear and silky clean.

Does an extra year in the barrel and a fancy bottle merit a 4x increase in price? You be the judge — but money notwithstanding, this is one of the best tequilas on the market today.

80 proof.

A / $223 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Gran Centenario Leyenda Extra Anejo Tequila (2009)

USD223
9.5

Rating

9.5/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

6 Comments

  1. Rich G. on May 18, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    Minty? I don’t think I’ve ever gotten mint tones out of a tequila. Is that just from the aging process? Or have my taste buds just been deadened by years of assault through spicy foods?

  2. Christopher Null on May 18, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    I agree – this is the only minty tequila I’ve had to date — but I rather enjoyed it. That said, it may present differently to different palates.

  3. Rich G. on May 19, 2009 at 7:37 am

    Good point. I’d say it’d be interesting to see how the profile plays out mixed, but it seems a shame to mix a $223 tequila with anything.

  4. Christopher Null on May 19, 2009 at 7:39 am

    Yeah, I wouldn’t dream of mixing this.

  5. 3 amigas on December 28, 2009 at 7:15 am

    we need azul tequilas please call back 8475268336 ask for ricardo vega

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