It’s another round with Herradura’s Coleccion de la Casa limited edition line of reposado tequilas — each one aged first in a standard Bourbon barrel, then finished in another type of specialty cask. (See also the first two releases in this annual series: Port and Cognac finished tequila.)

This year, Herradura turns to former Scotch barrels, casks which really aren’t used for much other than, well, more Scotch. According to the company, “This limited edition tequila is aged to perfection in charred American oak casks for eleven months. Prior to bottling, the tequila is then transferred to carefully select [sic] single malt scotch casks from the renowned Highland and Islay regions of Scotland for three additional months of aging.”

There’s only a little that raises an eyebrow in the first nosing of this tequila. While the nose is lightly smoky, it’s balanced by the essence of chili pepper, caramel, and a bit of salty brine. The smokiness is unusual for tequila, but could easily be chalked up (along with the brine) to the impact of agave if you weren’t aware of the finishing element here.

The body starts off by showcasing agave, tempering that with notes of austere wood, sweet honey cake, Madeira, and a reprise of those seaside smoky elements. This lattermost element melds surprisingly well with the sweet agave punch that comes back around on the finish — if you’ve ever had a mezcal-meets-whiskey cocktail, you know how interesting the combination can be. Here the duo combine to create a whole that is bigger and burlier than the sum of its parts — and stands as a mighty fine, if wholly unexpected, achievement from Herradura.

80 proof.

A / $90 / herradura.com [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]

Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Scotch Cask Finished Reposado, Reserva 2014

$90

9.5

Rating

9.5/10

BUY IT NOW

About Post Author

Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

See author's posts

Related Stories:

Review: Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Cognac Cask Finished Reposado, Reserva 2013 Review: Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Port Cask Finished Reposado, Reserva 2012 Review: Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Port Cask Finished Reposado, Reserva 2016 Review: Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Directo de Alambique Silver Tequila, Reserva 2015