Fortaleza Blanco Tequila

Guillermo Sauza's family have a rich tequila-making history, with Don Cenobio a key figure in establishing tequila as we understand it today. When Guillermo was little, his grandfather sold the company, however, dashing his chances of growing up to become a jet-setting mariachi band brand ambassador for the family's spirits (this is all true by the way). They held on to the distillery and land though, and Guillermo was able to get the traditional distillery (deemed too "inefficient" and old fashioned in the 1960s) back up and running, launching Fortaleza in 2005.

Tequila Fortaleza is made the way tequila was made 150 years ago. The use of old-world machinery and processes creates a unique tequila experience.

As if stepping into a time machine, Fortaleza shows you what tequila tasted like before processes were sped up in the name of "efficiency." They take their time, produce only in small batches, and are proud of what they do.

Cooking: Stone/Brick ovens.

Crushing: Tahona.

Fermentation: 100% Agave without fibers. Open air fermentation in wooden tanks.

Distillation: Double Distilled.

Still Type: Copper pot.

Ageing: Rested stainless steel.

Water Source: Deep well water.

Other: No additives. Hand blown bottles. Distilled to near proof.

Nose: Everything a good tequila should be with aromas of citrus, and rich cooked agave fill your nose in this unique and very special blanco Tequila. Also present: butter, olive, earth, black pepper, and a deep inviting vegetal complexity.

Palate: Flavours include citrus, cooked agave, vanilla, basil, olive, and lime.

Finish: The finish is long and deep, complex yet easy to drink. Fortaleza Blanco is a true aficionado's Tequila.

Mark - Text from the Spotlight on Tequila Blog

First founded in 1873, Don Cenobio founded his first distillery in the town of Tequila, Jalisco. Not only was Don Cenobio The first person to export “mezcal de tequila” to the United States, shorten the name to just Tequila, and implement the use of steam to cook the agave (instead of an earthen pit), Cenobio also stated that the Blue Agave was the best agave to use for production. Two generations later, his grandson Francisco Javier who brought about more changes to the industry and made the family’s tequila the most well-known brand in the world. The single most important thing that Don Javier did for the industry was to help establish the Denomination of Origin for Tequila.

While on a business trip to Japan in the late 1960’s, Don Javier came across a bottle of Japanese Tequila. Angered by this, he stated that tequila can only be made in Mexico, specifically, in the area around Tequila. A group of tequila producers, led by Don Javier, filed an application for an appellation of origin in 1973, but it wasn’t until 1996 when the world officially recognized the Denomination of Origin for Tequila.

An absolute favourite of ours, all taste is of course subjective but as an example of a valley tequila there are not many more that could compete. The different expressions of this tequila are absolutely worth exploring if you find yourself deep in the weeds of the category. Bottlings at still strength, reposado and the lauded Winter Blend are all top tier tequila, even if the American market and demand has inflated special releases to eye watering prices. In case you don't fancy parting with a couple of hundred pounds to commit to a bottle we ordinarily have a Winter Blend on the bar should you like to try it.