Review: Tequila Komos Reposado Rosa and Anejo Cristalino
Tequila Komos comprises three unusual selections — a pink reposado, an anejo cristalino, and an extra anejo — and that’s it. No blanco. Curious. “Inspired by the Mediterranean,” as the cristalino notes, these tequilas undergo unorthodox aging processes, using wine barrels across the lineup in lieu of (or in addition to) standard bourbon barrels. Other than that, the company shares minimal information about production, so let’s get right on to tasting the two expressions we received (no extra anejo, alas).
Both are 80 proof. No NOM printed on my sample bottles.
Tequila Komos Reposado Rosa – Aged in French oak red wine barrels for two months. The color’s a delight, and so is the fragrance. Peppery but quite floral, with perfume clinging to the edges, the nose evokes red roses but also a hint of cardamom and a touch of toasty wood, with spiky agave ever-present. The palate is soft and floral, with some fruit evident. Komos wants you to think about rose wine while you’re sipping on this, and that’s hard not to do. Strawberry notes spar a bit against a tenacious white pepper character from time to time, but it’s all amidst a certain creaminess that fades slowly into notes of caramel and vanilla, a delicate cream puff quality. A decidedly solid sipper. A- / $110
Tequila Komos Anejo Cristalino – “Blanco tequila is aged for a minimum of 12 months in French oak white wine barrels, then that Añejo tequila is dripped through a charcoal column to remove impurities. Finally, we gently aerate the tequila in Greek amphora.” For all that buildup, this cristalino is surprisingly straightforward. Nougat and baking spice give the nose an enveloping warmth, again with peppery agave lingering underneath. There’s kind of a Mexican chocolate feel to the palate, with cocoa, vanilla, and spice all melting into a marshmallow-adjacent sweetness. The tequila continues to soften up as it evolves on the palate. The finish feels barely there, just a wisp of cinnamon sugar and alfajores cookies. It doesn’t remind me of the Mediterranean in any way. B+ / $120
The post Review: Tequila Komos Reposado Rosa and Anejo Cristalino appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.