Review: El Cristiano Tequila Extra Anejo Black Label

Jonathan kicked off our coverage of El Cristiano Tequila last year with a look at the distillery’s silver and reposado expressions. Now we’re jumping ahead to El Cristiano Extra Anejo, “Black Label,” which is aged for three years in ex bourbon barrels.

The tequila plays like a selection of greatest hits from the Extra Anejo playbook. Notes of Almond Roca, vanilla custard, coconut, and Mexican chocolate are tempered by an edge of lemon curd which adds some necessary fruit and acidity. The palate is nearly identical, though there’s a certain agave-driven spice in the mix, some red pepper and jalapeno that gives the tequila some heat. Amidst the spice bomb, notes of flamed banana and more coconut provide a somewhat rum-like experience. I briefly considered what might happen if I mixed this into a Mai Tai… and still might do so one of these days. Lengthy and sweet as it finishes, a boldly tropical character layers in even more notes of coconut and chocolate. Very sweet and quite soothing, it’s classically destined for dessert. Those looking for more than a trace of the underlying agave need not apply.

80 proof. NOM 1499.

A- / $130 / el-cristiano.com

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