Review: Olujo Tequila Anejo

Olujo is a new tequila brand founded by entrepreneur Adam Weitsman, in collaboration with Larsa Pippen and Oliver Camilo, “crafted with purpose, aged for perfection” … and priced to the moon.

Available in a single expression for the moment — anejo — the tequila hails from Los Altos agave, is cooked in autoclaves, double pot-distilled, and aged for 18 months in American oak barrels. Naturally, tequilas at this price point come in a wild decanter. Olujo’s is ceramic, designed by sculptor Ivan Venkov and crafted by Anfora in Hidalgo, Mexico.

The tequila is produced at Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, best known (to me) as the producer of Kah tequila.

Let’s taste.

Olujo Tequila Anejo Review

Highly unorthodox, the nose of the tequila exudes notes of butterscotch, French vanilla ice cream, and, above all, a clear note of toasted marshmallows. I’ve had marshmallow flavored vodkas that didn’t have this level of burnt gooey sugar to their nose, for better or worse.

The palate finds a fruitier through-line, perking up notes of cherry and some tamarind, later lemon curd and peaches. A vein of candied licorice is visible, followed by some tropical notes, heavy on grilled pineapple. There’s a tiki-like baking spice sprinkled over all of this — and plenty, plenty of sweetness. Again that marshmallow note is insistent, drizzled with caramel and vanilla.

What’s missing? Anything that tastes much like tequila. Any sense of racy agave, herbaceous greenery, or peppery notes is wholly absent — although there’s a certain way the spices shake out that ensures you know it’s tequila and not, say, a spiced rum. That said, for 500 bucks, I really want that difference to be clear as a bell.

80 proof. NOM 1472.

B+ / $500

The post Review: Olujo Tequila Anejo appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.