Review: Laelia Tequila – Blanco and Reposado

Laelia is a new tequila brand entering the U.S. market. No celebrities here: It’s 100% Mexican owned and operated. At present, the portfolio consists of a blanco and a reposado, both produced through “traditional brick oven slow cooking, then distilled in 100% copper pot stills after a Tahona extraction.”

We tasted both of them. Thoughts follow.

All expressions are 80 proof. NOM 1607.

Laelia Tequila Blanco Review

Aged 14 days in American oak barrels. The impact on color is mild but just barely visible. Initially quite bold and green on the nose, the aromatics soon settle down into more of an earthy vibe with time in glass, tinged with notes of lime and a drop of saline.

The palate is immediately quite soft and creamy — that two weeks in oak has a bigger impact than you’d think — but a bit of resting time brings the focus back to green agave, plump and earthy, with a grind of green peppercorns to perk things up. Vanilla and caramel are distinct as the finish builds — both clear remnants of that brief idyll in the barrel. It’s nothing like the bracing, herbaceous blanco you’re probably used to, but it’s a solid offering on the terms it sets out.

Reviewed: Batch #LLB001. B+ / $60

Laelia Tequila Reposado Review

Aged 4 to 6 months in lightly toasted French oak barrels, a big twist vs. the Blanco. Pale gold in color but not nearly as light as the Blanco. The nose is immediately odd, variously featuring elements of camphor, turned earth, and potpourri. Nosed blind, I would not have pegged this as a tequila at all — maybe an aged sotol, maybe.

The palate tastes just like the nose suggests: aggressive camphor, though it’s followed by anise and graphite. The tequila is extremely drying, lacking the sweetness of a typical reposado or, for that matter, Laelia’s own Blanco, which is considerably more effusive and bright. This drying quality sucks virtually all the life out of the tequila, here the agave showing relatively green, unripe characteristics — all while the pervasive aromas of dried rose petals only exacerbate its more pastoral elements. French oak — toasted, at that — ultimately feels like a poor choice for this distillate, which clearly shines brighter with some more traditional American oak to perk it up.

Reviewed: Batch #LLR001. C / $70

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