Fortaleza Tequila Anejo Review
With our Fortaleza Tequila Anejo Review, we’ll check out how good this aged añejo tequila is. Is this a good tequila to sip on its own or add to margaritas? Can it meet (or even exceed) your needs and expectations? Most importantly, is tracking down a bottle worth it? Let’s find out!
We Tried the Fortaleza Tequila Anejo
We’re doing this Fortaleza Anejo review because we want to help you find delicious bottles of tequila for your home bar that won’t break the bank.
There’s buzz around Fortaleza Añejo, particularly about how hard it is to get hold of. This makes it one of the most sought-after brands out there. That gives it prestige and also can drive prices up. So is it worth the hype?
My neighbor is a big fan and since my husband and I do a weekly happy hour with he and his wife, I’ve gotten to try several varieties of Fortaleza. It has a nice-looking bottle and an average to high price point.
Related: Clase Azul Tequila Review (Tequila Plata)
While Suzy and I love and often use tequila blanco in our margarita recipes, we still look for good añejo tequilas to try. Traditionally, anejos are used for sipping, are more aged and are reminiscent of whiskey.
But we like to use them in margaritas too. We used an anejo in our Mint Julep Margarita recipe which was absolutely delicious!
But is it worth your time chasing a bottle of Fortaleza? Read on.
OUR QUALIFICATIONS: Sharon has been writing about and creating cocktail recipes for almost 10 years now. Together, Suzy and Sharon have an immense love of tequila and margaritas and have tasted SO many. We aren’t mixologists but feel like we bring the experience of different palates with the common goal of finding delicious products to share with you.
Tequila Fortaleza Info
The owners and makers of Fortaleza are pretty new to the market, having been launched only in 2005. However, they more than makeup for it by having more than 150 years of history in the family.
Their history began with their great-great-great-grandfather, Don Cenobio, who founded his first distillery in 1873 in Tequila, Jalisco. Accordingly, Don Cenobio was the first person to export tequila into the U.S. when it was still called “mezcal de tequila,” and one of those who stated that Blue Agave was the best type to use for producing this alcohol.
When Don Cenobio passed, the family business was passed from generation to generation until it came into Don Javier’s possession. He built a small distillery named La Fortaleza. He sold the business in the 1970s but kept the distillery, which his grandson, Don Guillermo, eventually revived.
Today, Destillera La Fortaleza makes tequila using traditional and artisanal ways – the way they did over 100 years ago. You can actually book a tour to visit their distilleries and see their history by filling out their online form.
Note: In our reviews, we don’t delve deep into the company that makes the drinks. We just want to tell you the basics. Feel free to read more about the Tequila Fortaleza on their website if you want to learn more.
The anejo tequila has been hard to find due to the brand not being able to keep up with demand. Due to the aging process, this tequila takes longer to produce. They’re also may be a little bit of delay due to waiting for agave plants to fully ripen.
This brand is sold in Mexico as Los Abuelos and not Tequila Fortaleza.
About Fortaleza Anejo Tequila
Cost
Depending on where you order a bottle from, you can get Fortaleza Tequila Anejo at prices ranging from 85.00 to $250.00. Some even sell it higher!
This makes this brand a little expensive. For context, you can buy other Tequila Anejos at less than $100 for a 750 ml bottle.
Anejo tequila are usually more expensive than blancos and reposados. And because the bottles can be hard to find, some retailers jack up the price a little due to scarcity.
Ingredients
We liked how they described the Fortaleza Tequila Anejo on their website: “Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and cooked agave aromas practically jump from the glass in this highly-praised and perfectly-aged añejo.” We did notice the strong aroma and the flavors, but more on this in our tasting notes below.
Also, Tequila Fortaleza Añejo is made from 100% agave from Jalisco, with a natural spring as its water source. It is double distilled, is cooked in a brick oven, and aged 18 months in American Oak.
Flavors
We only tried the Anejo for this Fortaleza Tequila Anejo review. However, Fortaleza also sells Fortaleza Blanco, Fortaleza Blanco (Still Strength), and Fortaleza Reposado.
The company also puts out some special releases from time to time.
We like to use these tequila-sipping glasses for most of our tastings. They help you to get the aromas better and since we’re beginners, we can use all the help we can get.
Alcohol Content
This has 40% alcohol per volume (80 proof), offering consumers a good balance of strength and flavor in every sip.
Packaging and Presentation
First off the bottle looks nice. I really like the shape and the cap resembles an agave plant. The clear glass really showcases the golden amber liquid color that Anejo and it would look nice on a bar cart.
The label around the neck of the bottle pays homage to their family’s roots with variations of grandfather, great grandfather, etc. written in Spanish.
The font label shows a drawing of the agave fields and home, as well as a very regal-looking logo with swords and stallions.
It is said that under the front label, you will find an etching with the original Los Abuelos name which they are prevented from using in the US due to a trademark issue. But I have yet to take the label off. I’m going to wait until the bottle is done.
Serving
You can serve this Anejo on the rocks, neat, or as part of margaritas. Because of the price, if you enjoy the flavor on its own, it’s a better idea to save this for sipping rather then blending with other ingredients.
There are many other bottles that you can use in a margarita, but not as many that you’ll enjoy sipping on their own.
Tasting Notes
Upon first sip, we can already appreciate the complexity of the different flavors. We can easily taste the agave, caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch, but also got a hint of citrus It’s really nice! It leaves a really nice aftertaste.
And it smells amazing.
Suzy likes her margaritas sweet, so she was the first to notice that she noticed there were flavors of toffee and nutmeg in there, too.
It is slightly spicy with a little alcohol burn but the second sip is smoother. It is definitely a sipper.
Many reviews say it’s great for dessert because they detect chocolate or cinnamon notes with a subtle oaky finish. If you like those flavors and aromas in your drink, you will enjoy this unique tequila experience.
Overall Rating and Conclusion
On our tequila review scale from 1 to 5, we give Fortaleza Anejo Tequila a 3. It’s nice to sip and has some great flavors. Unfortunately, the high price and availability (or lack of it) drove the score down a bit.
You can get other brands that offer practically the same experience that Fortaleza Anejo Tequila does – without the hassle and for way less!
As I sit here with the glorious aftertaste (I decided to revisit it once more as I edited this article) a 3 does seem low. But we like to make sure the bottle is worth the money and easy to get. I’d push this to a 4 if you are willing and want to be part of the hunt.
We also want to note that we both prefer blanco over anejo, which also colors our reviews.
This is a great bottle to gift especially to people who know about it.
It can also a fun conversation starter since when you find people who know this brand, they often light up and love to talk about it. It can also become a community even when a store announces they have a small assortment available.
We’ve bought bottles for several people and also encouraged others to go pick them up before they sell out.
Have you tasted Fortaleza Añejo? Let us know what you think of our Fortaleza Tequila Anejo review in the comments below!
Where to Buy
You can check out their store locators to find bars, restaurants, and retail locations in the U.S. and Mexico where you can buy Fortaleza Anejo tequila.
You can also buy Fortaleza Anejo Tequila online; visit online liquor stores to check for Anejo’s availability. Fair warning, though, most of those we visited don’t have them in stock (as of this writing but may restock soon).
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