Cask-Finished Tequila: How A Whisky Practice Made Its Way To The Mexican Spirit

With origins in Mexican spirit making techniques, tequila is a delectable liquor prepared by distilling the cones of blue agave to produce a drink which is slightly fruity and sweet with a peppery and cinnamon-like finish. Overtime, makers of this fine spirit have started experimenting with different ways to craft a liquor that carries all the finesse of the quality booze albeit with slight twists to the recipe.

One such method that is rapidly gaining popularity is a tequila making technique that involves ageing the spirit in casks that store whiskies. This brings together the flavours of two very potent spirits, namely whisky and tequila into a rather distinct fusion that contains the aromas and tasting notes of both the liquors, giving the drink a stunning complexity.

Barrel Aged Tequila

For the producers of this Mexican spirit, crafting this recipe is more about using innovative ways to make tequila than about converting whisky connoisseurs into tequila aficionados. Ageing tequila in these barrels means it absorbs the different textural and aromatic components unique to that container, infusing in the drink a very standout taste. Every blanco tequila created in these barrels then embodies a unique flavour profile that differs from another similar spirit you would find in the market.

Tequila already has a very complex and intricate finish that is only enhanced when a reposado or blanco variation is aged in whisky barrels containing lots of caramel, vanilla and oak flavours. Furthermore, the smokiness of the barrels lends itself beautifully to the drink to imbue into it that intense, robust and slightly earthy texture which would remind you of a whisky distillery when you take a sip of this drink.

And while tequila is among several spirits like beer which is stored in wine or whisky barrels, the coming together of this agave liquor with a container that is used to age malts or Scotch whiskeys creates a layered blend that is quite exquisite to taste.

Moreover, it can be used in the making of cocktails too, leading to blends that are very complex and tastefully layered, with just the right hint of a dramatic flourish. Such a tequila can also be consumed on the rocks, to provide connoisseurs a very different experience of consuming this spirit which is largely enjoyed as a shooter or as a liquor paired with assorted fruity and citrus flavours in popular cocktail recipes.

Aromas And Aging

One of the most interesting and inviting qualities of this cask finished spirit is its aroma. Once again, this is a mix of the smoky fragrances found in a whisky barrel as well as the vanilla-like and spicy notes inherent to the tequila. As the spirit is aged more and more, so too the aroma becomes stronger and more pronounced, leading to a very complex olfactory experience. This fragrance also changes according to the different kinds of woods that are used for ageing the spirit such as American or French oak or casks used for ageing bourbon and single malts.

As the spirit undergoes this ageing process, it also exudes colours that are slightly different from a classic tequila. The more a tequila is aged in a whisky cask, the greater it showcases the hues it has absorbed such that such that a reposado tequila stored for longer than the blanco version has  a light to medium golden hue whereas the añejo which is aged the longest develops a darker colour that can be close to a deep mahogany or amber.

Now, as this whisky making technique proliferates into Mexican cultures of crafting tequila, it is possible to witness some really unexpected and one-of-a-kind flavours seeping into the spirit that are bound to change the way this liquor is approached. The fusion of two very robust drinks creates more opportunities for mixologists to experiment with classic cocktail recipes and introduce slight twists to their concoctions culminating in rather exquisite drinks.