Espolòn Tequila Launches Extra Añejo Finished in French Chardonnay Casks

(Photo: Espolòn Tequila)

On Thursday, Espolòn Tequila expanded its portfolio with an Extra Añejo that intends to bring greater accessibility to the often expensive aged tequila category.

The double-cask release is aged for two and a half years in American Oak before finishing an additional six months in ex-French Chardonnay wine casks. Bottled at 40% ABV and rolling out nationwide at a suggested retail price of $69.99, the tequila is said to balance flavors of caramel. vanilla and toasted oak, followed by a sweet and spicy finish.

“With Extra Añejo, we wanted to push the character of our flavor profile while staying true to what makes Espolòn unmistakably itself, and the double-cask approach adds new layers of flavor,” Maestro Tequilero Jesús Susunaga Acosta remarked in a news release.

“I’ve always appreciated the complexity wine barrels can bring, so finishing the liquid in French Chardonnay casks felt like a natural choice. The result is a tequila that can stand alongside aged spirits while remaining accessible for more people to experience.”

It isn’t Espolon’s first foray into the extra añejo category, nor is it the brand’s oldest. In 2016, the tequila maker unveiled Añejo X, a limited-edition release aged for six years and bottled at 82 proof. Sold inside a matte, all-black decanter, the tequila hit the market at a suggested retail price of $99 and has since sold out in most places spirits are available.

The brand’s new XA appears to be its first permanent offering in the genre, as well as its cheapest.