Campo Bravo Tequila Reposado

Campo Bravo Reposado sits in the middle of the tequila aging ladder. A reposado is rested in oak for at least two months and under a year, so it keeps the cooked-agave backbone of a blanco while picking up some of what wood contributes. The details supplied for this bottle don't include a distillery, ABV, or a specific time in barrel. The notes below describe how reposados typically taste, not a measured profile of this expression. Expect the agave to stay in front: roasted, lightly sweet, with the vegetal and citrus-peel edge you get from a blanco. Behind that, a short rest in oak usually adds soft vanilla, light caramel, and a touch of baking spice. The result is rounder than a silver tequila and has less of the heat on the finish. It doesn't have the dried-fruit, toasted-wood depth of an añejo or extra añejo, which are aged one to three years and longer than three years respectively. Blanco is the sharpest and most herbal of the group, and reposado is the middle step between it and the aged styles. That balance makes a reposado useful both neat and mixed. Sipped neat, it does best in a caballito or a small rocks glass at room temperature, or with one large cube if you want it slightly cooler and a little less intense. Skip the salt and lime shots. A slice of orange or a pinch of sal de gusano is a better match for the oak, and the bottle also goes well with grilled meats, al pastor, and anything with a fruit-based salsa. In cocktails, a reposado makes a Margarita with more depth than a blanco version. Shake it with fresh lime and orange liqueur, and use a half-salted rim if you want one. In a Paloma, the vanilla and caramel notes round out grapefruit soda's bitterness, and a squeeze of fresh lime keeps it from tasting flat. For Ranch Water, pour it over ice in a tall glass with lime and sparkling mineral water. The oak will be quieter in a drink that dilute, but the agave and citrus still carry through. Serve all three over plenty of ice in a highball or rocks glass.