123 Dos Reposado Tequila

Dos Reposado is a reposado tequila from Jalisco, the state that includes the town of Tequila and the highland and valley agave fields around it. Reposado means "rested." Under tequila rules the spirit spends at least two months and less than a year in oak, which is long enough to soften the edges of a blanco without burying the plant underneath. The distributor describes this bottle as pairing agave with a touch of oak. Expect cooked-agave sweetness and a little pepper or citrus peel from the base spirit, with vanilla, light caramel and a gentle toastiness from the wood. Styles like this usually finish short of the heavy spice and dried-fruit depth of older expressions. The aging categories help place it. Blanco is unaged or rested under two months and shows the most vegetal, peppery agave. Reposado sits one step up, with more roundness and a pale straw to light gold color. Añejo spends one to three years in oak and leans toward baking spice and dried fruit. Extra añejo spends over three years in oak and is made to be sipped slowly. A reposado is the most flexible of the four, because it has enough wood to feel smooth neat and enough agave to hold its own in a mixed drink. To taste it neat, pour about an ounce or two into a caballito, the small straight-sided tequila glass, or a short rocks glass. Serve it at cool room temperature so the oak and agave aromas come through. One large ice cube works if you prefer it slightly diluted and chilled, but very cold temperatures mute the sweetness. A slice of orange or a pinch of salt on the side is a traditional accompaniment, though a spirit like this needs neither. In cocktails, a reposado makes a Margarita with a rounder, slightly toasty backbone. Use fresh lime juice and a modest measure of orange liqueur or agave syrup, shaken hard and served over fresh ice in a salt-rimmed rocks glass. It also works in a Paloma, with grapefruit soda and a squeeze of lime over ice in a tall glass. In a Ranch Water, built with lime and sparkling mineral water over plenty of ice, the oak adds a little warmth where a blanco would taste brighter and sharper. For food, reposado suits grilled meats, carnitas, and dishes with citrus or mild chile heat.