Fortaleza Reposado Tequila

This is Fortaleza's reposado, which puts it in the category's middle tier. Reposado tequila is rested in oak after distillation, and the legal minimum is two months. Many bottles sit longer, though the label here doesn't say how long this one rested, so treat any specific barrel time as unconfirmed. Styles like this usually keep the cooked-agave backbone of a blanco (roasted sweet agave, black pepper, a little citrus peel and earth). The oak adds a layer of vanilla, light caramel and baking spice without hiding the plant. Expect a rounder, softer palate than an unaged tequila, with a finish that still tastes of agave and not mostly of wood. Reposado sits between two poles. A blanco is bottled unaged or briefly rested, and it is sharper and more vegetal. Añejo (aged at least one year) and extra añejo (at least three) trade more of that agave for oak, with deeper amber color and flavors of dried fruit, toffee and cocoa. A reposado keeps most of the agave while taking some of the oak's smoothness, so it is the easiest tequila to use either way. Most tequila drinkers can pour it neat or mix it, depending on the evening. For sipping, use a caballito (the small tall shot glass) or a short rocks glass or small tulip glass. Pour it at room temperature, since cold mutes the oak and the agave sweetness. If you want it cooler, add one large cube and let it open up as it dilutes. Skip the salt and lime when it's neat. A thin slice of orange or a pinch of sal de gusano is the traditional alternative if you want an accompaniment, along with some sangrita on the side. In cocktails, a reposado makes a Margarita with more depth than a blanco does. Use fresh lime and a light hand with the orange liqueur, and serve it on a salted-rim rocks glass over fresh ice. It also works well in a Paloma, where the oak softens grapefruit soda's bitterness, and in a Ranch Water built tall with lime and sparkling water, although a blanco gives a brighter version of that drink. It is not the best choice for heavily sweetened mixers, because those cover up what the oak and agave offer.