The Don Fulano brand of tequilas are created at the La Tequileña distillery (NOM 1146), which is located right in the center of the town of Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. It has a very large aging room with a variety of different types of barrels, so maybe that’s part of the reason why the Don Fulano 5-year Añejo is so good.
[Disclaimer: My statement in the video that the 1146 aging room is the largest in “the world” may not be entirely accurate, but the place is giant, and is definitely one of the largest in the tequila industry.]
Although the label say’s it’s an “añejo”, it’s actually an “extra añejo” because it has been aged longer than 3 years. There’s something in the official tequila labeling rules that prevents brands from using the term “extra añejo” if they include the length of time it has been aged on the label. Weird and confusing? Yes, but let’s move on… :-)
The Don Fulano 5-year Añejo is aged in new French oak barrels, which is what gives it the bitter chocolate aromas we detected right away. It’s loaded with earthy notes (like peat), and honey.
The bitter chocolate lives on in the flavor, too, and it kind of creeps up on you as it opens up. The flavor is surprising because it isn’t what you would initially expect from the aroma. We experienced a sweet caramel flavor and a finish that was silky going down. There were also some spices, with a touch of anise; the flavor overall was very pleasant.
Grover’s Tasting Notes via the Tequila Matchmaker mobile app:
“This tequila has bright peat, cinnamon and earthy aromas, and a delightful almost fruity flavor. The finish seems to bring a few surprises as it delivers waves of delicious complexity. This is a real treat.”
This bottle retails for about $129., and we bought ours online. If you really like aged tequilas, you may be used to paying premium prices. As far as value for what you’re getting, this is certainly worth the money.
If you are into aged tequilas, this is a great one because it’s still holding onto its agave source, and delivers a surprisingly delicious taste.
Regarding the blancos: I hear ya! I started with the blancos and haven’t strayed too far. Every once in awhile I’ll experiment around with the aged juice, but I have to be in the right mood. For blancos, I’m always in the mood.
One thing I do quite enjoy, though, is a vertical tasting of all the age expressions of a certain brand/distillery.
NOM 1146, Tequilana also produces Seleccion Arte premium Tequilas, along with NOM 1079. Is this correct in your experience? J.
Yes, ArteNOM 1146 is an añejo tequila produced there by Jake Lustig. It’s nice stuff. He also produced ArteNOM 1079 (blanco), and ArteNOM 1414 (reposado) at those distilleries. We really need to do a review of that lineup – thanks for the reminder!