Only 435 Bottles Exist of This Extremely Rare Extra Añejo Tequila. Get One Before It Sells Out!
Contrary to its name, The Last Drop Distillers doesn’t actually distill any of its own liquid. Rather, the brand sources rare, vintage stocks of various spirits from around the world, then bottles (and occasionally blends) them for small, one-off releases. Since its founding in 2008, the U.K.-based company has released fewer than 11,000 bottles in total, with most product launches yielding under 500.
With its previous 39 releases, The Last Drop Distillers has tapped into various spirits categories, including Scotch, Cognac, bourbon, and rum. And the brand just unveiled its first tequila release, an extra añejo tequila.
Courtesy The Last Drop
Carmen Villarreal, the director of tequila distillery Casa San Matías, crafted this spirit, which has a base of blue agave grown in the red clay soils of the Highlands of Jalisco. For this extra añejo bottling, Villarreal blended tequila aged for 10 years in a used bourbon barrel and tequila aged for seven years in a barrel that previously contained port.
The Last Drop Release No. 40 Extra Añejo Tequila Tasting Notes
The finished amber-hued liquid is said to open with a bouquet of roasted nuts, pineapple, vanilla, and jasmine, which sets the stage for a decadent palate with notes of dulce de leche, cinnamon, roasted agave, and stone fruits.
Courtesy The Last Drop
“For generations, Mexico’s most skilled tequileros have crafted spirits that capture the soul of the land,” Villarreal said in a press release. “Yet, even in my decades at Casa San Matías, opportunities to shape an extra añejo of this rarity—exploring the nuances that come from experimenting with unique casks and innovative aging techniques—are extraordinary.”
The Last Drop Release No. 40 Extra Añejo Tequila is bottled at 92.6 proof (46.3 percent ABV) and will ship to select retailers, bars, and restaurants worldwide in the next few weeks.
A small supply of bottles will also be available for purchase directly through Legacy de Forge. Packaged in 700 mL bottles along with a 50 mL miniature, a tasting book, cork stopped, and set of wooden coasters, each set comes housed in a handcrafted wooden case and carries a suggested retail price of $2,300 (local taxes and fees apply).
There are only 435 bottles in existence, so collectors should act fast if they want to secure a bottle.