La Gritona

A different kind of Reposado.

Coming from a small distillery in Valle de Guadalupe in Jalisco, Mexico, La Gritona Reposado is a different kind of Reposado. For once, Melly Barajas only makes Reposado. Her team is a small staff of local women that are there every step of the working process which takes place entirely under one roof. They don’t use copper stills or a tahona. They give all of the agave remnants that are left over after production to local farmers that use it as cattle feed. Their bottles are hand blown with recycled Mexican glass in the Guadalajara municipality of Tonolá, an hour away from the distillery. A special place.

La Gritona Reposado Tequila is made from 9-10 Year Old agave that’s put into thick-walled earthen ovens where it’s steam cooked for 24 hours. After resting and crushing, it’s fermented naturally in open steel vats. Distilled twice, the Reposado rests for 8 months in ex-American Whiskey barrels that are charred very lightly.

It’s hard to describe La Gritona but you could say it’s light on the sweetness and despite it being a Reposado, the true essence of agave remains. The palate is herbaceous with agave notes that have not been too much “Whiskified”. This is a very vegetal tequila that retains the crispiness reminiscent of a silver Tequila yet it still manages to showcse subtle signs of Melly’s careful aging. The finish is extremely round with no burn. Sip this one straight with no ice, lime, salt, or mixer.