The Last Drop Distillers have often been described as the Indiana Joneses of the spirits world, and that’s a fairly accurate picture of what the company does. Since 2008 they’ve jetted around the world, digging through the historied, catacomb-like warehouses of the world’s best distilleries. For the first time ever, those explorations have yielded a new kind of treasure: an extra-añejo tequila.
The 40th Last Drop Distillers release is a blend of three tequila casks distilled and aged in the Highlands of Jalisco by Casa San Matías Distillery, While most of us have never heard of this distillery, Casa San Matías has an impressive pedigree. Casa San Matías has been around since 1886, and has been family owned for all 138 years of its existence. Current owner Carmen Villarreal has been at the helm since 1997.
If that’s not impressive enough, you should know that they have one especially important claim to fame worth noting: They produced the world’s first extra-añejo tequila release in 1991. In other words, they have a lot of experience with old tequilas.
Partnering with The Last Drop, however, has allowed Villarreal and her team to create something that’s truly one of a kind. “Even in my decades at Casa San Matías,” Villarreal explains, “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.”
So, what’s in the bottle? A 92.6-proof extra añejo tequila like nothing else on the market. The final blend is comprised of three casks in total: two ex-bourbon casks (which aged tequila for 10 years each) and one port pipe, which aged for 7 years.
At the moment, all we have to go on are the tasting notes provided by The Last Drop. They describe aromas of roasted nuts, spiced oak, pineapple and vanilla, with a floral backbone “of orange blossom and jasmine.” They describe the palate as “creamy dulce de leche and cooked agave,” followed by rich fruits like dates and plums, “and a hint of green jalapeño skin.” On the finish, notes of “warming cinnamon” and a “clove tingle” are highlighted over “floral sweetness and toasted oak.”
I’m still waiting to try this one, but if any of the 39 previous releases are to be used as a benchmark, this is going to be a pretty exquisite tequila. Since 2008, The Last Drop has been a brand quietly synonymous with ultra rare spirits. In that time, they’ve produced 40 rare bottlings, including 22 scotch whiskies, three Japanese whiskies, five American whiskeys and/or bourbons, and one Irish whiskey. They’ve also released five cognacs, two rums, and two fortified wines. All have been exceptionally excellent examples of their respective categories.
There are some absolute stars among this whiskey-dominated collection, but while the whiskies have always shined (three of them debuted earlier this year), it’s arguably The Last Drop’s more adventurous picks that have been the most exciting and special. The rums were funky and dark; the cognacs have been rich, raisin-y, and earthy. The standalone Irish whiskey is among the top two or three best Irish whiskeys released so far this century.
Sadly, this is where the bad news comes in. Like the other 39 releases, The Last Drop Extra Añejo Tequila is extremely limited. Just 435 bottles will be released worldwide, meaning the U.S. portion is likely to average just a handful of opportunities per state. That includes allocations for the bars and restaurants, too. Luckily, there will be some available in partnership with Legacy de Forge.
For $2,300, it’s competing with the retail prices of some of the most expensive tequilas on the market, like Clase Azul’s Dia de los Muertos special releases. But it’s also far below the prices of some “status symbol” bottles worthy of the dust they collect on shelves.
We’ll have to see how the market inflates this price, because there’s incredible value in this liquid, even for two grand. But if you’re not sure, then by all means leave that bottle on the shelf so there’s more for the rest of us.