Tears of Llorona Extra Anejo Tequila Review

If you don't know the name Germán González, get to know it NOW.  During the Summer of COVID, 2020, (an era we'd all like to forget) I started seeing Tears of Llorona tequila show up on some of the tequila themed social media accounts I follow. As the legend grew, my interest piqued, and now I found myself a super fanboy of this absolutely incredible tequila.  Today I'll share with you the amazing story of this remarkable bottle in my Tears of Llorona review and tasting experience.

Bottled at 86 proof, this is a tad bit more potent than most aged tequila.  An approximate five year aging period is used to mature the tequila in a three pronged attack of Oak barrels which previously aged Cognac, Scotch, and Sherry, and that flavor comes out in every drop of this extra anejo tequila.

This isn't the easiest bottle to purchase as the distribution is tight and the quantity is limited, but you'll find this at Total Wine, Old Town Tequila, and any boutique or high end liqour store near you, although like Don Julio Real, an early entrant to the extra anejo category, the price will vary quite a bit.

About Master Distiller German Gonzalez

I'd literally never done homework in looking up a brand and run into so many bold proclamations that the distiller, or tequilero, is among the greatest of all time.

That is, until I started digging into the story of Germán Gonzalez.

The art of making tequila has been something his family has passed down for generations.  Germán learned the trade of making tequila from his father, Guillermo Gonzalez Diaz Lombardo, who is responsible for the Chinaco tequila brand that rose to fame in the 1990's.  It was widely considered the first ultra premium tequila and paved the way for other tequilas of the hand crafted variety.  Gonzalez eventually left Chinaco to start T1 tequila, where his hands on philosophy led him to a lot of success.  It's actually said that he personally inspects every agave plant before it's harvested.

As the story goes, the generations before him each taught their son's how to make tequila, and when you begin tracing the roots of the family, you run into the General Manuel Gonzalez, the great, great grandfather to Germán, and the President of Mexico from 1880 to 1884.  A historical figure, he had a huge role in the events that took place on May 5, way back in 1862.  While most people reading this associate to the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, this day marked the battle of Puebla, in which the Mexican Army defeated the French Army even though they were undermanned and less equipped than the French.  During this battle, General Manuel Gonzalez was wounded, taken prisoner, made an escape, and was wounded again, eventually losing his right arm during the battle.

It's this iconic bloodline that laid the foundation for the Tears of Llorona we are so fortunate to sip today, and it's this bloodline and family legacy that is honored by Germán Gonzalez on every May 5.  

Where is Tears of Llorona Made?

NOM 1146.  There are some great tequilas made there, including Don Fulano, ArteNOM Selección de 1146, Fuenteseca, T1 Tequila Uno, and the old school tres, cuatro, y cinco.

Tears of Llorona Flavor Profile

This is among the most complex extra anejo tequilas that you'll ever taste!

You'll get notes of custard, toffee, cocoa, and herbs in addition to rancio, (which I admit for full disclosure, I had to look up.)

Rancio is a spanish term that describes the peak of refinement in aromas & flavours.

It's apparently a term used heavily in cognac's, and while I will never turn down a cognac, I'm an amateur when it comes to talking the talk of cognac.  🙂

Source:  https://cognacfaq.blogspot.com/p/what-is-rancio.html

The color of this aged tequila is a warm amber which bursts through the bottle with radiant light, making this bottle stand out in  your collection.

Learn More About How They Make Tears of Llorona

Tears of Llorona Official Review & Tasting Notes

This sipping tequila should be savored and cherished.  The bold flavors come at you in waves, and you'll see some light heat, spice, even cherry and chocolate.  If you really take your time to enjoy this tequila you'll get the flavors they intended to bring you from each individual barrel that the tequila was rested in.  You'll get the fruitiness from the sherry barrels, the dryness from the scotch barrels, and the brandy barrels to get the sweetness.

This is a bold flavorful exquisite extra anejo made by German Gonzales of T1 Tequila. It is sweet with some light heat, and notes of spice, honey, leather, cherry and chocolate. Smooth and silky, this slightly smoky tequila has a nice cognac/whiskey profile. This is a little high priced, so it should be saved for special occasions.

Key Review Takeaways

#1:  At a 43% ABV, this is a little on the high side, which I enjoy.

#2:  This is a ONE LITER bottle.  You'll be hard pressed to find an extra anejo tequila of any quality in this bottle size.  So this does help bring the price into a more reasonable category, although it's still on the high side of tequilas, but it's worth every penny.

#3:   This is made with a low pressure autoclave.  This takes longer, almost like an oven, and it's the only way to make a quality tequila with an autoclave.

#4:  The agaves are from Los Altos and everything is stilled in copper pots.