What we’re drinking: The three bottles in the Symphony Series from Mijenta, including the just-released No. 3 Tequila Añejo
Where they’re from: Mijenta is an additive-free, certified B Corp distillery (the first in the tequila industry) in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Their Maestra Selection No. 1 was our pick for the best tequila of 2024.
Why we’re drinking these: Besides being a fan of Mijenta’s core lineup, their Symphony Series represents a unique take on tequila that’s primarily about the barrel, which also helps explain the name of the trilogy. “Symphony barrels” are custom casks that utilize oak staves sourced from different areas that are pieced together to form a maturation barrel. The first release was a cristalino that aged for eight months in barrels constructed from American oak staves sourced from the forests of Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Virginia. As someone skeptical of cristalinos as a category, I surprisingly liked it. The second release was a high-proof reposado in similar barrels, which won a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Which leads us to this year’s release: Symphony Series No. 3 is an 18-month-old añejo, bottled at 45% ABV and aged in those custom symphony casks. As the brand explains, the proprietary process for these barrels involves toasting the staves over a low-burning “chaufferette” (heat) while they’re continually sprayed with water. This toasting method opens the pores and allows a deeper penetration into the stave, bringing out “soft and delicate aromas, elegance and balance to the spirit.”
So why curate wood from four different forests? It turns out location brings out different tasting notes. “Minnesota brings all of the citrusy notes,” says Daniela Villasuso, head of hospitality at Mijenta. “Missouri brings out all of these spices, like cloves and cinnamon. Virginia brings in all of this body and minerality to your tequila. And Pennsylvania brings out most of the coconut or vanilla you’ll find in these tequilas.”
This month, I tried the just-released No. 3 and also tasted all three expressions together. Turns out, the unusually constructed barrels do impart some similar notes across the series while allowing each expression to develop its own personality.
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How they taste:
- No. 1: Floral and full of cooked agave and orange citrus on the nose, this one is silky, oily and full of additional notes of honey, coconut and caramel.
- No. 2: More baking spices are present here with notes of caramel, toffee, agave and cinnamon.
- No. 3: A surprising amount of coconut on the nose, this is a creamier, dessert-like mix of cinnamon, agave and cocoa with little hints of lemon and orange. Mostly, it’s like pain au chocolat in a glass.
All three expressions share a nice chocolate note that I didn’t pick up when I tried them separately. Overall, while these are fun to sip, I think the flavors lend these bottles to elevated (and unique) cocktails outside of traditional agave-based drinks.
Fun fact: The monarch butterfly design on the packaging was created in collaboration with Japanese artist Hiroko Otake and pays homage to the annual migration of millions of butterflies from the United States and Canada to the UNESCO-protected oyamel fir forests of central Mexico. The bottles themselves are individually hand-silk-screened, and the packaging is sustainably designed with a recycled glass bottle, a biopolymer cap and FSC-certified cardboard box.
Where to buy: Symphony Series No. 3 was released in late March and is available now for $120. The Cristalino is also available for $120 on Mijenta’s site. While the second Symphony is technically sold out, you can still find it a few places online.
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