56 WINE SPECTATOR • MAY 31, 2020Cincoro Añejo, 80 proof, $ 130
A combination of Highland and
Lowland spirits aged in former
American whiskey barrels results
in a spectrum of flavors that in-
clude crème brûlée, orange, butter
rum, bread dough, toffee and va-
nilla. (For more information, see
story above.)
Clase Azul Ultra, 80 proof, $ 1 , 800
An extra añejo, this tequila spends
five years in Sherry casks and ar-
rives in an artisanal, hand-painted
bottle. It breaks out with spicy
wine notes and moves on to a tof-
fee accent reminiscent of Bourbon
and some bread dough elements.
DeLeón Leóna, 80 proof, $ 825
The flagship DeLeón expression is
an añejo that has been aged
twice, first in former American
whiskey barrels and then in
Sauternes casks. The spirit’s
tasting notes include honey,
cinnamon, toffee, dried nuts andthe wine that helped age it.
Don Julio Double Cask Lagavulin,
80 proof, $ 65
Casks used to age the extremely
peaty Scotch malt Lagavulin are
employed to finish this reposado.
A mere two-week soak results in a
flavor reminiscent of mezcal, an-
other Mexican agave spirit that is
typically smoky, with additional
notes of caramel, cinnamon and
tropical fruit.
El Tesoro Añejo, 80 proof, $ 55
The agave plants for El Tesoro are
estate-grown in the Highlands of
Jalisco. This expression is aged
two to three years in ex-Bourbon
barrels and offers a mix of red
fruit, rock candy, bread dough,
basil and eucalyptus notes.
Espolòn Añejo, 80 proof, $ 36
Like the reposado-level Espolòn,
this version starts life in a lightly
charred, unused cask, but moves
to a heavily charred former Wild
Turkey Bourbon barrel for finish-
LE
FT
:^ JAMI
E^ MCC
ARTH
Y/GET
TY
IMAGES
;^ R
IGHT:^
COURTE
SYCI
NCORO^
FA
MI
LYing. You’ll taste its influence in
toffee, caramel and especially
vanilla notes.
Expresiones del Corazón Sazerac Rye
Añejo, 90 proof, $ 80
Sazerac, best known for its whis-
keys made at Buffalo Trace distill-
ery, tapped its wealth of former
rye barrels to age this añejo.
(Corazón also makes a version
from its Thomas H. Handy Bour-
bon barrels.) Not surprisingly, 22
months in a rye cask produces a
tart and spicy spirit, with citrus
and spearmint notes, but the aga-
ve’s sugar shows through.
Herradura Ultra Añejo, 90 proof, $ 60
Herradura, one of the earliest pro-
ponents of extra aging, makes this
clear-colored añejo, in which all
rough edges have been removed
through filtration. Vanilla and
granulated sugar notes are the
first flush, followed by toffee, car-
amel and grape details, with a
subtle nuttiness.Milagro Añejo, 80 proof, $ 40
Triple-distilled and aged in Ameri-
can oak, this is one of the best
values at the añejo level. Oak, nuts
and a range of spices greet the
palate, but despite its maturity, this
spirit remains a tequila at heart.
Patrón Extra Añejo 10 Años,
80 proof, $ 350
Patrón’s oldest expression shows
the producer’s support for the
super-aged end of the category.
Very sweet on the front end, with
agave and fruit notes, this be-
comes nutty and spicy, showing
maturity in an endless finish of
toffee and vanilla.
Tears of Llorona, 86 proof, $ 250
The maturation of this extra añejo
is done in a mix of Sherry, Cognac
and Scotch casks, and you’ll taste
the influence of each. A gorgeous
nose is followed by a range of
berry and meaty fruit flavors, with
cocoa, caramel and vanilla
accents.Cincoro, a new tequila cofounded by a
team of NBA owners—including Michael
Jordan—has launched in 12 markets across
the United States. The new entry is taking
aim at the luxury market, with liquid selected
by the brand’s founders in consultation with
industry experts.
In addition to Jordan, who owns the Char-
lotte Hornets, Cincoro’s founding partners are
finance professional Emilia Fazzalari and her husband Wyc Grous-
beck of the Boston Celtics, Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers
and Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fazzalari, Cincoro’s CEO, says that the group discovered a sharedpassion for tequila over dinner and decided to explore options for
creating their own brand. “We were looking for a tequila that was
ultrasmooth and didn’t have that agave burn,” she explains.
Chris Spake, formerly Patrón’s head of brand education, signed
on as Cincoro’s director of trade development and aided in the se-
lection process alongside Fazzalari and Jordan. After hundreds of
taste tests, the team settled on a distillery—
Destiladora del Valle de Tequila—and a final
product, a blend of Highland and Lowland
agave that, according to Spake, marries fruity,
floral flavors typical of Highland agave with
the earthier notes from Lowland piñas.
The resulting tequilas land at the upper end
of the market: Cincoro Blanco retails for $70,
the 8- to 10-month-old Reposado for $90, the
30-month-old Añejo for $130 and the
40-month-old Extra Añejo for $1,600.
“We want to set the five-star gold standard
in the ultrapremium category,” says Fazzalari.
“That’s where the name comes from: cinco for
five and oro for gold.”
With input from Jordan, Nike’s Mark Smith
created the bottle, which was custom-produced
in Mexico City. The tall, five-sided design rep-
resents the number of partners. In a subtle nod
to Jordan’s old jersey number, the container
curves 23 degrees.
Though the founders have their fair share of
star power, Fazzalari stresses that Cincoro is a quality-driven tequila,
not to be overshadowed by its celebrity connections.Shane English is associate editor for Shanken News Daily, a sister
publication of Wine Spectator.MICHAEL JORDAN’S
TEQUILA SCORE
Left: Cincoro’s
founding partners
(from left) Wes
Edens, Wyc
Grousbeck, Emilia
Fazzalari, Michael
Jordan and Jeanie
Buss. Below:
Cincoro’s four
offerings bear a range
of age distinctions.WS053120_tequilaRev.indd 56 3/18/20 11:22 AM