Fortaleza Anejo Tequila Review [In Depth]

Fortaleza Anejo

by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer

Fortaleza Anejo Details

Distillery: Fortaleza (NOM 1493)

Type & Region: Blanco Tequila, Mexico

Alcohol: 40%

Composition: 100% blue agave

Aged: 18 months in ex bourbon casks

Color: 0.4/2.0 on the color scale (corn)

Price: $90-100 MSRP, often marked up more than that

From the company website:

Caramel, vanilla, butterscotch and cooked agave aromas practically jump from the glass in this highly-praised and perfectly-aged añejo. This tequila is so rich and complex that some people are even able to detect pineapple, peach, orange blossom, nutmeg, and raisin in the nose.

Once in your mouth, the full cooked agave experience continues with a thick and oily texture that coats your mouth in a very soothing way. Butterscotch, caramel, toffee, citrus, and hazelnuts are common flavors that people identify.

Fortaleza Añejo is a prized treat for any tequila lover.

Fortaleza Anejo Tequila overview

As of this review, I’m still pretty new to reviewing tequila, but I’m not new to reviewing spirits. As I read more about tequila, I noticed that people kept talking about Fortaleza. People were posting about their inability to find out, finally finding it, enjoying it, and everything in between.

With any spirit, some brands get outsized attention. For tequila, Fortaleza seems to be that one with outsized fixation.

Fortaleza keeps it old school, using traditional methods to cook and break down the agave into wonderful liquid, using stone/ brick ovens to cook and roller mills to crush the agave. On top of that, the tequila is housed in hand blown glass bottles. That next level artisanship, and I appreciate it because they don’t do that with whiskey or rum.

Fortaleza Anejo uses agave grown in the lowlands (I personally don’t care if it’s highland or lowlands, although admittedly I don’t necessarily know enough to have an educated opinion) and aged around 18 months in ex-bourbon casks. Anejo Tequila can be aged between 1 and 3 years in oak, so this is right in the middle. See, even Tequila often revolves around bourbon. It is what it is.

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For reference, here are the main stats provided by Fortaleza

NOM: 1493
Agave Source: Tequila Valley
Cooking Method: Stone/brick oven
Crushing Method: 100% stone crushed
Distillation: Double Distilled
Pot Style: Copper pots
Proof: 80 (40% abv)
Fermentation: Open-air wood tanks
Sugars: 100% agave

Water Source: Natural Spring (Tequila Valley)

Bottles: Hand-blown in Mexico

I’ve had the Blanco, which was very nice, so let’s find out how the aged version fares in this Fortaleza Anejo tequila review.

As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.

Fortaleza Anejo Tequila smell

At first I smell white sugar mixed with honey sweetness, vegetal agave and greens, grapefruit peel, green grape, vanilla, and a little granite and lemon. Compared to the Blanco from memory, Fortaleza Anejo has more honey sweetness and fruitiness from barrel aging. The range and complexity are there, but I want more density from something like 45-50% ABV.

The bright fruitiness reminds me of ex-bourbon cask scotch too. I just really wish that the ABV was higher so it could bring more density.

Learn more about Fortaleza Blanco

After swirling and rest, I get brighter honey, white sugar, lemon peel, vanilla cream, vegetal agave and grass, green grape, and slightly unripe pineapple. There’s a great perfumey fruitiness.

Given my inexperience with tequila but a lot of experience with aged whiskey and rum, it’s nice to experience how barrel aging brings a different type of fruitiness and sweetness.

Fortaleza Anejo Tequila taste and aftertaste

The flavors start with white sugar and lighter honey, white pear, pineapple, green grape, lemon, vegetal agave, and some minerality, grass, and vegetalness in the back. Fortaleza Anejo has a gentle fruitiness and sweetness that’s a little darker than it is in the blanco.

For better or worse, it’s gentle and very approachable, but it’s lighter than I’d like. The caveat is that I come from drinking a lot of high proof whiskey and rum so I am more accustomed to the intensity and power.

With intense “chewing” I taste honey, lemon peel, vanilla, vegetal agave, black pepper, pineapple, green grape, mint, and a minerality that reminds me of George Dickel. It tastes great, but I’ll beat a dead horse again – I want a higher ABV.

The finish starts with honey, white pear, lemon peel, vegetal agave, and minerality with fading vegetal fruitiness. After “chewing” it leaves honey, lemon peel, green grape, agave, mint, and minerality. It’s all very pleasant.

Learn more about G4 108 Proof Blanco

It’s gentle and approachable with nice fruitiness, and the barrel aging brings out more fruitiness and pushes the vegetal and black pepper flavors a little more to the back. Fortaleza Anejo Tequila has good viscosity and density, especially for 40% ABV, although I still wish it had more of both.

This is a delicious tequila that highlights what barrel aging can add. I personally want even more barrel aging, although that’s not necessarily as common practice with Tequila. I mention that because I have a lot of experience with whiskey, where 4+ years of aging is the norm. You’d probably be laughed out of the room with an 18 month old bourbon. I can only begin to imagine the wild asking price and absurd hype of an extra Anejo version.

I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too. Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.

Consider supporting The Whiskey Shelf and Warehouse H by buying the book via this affiliate link.

Fortaleza Anejo Tequila Rating

What can I say, Fortaleza Anejo Tequila is delicious. It’s not necessarily the most bold or rich tequila (or agave spirit for that matter), but the interesting vibrant, citrusy, and green fruitiness is fragrant and tasty. And…it’s absolutely amazing in a ranch water cocktail. That’s right, I did that. The added citrus, grape, and pineapple flavors pair really well with the Topo Chico and lime, so that’s worth trying if you’re willing.

Just like Fortaleza Blanco, I’d drink this all the time if I could get it more easily, which I can’t. I just wish that they had a higher proof version. But if still strength is truly 46% ABV, it’d be tough to get it up to 50% ABV in under 2 years of oak aging. Then again, it can get hot in that part of Mexico so it’s entirely possible. A cask strength version would be pretty cool, although tatered even more to the max.

In my whiskey brain, this is a melding of some rye whiskey greenness, single malt Scotch tropicalness, and George Dickel minerality into one tequila, and I’m all for it. I get why people like it.

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So is Fortaleza Anejo good at MSRP? Yeah, it’s great and totally worth it. At least right now (and possibly never), I can’t confidently say why it’s so hyped and sought after, although some of it probably has to do with the lack of additives and traditional processes. They’re not the only ones who do that (and do it well), so as much as I enjoy it, I still don’t get the hype. I rarely do though.

People have varying opinions, but I do agree that this is a delicious and pure tequila that represents anejo Tequila well, but I personally wouldn’t overpay for it. My personal favorite is G4 108 Proof Blanco.

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Meet the Author: Alex

I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.

There are no sponsors, no media companies, and no nonsense. Support The Whiskey Shelf by Buying Me A Shot.

Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.

BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)

Fortaleza Anejo​ Tequila Review [In Depth]