GRAN PATRON PIEDRA EXTRA ANEJO TEQUILA (750 ML)

Details

Gran patron piedra extra anejo tequila is deep amber in color, this extra anejo clearly shows off its extended time in barrel. On the nose you get a hint of agave before the oak grabs the focus. It’s French oak with sawdust along with black pepper, clove, and vanilla. The entry on the palate is surprisingly light given the amount of oak on the nose. The oak from the nose is there, but it’s far softer and more balanced than expected. Accompanying the oak is roasted agave, dried fruit, and black pepper. The mouthfeel is much lighter and delicate than you’d expect from a tequila sitting in barrels, in Mexico, for seven years. The midpalate is a showcase for soft spice including black pepper, clove, ginger, and oak, but, as with the entry, it’s a lot more restrained and understated than we would expect. There’s nice balance and integration of flavors, especially with the oak, but it’s lacking intensity and character. The finish for Patron’s 7 Anos is light and peppery, but not really a pepper kick – more like a long, slow, subtle spice. The finish is pretty dry and finishes fairly clean. Patron’s 7 Anos Extra Anejo is kind of a curveball. Here we have the oldest tequila that Patron has ever released (and one of the older ones on the market), and yet somehow it feels a little too understated, too delicate, and too subtle. It’s kind of a conundrum: on paper, Patron has done something really exceptional, taking a tequila to the outer edges of age and maintaining the core agave without letting the barrel completely obliterate it. But spirits don’t exist on paper – it’s about what’s in the glass – and while there’s solid craftsmanship and aging at work here, this product is lacking character and intensity of flavor.