Volcán De Mi Tierra Tequila
The agave for this prized spirit is grown in volcanic ash
There's tequila that takes you back to the plastic-handle days of spring break, and then there's Volcán De Mi Tierra—a collector's item in the spirits world that's been a 100,000 years in the making.
That number isn't necessarily an exaggeration either: The agave used in this premium booze from Moët Hennessy grows at the base of an ancient volcano (appropriately named Volcán de Tequila) in Jalisco, Mexico. Extra-nutrient-rich ash allows the plants to develop more mature, complex flavors, like those of freshly cut grass, citrus and crisp mint.
It takes nearly nine years for the plants to fully sweeten, when they're then ready to be turned into Volcán's Tequila Blanco or Tequila Cristalino, an entirely new type of spirit.
A blend of añejo and extra-añejo tequila that's filtered before being aged yet again, this flagship bottle lacks the dark-amber hue you'd expect from something that spends so much of its life in a wooden cask. That is, until you take a whiff of its caramel aroma.
"I created a Cristalino blend that would embrace the heritage of Mexico and give a soft and subtle personality when placed in Old World barrels," Ana Maria Romero Mena, the liquor's distiller says of the robust final blend filled with notes of vanilla and chocolate. Let's just say this isn't the type of tequila you'll want to waste on a frozen slushie.