If you spend time in Mexican resort bars or browse around duty free shops, you’ve probably seen the Corralejo tequila in the tall, thin bottle. It stands out for its design and shape, but the company that makes it has several other brands that are actually more noteworthy if you’re a real tequila fan, including Los Arango with a leather label.
I’m not really a fan of the signature Corralejo tequila even though I live in Guanajuato. I find it a bit too harsh for my tastes, but I’m a huge fan of 99,000 Horas aged tequila (anejo), which I’ve reviewed here before. So when I saw Los Arango reposado on sale at my local Mexican supermarket, I figured I’d see which side of the fence this one falls on. Fortunately it’s a keeper that I’ll be glad to share and buy again, so if you see this one for a good price like I did, snatch it up.
This would also be a good tequila to give as a gift, especially if you get the chance to visit the Corralejo distillery in Guanajuato state and can take a tour. The facilities there in Pénjamo, Mexico are interesting and attractive and it’s a nice excursion from Guanajuato City or Leon that you can do in a day and combine with a visit to an archaeological site. Part of the facilities are in a hacienda dating back to 1700.
What’s with that name though, with the plural “los” but no “s” on the end? Well it turns out that it’s referring to a family name, but not some founder’s family name. It’s labeled in honor of Jose Doroteo Arango, better known as Pancho Villa, hero of the Mexican revolution that overthrew dictator Porfirio Díaz. You can read more on their About page in English, but be advised there’s a big typo in the date: the revolution wasn’t in 1820 (they were still fighting for independence from Spain then), but rather 1920. Pancho Villa died in 1923.
Los Arango Tequila Bottle and Production
As tequila has gotten more popular and more corporate, a lot of makers have let the accountants run the show instead of concentrating on the customer experience. So to shave off a few cents per bottle, they’ll cheapen the presentation with inferior bottles, labels, and stoppers. (I’m convinced that’s half the reason why Clase Azul, Don Julio 1942, and others that go the opposite direction are so popular.)
Thankfully that’s not the case with Los Arango tequila. The distilled liquor comes in a heavy blown glass bottle that feels serious, an impression that’s amplified by the stamped leather — yes real leather — label on the front. Then a logo in metal and a wood stopper on top. All three versions share the same characteristics, but the reposado version is in a dark colored bottle, while the other two are clear.
All of these come from 100% blue weber agave that has been slow roasted a day and a half in clay ovens the traditional way, then double-distilled. As I saw during my visit a few years ago, they’re not cutting corners in the production like some big industrial makers do, speeding up the process for the sake of efficiency.
This is also not a huge volume operation either. The tequila is made in small batches and the reposado tequila is aged in oak barrels for six months, giving it more nuances than a lot of its competitors. What Sauza puts out in a day, these guys probably make in a month, slowly and carefully.
Los Arango Tasting Notes
This tequila from Corralejo hasn’t won a ton of tasting medals, probably because it’s flying under the radar more than most and not paying to enter every competition that comes along. It has pulled in a few though and is well-respected by those with experience trying a lot of different brands.
This isn’t a super-premium brand either, but rather a great tequila at a good price. It has plenty of complexity on the nose and on the tongue, with the agave shining through strongly but mellowed out a little with six months in oak barrels. There are elements you’d expect, like citrus and pepper, but nothing off that shouldn’t be there and no harsh hit of alcohol that overpowers anything. So it’s a little mellower than the lowland Jalisco tequilas, but not as herbal or flowery as the highland ones.
This is a good sipping tequila that you could enjoy alone over a long stretch, but it’s not so expensive that you’d be afraid to mix it in a quality cocktail. It’s kind of a waste with something really sugary since it would fade into the background, but nice for a classic cocktail where the agave can shine through.
In Mexico I bought this for under $30, with the standard alcohol percentage of 35%. At the USA online stores, it seems to be going for $45 to $50, with that version being 40% alcohol, as is often the case. I haven’t seen it often in stateside retail stores, but it’s easy to find in Mexico in large supermarkets like La Comer or quality liquor stores with a good selection.
Check out the company website here and see more of our tequila reviews here.
