Lost Lore Tequila Anejo

Lost Lore Añejo Tequila is made at NOM 1414 in the highlands of Jalisco under the direction of Master Distiller Sergio Cruz, a name that signals attention to process in a category crowded with shortcuts. What sets this bottle apart is the extended aging program — up to 36 months in former whiskey barrels, which pushes it to the far end of the añejo spectrum — and certification by Tequila Matchmaker as additive-free, a distinction still rare enough to mean something. The Vivanco family distillery in Los Altos bottles this in-house, a detail that matters when you're looking for transparency in the modern agave market. Sergio Cruz oversees production at the family operation in the red clay hills of the highlands, where the volcanic soil and altitude produce agave with pronounced sweetness and floral clarity. The barrels — former American whiskey casks — are filled with tequila that has already cleared the twelve-month añejo threshold, then left to rest for as long as three years, absorbing oak tannins and vanilla while the agave character recedes into a quieter supporting role. That time in wood softens the spirit and deepens the color, but the additive-free certification ensures what you're tasting is barrel and agave, not glycerin or caramel colorant. The nose opens with cooked agave sweetness, vanilla, and toasted oak, the hallmarks of long barrel contact. On the palate, expect honeyed agave, baking spices, a whisper of dried fruit, and a finish that lingers with oak and a faint peppery heat from the highlands terroir. This is a sipping tequila — pour it neat after dinner alongside dark chocolate or a cigar, or mix it into an Old Fashioned if you want the barrel notes to do the work bourbon usually does. The proof is approachable, the oak is present but not dominating, and the absence of additives means the flavor arc is honest start to finish. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.