Some of the best spirits are products of collaboration. Created by winemaker Dave Phinney and Rosendo Ramirez Sr. of Casa Ramirez, Ayate Añejo Tequila is complex, smooth, and satisfying. It's made using agave hand-selected by Rosendo, which are then roasted in an autoclave where the pinas' sweet juices are slowly separated for fermentation. Following distillation in a traditional copper pot still, the spirit is aged in new American oak barrels and used French oak barrels for six months before a six-month finish in Chardonnay barrels. The resulting tequila is intense on the nose, with notes of caramel, butterscotch, dried fruits, and toasted oak. Flavors of dark chocolate, toffee, butter, and sweet spice give way to a lengthy, velvety finish best enjoyed when sipped neat from a snifter.
