Review: Cabresto Don Silver Reserve Añejo   89/100
A review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Published June 14, 2016

Tequila Cabresto, imported by Cabresto Imports Corporation, is a brand rooted as solidly in Detroit as they are in Arandas, Mexico. Tequila Cabresto is a family owned brand with duties spread across two generations of the Lopez family. Founder Silverio Lopez runs the family ranch in Arandas and cares for the agave until its reached peak yield. His son Antonio is learning the craft of growing the best agave in the world and currently handles the branding and exportation of Cabresto to the US. Daughter Sonia is the first Lopez to graduate college and is spearheading the US operations of Cabresto Imports Corporation. They do all this while maintaining the family tire shop in Southwest Detroit.

Any day of the week, the Lopez family can be found toiling away at Lopez Tire and Auto Accessories at the corner of Vernor and Waterman in Detroit. The tire shop has enabled Silverio to progressively buy up farm land in Mexico and ultimately fulfill the American dream, which is a spectacular achievement for an immigrant who came to the United States with almost nothing.

In December, Cabresto released their Don Silverio Reserve Añejo. Aged for 18 months in American white oak barrels, Cabresto Añejo was the first spirit in the Cabresto line-up to feature Tequila Cabresto‘s new shorter more premium bottle and modernized logo.

In the Bottle 4/5

Cabresto is currently the process of re-branding their logo and bottle. While my reviews of the Cabresto Silver and Reposado Tequila featured a medium tall rectangular bottle, the new Don Silver Reserve Añejo was released in Tequila Cabresto‘s new shorter bottle with its modernized logo. (Apparently Cabresto Silver and Reposado will be following shortly if they have not already received the makeover).

I like the new bottle and believe it is a substantial improvement for the tequila brand.  The new label however, does not really grab me at all and I am still waiting for the brand owners to give us a little more information on the label to entice the consumer. Perhaps some information regarding the brand owner’s family run business and their roots in both Detroit and Mexico could be relayed in some fashion upon the front or back label of the bottle.

In the Glass 8.5/10

When I pour the Cabresto Añejo into my glencairn glass I see it has a pale straw colour which has not yet turned that corner to golden. This is actually the expected colour profile of an añejo spirit and so this observation males me quite happy. When I give my glass a tilt and a slow twirl, I see that the crest which has formed at the top of the liquid sheen is only slightly stubborn releasing a multitude of small droplets which form a few long slender legs before disappearing. Again this is exactly what I expect, and my thinking is that this particular spirit has not been tainted with added caramel or sweetness. (We never can be completely sure on either count.)

The initial aroma from the glass continues to excite me as my nostrils are greeted by clean oak spices which have been accented by citrus zest and white pepper. Fruity agave reaches up as well melding itself into the clean spicy aroma. I catch faint whispers of grilled pineapple and baked garden squash, a light winding of vanilla as well as lovely, faint impressions of mint and cinnamon. Unlike the blanco and reposado expressions of Cabresto, the añejo spirit has a firmer highland character in the glass with the spicy pepper and clean citrus zest taking center stage and the fruity agave accenting the spice without enveloping it.

In the Mouth 54/60

I taste peppery spices melded into a light fruity agave. Although the peppery spices are more dominant than the earthy agave the spirit remains smooth to sip and only slightly aggressive. There is a mild honey-like sweetness and a vague presence of pungent spices which together with the agave seem to recall impression of delicious pumpkin pie. Echoes of milk chocolate and a very light menthol-like grassiness completes the flavour profile which I find very engaging.

In the Throat 13.5/15

The finish is clean and crisp with a firm spiciness tickling the throat. There is just enough sweetness from the agave to keep the spice in check and a light cooling menthol seems to call us to take another sip.

The Afterburn 9/10

The Cabresto Añejo Tequila embraces the flavour and spirit of the highland agave. Although this añejo has been aged for  18 months in oak, it is the agave plant and not the woodiness of oak which is on display. The clean oak spices lie alongside the agave elevating rather than diminishing its highland flavour characteristic.

You may read some of my other Tequila Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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Suggested Recipe:

Añejo Tequila Sour

3 oz Cabresto Añejo Tequila
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
3/4 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup
2 dashes Orange Bitters
ice
Orange Peel

Add the first five ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice
Shake until the sides frost
Strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice
Garnish with orange peel.

Enjoy Responsibly!

Note: If  you are interested in more original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

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You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing Tequila.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, (we are probably still cocktail in territory).
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing delicious cocktails!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)