Our take
Espolòn Reposado is the surprise bottle on this shelf. Cheaper than the big-name reposados but it punches way up — aged six months in American oak, it has soft vanilla, toasted caramel and a cracked-pepper finish that stays bright. The agave still shows up.
Reposado means ‘rested’ and that’s exactly what the spirit is: a blanco that’s been given just enough time in the barrel to round off the edges without smothering the agave. It’s what a Margarita Anejo wants, and what a Mexican Old Fashioned is built on.
What to mix it with
Anejo Margarita, Mexican Old Fashioned, Reposado Paloma, Tequila Manhattan. Neat in a small tulip glass at room temperature.
Background
Espolòn was founded in 1998 by master distiller Cirilo Oropeza at Destilador San Nicolás in Los Altos de Jalisco. The bottle art is by Mexico City illustrator Lucíano Gallardo — a homage to José Guadalupe Posada’s Day of the Dead calavera drawings. Owned by Campari Group since 2008.