Reposado

Reposado means the tequila has been in direct contact with oak barrel wood for at least two months. This is laid down in the Mexican standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012, the official rule for tequila.

The standard sets no maximum cask size for reposado. The Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the body that inspects and certifies tequila, defines reposado as tequila rested for at least two months in barricas or in a pipón, a large wooden vat. For all classes, the alcohol content must be between 35 and 55 percent.

The standard recognizes five classes of tequila, distinguished by how long the tequila has aged in wood.

Blanco or plata comes straight from the still and may age in oak for less than two months. Joven or oro is a blend of blanco with reposado, añejo or extra añejo. Reposado ages for at least two months. Añejo ages for at least a year and extra añejo for at least three years, both in oak barrels of no more than 600 litres. Reposado therefore sits between blanco and añejo: longer in wood than blanco, but without the 600-litre barrel limit that applies to añejo.

The standard recognises two categories, and the difference lies in the sugars the tequila is distilled from. Tequila 100% de agave is made exclusively from sugars of the blue agave, Agave tequilana Weber variedad azul. A bottle labelled simply tequila must contain at least 51 percent agave sugars; the rest may come from other sugars.

The place of bottling differs too. According to the standard, 100% agave tequila must be bottled in a producer's plant within the protected area. According to the CRT, tequila from the second category may also be bottled outside that area. Both categories exist in the reposado class, so it pays to read both words on the label.

Tequila may only be made in the area covered by the tequila designation of origin in Mexico. According to the CRT, this covers 181 municipalities in five states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Blue agave is the only permitted agave species.

Mexico laid down the designation of origin in a declaration published in the official gazette on 9 December 1974. In the European Union, tequila has been registered as a geographical indication for spirits since 2019. The label shows, among other things, the word tequila, the category, the class, a statement such as 'Hecho en México' and the official NOM mark with the producer's registration number. That number reveals which accredited producer made the bottle.

All the reposado in the shop comes from Mexico. We stock reposado from Casa Don Ramon, Casamigos, Cazadores, Cazcabel, Don Julio, Jose Cuervo, KAH, La7Vidas, Los Tres Tonos, Lunazul, Ocho, Patrón and Rooster Rojo.

If you want to compare, check the label for the category and the NOM number: that shows whether a bottle is 100% agave and which producer made it. It can also turn out that two bottles from different brands come from the same producer. If you are unsure which reposado suits your occasion, call the shop or drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.