Back in 2018, only one year after Volcán de Mi Tierra first launched, we visited their dedicated fabrica at the foot of the Tequila Volcano in Jalisco. We witnessed firsthand the diligence the Gallardo family shows throughout its distilling process—other tequila we celebrated last week for National Tequila Day, El Tesoro Extra Añejo.
As one of the few tequila brands that owns and operates its own independent distillery, Volcán de Mi Tierra lords great command over its process. Of course it doesn’t hurt having Moët Hennessy money behind them, as Volcán is under luxury maestros LVMH‘s top-shelf wine and spirits division.
One of the innovations Volcán have brought to the table are what they dub Grace Casks—exclusive American oak barrels which Volcán claim imbues aromatic vanilla notes. It’s all part of their “Art of Aging” initiative, which also includes a unique cellar in the world of tequila.
“Some years ago we built a new cellar, which is 8 meters deep and has 1.5-meter-thick walls to protect our casks from the heat of Jalisco and allow gentle aging in various types of oak barrels we had been experimenting on,” COO and board member Santiago Cortina Gallardo explains. “After many trials we have been able to create the tequila we were aiming for: an ultra-smooth and aromatic expression with a long finish, and no additives.”
After rolling out three expressions, Blanco, Reposado and Cristalino, Volcán now adds this new X.A to their core portfolio. Volcán X.A is crafted by blending a trio of their homemade offerings, two of which have yet come to market (Reposado, Añejo and Extra-Añejo).
“Volcán X.A,” Gallardo promises, “is the result of several years of work and research in Volcán’s distillery.”
All of Volcán de Mi Tierra’s tequilas are made from 100% Blue Agave harvested from two terroirs, both the Highlands and the Lowlands of Jalisco. Also they promise zero additives—not easy to find in this world of increasingly sweet tequilas.
Volcán X.A. comes packaged in a tall, sleek black and gold bottle, with further gold embellishments like script, illustrated designs and cork topper. After all Volcán de Mi Tierra wasn’t named after just any volcano, it’s an homage to the volcano named Tequila.
“After a successful introduction of our 3 core products, Blanco, Reposado and Cristalino, we are thrilled to launch Volcán X.A: a pure and ultimate expression of Volcán de mi Tierra savoir-faire, created to be appreciated around the best tables of the world,” gushes Volcán de mi Tierra CEO Julien Morel. “With our ‘blend of ages,’ additive-free, we hope to delight existing and new tequila aficionados.”
Volcán X.A is exclusively available in a limited selection of about 250 venues starting last month.
Follow our Contributing Spirits Editor on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.