Upgrade Your Spirits Collection With Mijenta Tequila’s High-Proof Reposado

Mijenta Symphony Series No. 2 is a 90-proof reposado aged in toasted American oak barrels.

The latest limited edition bottle from Mijenta tequila is a perfectly balanced reposado with a higher proof that demands sipping because it’s every bit as inventive as some of the best whiskeys on the market today. Mijenta Symphony Series No. 2 is a 90-proof reposado aged in toasted American oak barrels sourced from a number of U.S. states. But while many distilleries in Jalisco go for used wine or whiskey casks, Mijenta is the first to fill these new barrels. 

According to the distillery, their barrels were essentially slow-roasted while flare-ups were prevented with continual water sprays — the opposite of the fiery charring that gives bourbon and Tennessee whiskey their deep color and intense flavors. Mijenta’s process (and the resulting tequila) is therefore not a caramel-y bourbon bomb like many others on the market, but something entirely more delicate. 

Buttery cooked agave on the nose mixes with banana, citrus and nuts in a more tropical barrel finish — the kind you’d expect to see in young scotch whiskeys, in fact. While caramel is prominent on the palate, it’s balanced by citrus and hits this very particular Moonpie and honeysuckle note, sort of candied banana and fresh floral honey at the same time. As for the finish, it’s where the wood suddenly bursts into frame, as an intense medley of baking spices come together on a dry finish.

Mijenta may not have been on your radar already, but among the tequila nerds of Reddit and other communities (and my liquor cabinet), it’s a bit of a darling — particularly for another limited edition it released last year. The Mijenta Maestra Selection No. 1 was an exceptional tequila — all the agave used to create the batch was grown from seed (many agave plants are cloned). The seed-grown agaves added more nuanced and terroir-specific flavors, similar to the way grain-to-glass whiskeys can arrive in the bottle with unexpectedly complex flavors.

For that release, Mijenta’s master tequilera Ana Maria Romeo also made the bold decision to bottle that tequila at 100 proof — a still uncommon choice despite a growing number of “still strength” tequilas on the market. Many distilleries don’t push the numbers above the 80s. More booze matters. That extra proof creates a lot of extra room for flavor, which won Mijenta a number of accolades, and it seems that Romero is getting comfortable with the higher proofs based on Syphony Series No. 2.

Would I have liked to see this at cask strength? Of course, and it seems that Romero may be warming to that sort of number. Of course, they wouldn’t be able to call it tequila. Among the many rules for an agave spirit to follow if it wants to be labeled tequila, the current rule set limits any spirit to a 110 proof point. Whiskey lovers may be laughing, but those of us who have had the pleasure of tasting still-strength tequila may find it hard to laugh about what we’re not allowed to have. 

At $85, this bottle is a bargain for the type of drinker who likes a flavorful, agave-forward tequila with just the gentlest influence of oak. If you’re not an agave purist, the good news is that the Maestra Selection No. 1 is still on the market for about the same price. It’s encouraging to see a distillery not only take the risk but stick the landing. Mijenta has done it several times now — I just didn’t keep the empty bottles to prove it.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for perspectives on drinks, and stuff.