Laelia Tequila Adds an Añejo To Its Lineup

Fernando Pérez Ontiveros’s family has been growing agave in the Lowlands of Jalisco for four generations, selling their crops to neighboring tequila distilleries. But in 2018, Ontiveros got the idea of expanding the family’s business into distilling—founding the Amatitán-based Casa Natima distillery (NOM 1607) as a division of his larger Grupo Solave agave company , and tapping industry veteran Carlos R. Huizar, who previously worked as a quality analyst for Casa Cuervo (NOM 1122, producer of Jose Cuervo and many other labels), to serve as master distiller. At first Casa Natima solely distilled tequila on contract for other brands—with its client list including Kendal Jenner’s 818 Tequila, Astral Tequila, Superbird, and Tequila Komos, among others—but in 2021 the distillery got to work on crafting its own house label.

Those efforts paid off earlier this year with the launch of Laelia (named after a type of orchid flower), which debuted in May with a blanco rested for 10 days in American oak barrels and a reposado aged for around 4–6 months in French oak. Both were well received by our tasting panel, with the blanco scoring 92 points and the reposado scoring 89 points. Now the brand is launching its first añejo, which will be joining the core lineup.

The First of Many

Like all of Laelia’s tequilas, this is distilled from 6 year old agave that comes from Ontiveros family plantations, which are located within three hours of the distillery. The agaves are cooked in a brick oven and extracted using a two-ton stone tahona wheel. Rather than relying on commercial yeast like many other producers, Laelia relies on wild fermentation, which mirrors a method typically used by mezcal producers and takes around 60 hours. After that, it’s double-distilled on a copper pot still, with the first round including agave fibers left over from extraction. Following distillation, this tequila was aged in new medium-toast French oak casks, which were picked for the spicier notes they contribute compared to American oak.

For whisky lovers, one aspect that stands out about Laelia’s production method is its maturation. Rather than lean on refill casks like many other producers—who typically tap bourbon barrels for American oak or wine/cognac casks for French oak—Laelia insists on using virgin wood for its maturation. Ontiveros says that option is a bit pricier than the alternative, but it’s a crucial part of creating the brand’s house style. He notes that the brand ages its tequila to taste rather than time, with the first batch of Laelia Añejo at 13 months old.

Laelia Añejo is a permanent addition to the lineup, is bottled at 40% ABV, and carries a suggested retail price of $80. This expression is mainly found in bars, restaurants, and other on-premise accounts, but bottles are still available for purchase at retailers in California, New York, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Bottles can also be purchased online, with nationwide shipping.

Ontiveros also hints that this is just the first of many aged tequilas planned for release released by Laelia. He says that a number of barrels have been held back for extended maturation, in the hope of creating a well-aged core-range extra añejo sometime in the next two years or so. He adds that the brand is considering the release of some aged, limited offerings that explore single barrels and cask-finishing. In the nearer term, he says Laelia is working on a still-strength version of its blanco, which will also be a permanent part of the lineup.