80 proof

I freely admit that an imposing matte-black bottle, a shiny lion, and the words “luxury tequila” normally sends a shiver down my spine. There is an awful lot of awful tequila out there asking you to admire the decanter before you notice what is—or isn’t—inside it. León Y Sol is much better than that!

The brand was founded by the Marhamat family, and the lion-and-sun imagery is not some vaguely Mexican piece of luxury-brand theater. It comes from the family’s Persian heritage: León y Sol means “lion and sun,” a symbol with deep roots in Persian history and identity. Founder and CEO Bobby Marhamat, a first-generation Persian-American, has been proudly vocal about building the brand around both his own family history and the Mexican family actually making the tequila. León Y Sol is produced at Casa Tequilera de Arandas, NOM 1499, in Los Altos de Jalisco under third-generation maestro tequilero Jose Aceves (you may know the NOM or name if you enjoy Mijenta tequila).

The Reposado starts with—yes, additive-free—100% Blue Weber, then spends four months in used American oak, rounding the edges and adding another layer without making the barrel the focal point. Here, the cooked agave gets joined by light-roast coffee, caramel, wood spice, and citrus-inflected fruit. It remains 40% ABV, and the harmonious oak influence reminds you that you are drinking a lovingly and smartly produced agave spirit rather than something engineered to taste like melted marshmallows.