CiCLOS Tequila Reposado 88 Proof 750ml

If the CiCLOS Blanco is the raw, unfiltered expression of what Tequilera Tap's volcanic Lowland terroir produces at still strength — all cooked agave, black pepper, and mineral directness — the Reposado is what happens when that same spirit is allowed to rest. Time in oak does not diminish what makes Amatitán-grown organic Blue Weber agave distinctive. It completes it. The volcanic mineral character, the black pepper, the herbal freshness — all still present, now wrapped in vanilla, soft caramel, and the warm barrel toast that a measured rest in oak introduces. The agave is still the primary voice. The oak is the accompaniment.

The founders of CiCLOS — two hospitality veterans with nearly four decades of combined industry experience who built this brand around their specific vision of what tequila should be — describe the Reposado with the vocabulary of someone who has spent years behind a bar studying how spirits develop character: "nice nuances of vanilla and soft caramel, reminiscence of barrel toast, soft and subtle cooked agave, slight hues of fruits, spicy." On the palate: "confirms its origin of cooked agave, pleasant citric taste, black pepper, fruity with slight touch of butterscotch, silky in mouth, well balanced with oak, permanent grand finale." That last phrase — permanent grand finale — is a Master Distiller's description of a finish that refuses to quit.

At 44% ABV / 88 proof, the CiCLOS Reposado is the most food-friendly and most broadly accessible expression in the range — gentle enough for those who find still-strength tequila challenging, complex enough for the enthusiast who has explored the full Lowland terroir spectrum, and balanced enough to disappear effortlessly into any cocktail while still rewarding the neat sipper with genuine craft and genuine character.

Origins & Craftsmanship

CiCLOS is produced at Tequilera Tap — NOM 1614 — in Amatitán, Jalisco, in the Jalisco Valley Lowlands at the foot of the Tequila Volcano. The same organic Blue Weber agave, the same traditional brick horno slow-cooking, the same tahona stone-wheel extraction, the same copper pot still distillation, and the same Master Distiller Julio Cova who guides every CiCLOS expression from field to bottle. The Reposado begins its journey identically to the Blanco — organically farmed piñas cooked in the brick horno, extracted through the tahona, naturally fermented, and double distilled in copper pot stills at Tequilera Tap's Amatitán facility.

The distinguishing step is the oak rest. Reposado — literally "rested" in Spanish — requires a minimum of two months in oak containers under CRT regulations. Master Distiller Julio Cova's barrel selection and resting period for CiCLOS Reposado produces the specific flavor target that the official tasting notes describe: vanilla and soft caramel from the oak's natural vanillin and caramelized sugar compounds, barrel toast reminiscence from the charred interior, and the subtle butterscotch note that a well-chosen barrel and a carefully managed resting period consistently produce in Lowland tequila of this terroir character. The cooked agave's foundational identity — the earthy, volcanic, slightly mineral quality of Amatitán-grown Blue Weber at full maturity — remains the Reposado's primary voice throughout, with the oak serving as the harmonious accompaniment rather than the dominant character.

The CiCLOS Reposado is bottled at 44% ABV / 88 proof — a more approachable proof point than the Blanco's 108 while retaining the full flavor complexity that the organic agave, traditional production methods, and Lowland terroir deliver.

Critics Reviews

No widely published numeric scores are available for CiCLOS Reposado at this time given the brand's recent launch.

Julio Cova, Master Distiller — official tasting notes: Color: "Tequila amber yellow, crystalline, bright with golden flashes, great body." Nose: "Nice nuances of vanilla and soft caramel, reminiscence of barrel toast, soft and subtle cooked agave, slight hues of fruits, spicy." Palate: "Confirms its origin of cooked agave, pleasant citric taste, black pepper, fruity with slight touch of butterscotch, silky in mouth, well balanced with oak, permanent grand finale." Body and Balance: "Soft, great unctuousness, oily, pleasant in mouth. Nice body, great balance in mouth and better aftertaste; round spirit."

Tasting Profile

Nose Tequila amber yellow with crystalline clarity and bright golden flashes — the barrel rest's color contribution in a hue of warmth and genuine depth. The nose opens with the welcoming combination that the official notes capture most accurately: vanilla and soft caramel lead with the warmth that oak's natural compounds deposit over the resting period — present and inviting without the heavy wood dominance that over-oaked reposados deliver. Reminiscence of barrel toast adds a slightly smoky, slightly caramelized secondary dimension — warm, rounded, and entirely appetizing. The cooked agave's foundational identity emerges through the oak notes: soft and subtle but entirely present, the Amatitán volcanic terroir's earthiness and herbal quality threading through the vanilla and caramel as a constant reminder of where this spirit came from. Slight hues of fruits add aromatic brightness alongside spicy notes — the black pepper that defined the Blanco's most vivid aromatic quality still present here, now integrated rather than leading. The overall impression is of a perfectly balanced nose: the oak and the agave in complete equilibrium.

Palate Silky, oily, and round — the CiCLOS house character most fully expressed at the Reposado's more accessible proof point. The entry confirms its cooked agave origin immediately and honestly: the Lowland volcanic terroir's earthy, grounded quality arriving first before the oak's contribution opens across the mid-palate. Pleasant citric taste adds brightness and the clean, appetite-stimulating quality that Amatitán Blue Weber agave consistently delivers at this maturity level. Black pepper arrives as a structural note through the center — not as dominant as in the Blanco, now integrated with the vanilla and caramel into something more harmonious and more complex. Fruity notes deepen the mid-palate alongside a slight touch of butterscotch — the specific caramelized dairy sweetness that well-selected oak at the right proof and resting period produces in tequila, and the note that makes the Reposado feel simultaneously familiar and genuinely specific. Silky mouthfeel and great unctuousness confirmed — the organic agave's natural oils and the traditional production methods' congener preservation producing a coating richness that bottled-to-proof commercial expressions rarely approach. Well balanced with oak throughout.

Finish Long, warm, and genuinely grand — the "permanent grand finale" characterization that Master Distiller Julio Cova applies to the Reposado's finish is the most memorable and most honestly descriptive phrase in the official notes. Cooked agave and vanilla carry the close together in a warm, slightly sweet combination before black pepper and oak spice add the structural depth that extends the finish well past where simpler reposados conclude. Butterscotch persists faintly alongside citrus. The Amatitán volcanic terroir's slightly earthy, mineral quality carries through to the very end — the foundation beneath the oak's contribution, always present, always grounding the spirit in its specific place of origin. Round, pleasant, and entirely satisfying.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Neat at room temperature or over a single large ice cube — the vanilla, caramel, and cooked agave character are most fully expressed with minimal dilution, and the "permanent grand finale" finish is most rewarding without ice shortening the close. A few drops of water opens the fruit and butterscotch notes further. The 88-proof bottling is the most food-friendly and most broadly approachable proof point in the CiCLOS range — equally at home as a neat sipping tequila and as a cocktail base where the oak-derived complexity adds warmth and depth to any agave cocktail format. Outstanding alongside grilled meats, roasted pork, Mexican cuisine, aged cheeses, dark chocolate, and any preparation where the warm vanilla, caramel, and spice of a well-made reposado finds its natural food companion.

Cocktail Suggestions

CiCLOS Reposado Old Fashioned (the natural home) 2 oz CiCLOS Reposado · 1 tsp agave nectar · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. Stirred over a large ice rock. The vanilla, caramel, and black pepper character align naturally with the Old Fashioned format — agave nectar echoes the cooked agave sweetness, orange peel amplifies the citrus and fruit hues, and bitters add the structural counterpoint that frames the butterscotch richness in classic spirit-forward character.

Reposado Margarita 1.5 oz CiCLOS Reposado · 1 oz fresh lime juice · ¾ oz Cointreau · agave syrup to taste · salted rim. Shaken over ice, served in a rocks glass. The oak-derived vanilla and caramel add warmth and depth to the classic Margarita format — a more complex and more rounded expression than a blanco Margarita, entirely appropriate for the sipping enthusiast who wants their cocktail to tell a fuller story.

Paloma Reposado 1.5 oz CiCLOS Reposado · grapefruit soda · squeeze of fresh lime · pinch of salt. Built over ice in a highball. The vanilla and butterscotch add warmth to the grapefruit's bitterness — a long, refreshing drink that showcases the Reposado's most approachable qualities in the most widely loved tequila cocktail format.