Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco Tequila
Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco Tequila is a 750mL blanco bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof) — the same tahona-crushed, copper-pot tequila as the house blanco, but bottled straight from the small copper pot still with no water added before bottling. For years this undiluted version could only be tasted at the distillery in Tequila, Jalisco (NOM 1493). Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof) — bottled at still strength, no water added
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Blanco tequila, unaged, 100% blue agave
- Agave: Blue agave from the Tequila Valley, Jalisco
- Cooking: Stone/brick oven, slow-cooked 36 hours
- Crushing: 100% tahona — a 2-ton volcanic stone wheel
- Fermentation: Open-air wooden tanks, family yeast
- Distillation: Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills; the second pass comes off at about 46% ABV
- Origin: Destileria La Fortaleza, Tequila, Jalisco — NOM 1493
The Blanco the Way It Leaves the Still
Every Fortaleza starts identically: Tequila Valley agave, a 36-hour stone-oven cook, a two-ton volcanic tahona, open-air fermentation in wood tanks, and two passes through copper pot stills that have been at Destileria La Fortaleza for over a century. The difference is the last step. The regular blanco is proofed down with water to 40% ABV; the Still Strength skips that entirely and goes into the hand-blown bottle at the roughly 46% ABV it carries off the still. The brand calls it brighter and more rustic than the standard blanco — the same Guillermo Sauza production, undiluted. Browse the house on the Fortaleza vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand's official notes: fruit and baked, fully ripened agave on the nose, with green olive and earth; a palate of butter, olive, earth and black pepper with the vegetal depth of the blanco, carried at a fuller, more intense register by the extra proof.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat to get the full still-strength effect, or add a few drops of water in the glass and watch it open toward the profile of the regular Fortaleza Blanco. In cocktails it holds its agave character against citrus — a Tommy's Margarita is the natural test. More high-proof agave sits in our tequila collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "still strength" mean?
The tequila is bottled at the strength it comes off the still — about 46% ABV — with no water added to proof it down. Most blancos, including the regular Fortaleza Blanco, are diluted to 40% ABV before bottling.
How is Still Strength different from Fortaleza Blanco?
Same agave, same ovens, same tahona, same stills. The only difference is the water: Still Strength gets none, so it pours at 92 proof instead of 80, with a brighter, more rustic intensity.
Where is Fortaleza Still Strength made?
At Destileria La Fortaleza in the town of Tequila, Jalisco (NOM 1493), by fifth-generation distiller Guillermo Erickson Sauza. Before its commercial release it was poured only at the distillery.
The undiluted cut of a tahona classic — order Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.