At this moment, I have Casa Noble Single Barrel Ultra aged tequila and Grand Mayan in front of me. As much as I hate to say it, this tequila, Grand Mayan, is near perfection. I understand that ceramic bottles may not always be the best, but this is my second bottle of Grand Mayan, separated by 3 years. This bottle is just as wonderful as the initial bottle I had years ago.

Grand Mayan comes from the same distillery as Casa Noble, but it seems to me that it is a half-step above the Single Barrel.

Some people may find it hard to believe that a great bottle might contain a great tequila, but in this case, rest assured, that at half the price of Casa Noble 5 year, you are getting a slightly better tequila. Carlos Santana would have to agree that this tequila is the true Black Magic Woman.

Grand Mayan is one of the most intricate and beautifully crafted bottles out there on the market. With that comes a few flaws: A fragle cork, ceramic tainting the tequila if stored long term and often a poor cork seal. After a few tries, I managed to find a bottle without any tainted qualities to try this 5 year juice.

Aroma: Right from the start you can tell this is an oak BOMB. Lots of woody notes, dark chocolate and a hint of agave.
Initial Taste: A nice sweetness up front with caramel and chocolate. Even just on the tip of the tongue, you can't escape the woodiness.
Body: The foremost flavor is wood. There's pepper, caramel and a hint of spice that goes along with it as well.
Finish: A long, lingering finish of wood, chocolate and pepper. There's absolutely ZERO burn on this juice and the flavor just hangs around nicely.

This might not be for everyone, but if you are looking for something that is woody, chocolatey and really easy going down...this is the tequila for you. The bottle is awesome, the smoothness is wonderful...but I would just prefer a little more agave in the palate than this one gives. But that is to be expected a bit in an ultra aged 5 year tequila.

Very rich, full bodied taste. I would put this in a similar family as the Clase Azul tequilas. Fairly sweet and full of carmel flavor that transforms as the bottle stays opened throughout the night. Not to thick on the glass, however the initial aroma is very inviting. Tried this at a tequila bar in Boston, MA - of all places. Available in my home, San Diego, CA for about $80/bottle. The flavor stayed with me, even after trying other tequilas later. This tequila is definitely going into my list of top 5 tequilas. When I get home, I will be adding a bottle into my collection to enjoy with friends.