Very light color in the glass. Earthy, vegetal aroma with a light floral note and no obvious barrel notes. Surprising for a 6-year XA. Cooked agave still present in the flavor even after 6 years in barrel. This one also has a distinct tannic character. Nice long, warm finish. Tasted this side-by-side with the Don Vicente XA and would say I prefer the DV. And, when you consider the considerable price difference I would definitely choose the Don Vicente. This is not to take anything away from the Volans. Just my personal preference. 2023-12-24 2023 Annual Christmas Eve XA Tasting

Barrel notes through on nose, no agave. Little bitterness on finish. Some pepper.

Nose: Mandarin oranges and lemon peel. Jammy ripe black raspberries and warm, mellow barrel spices. Leather, nutmeg, powdered ginger, hints of star anise and finely ground pink peppercorn. Creamy almond custard, a pinch of toasted coconut. A tropical feel to the aromas. Loads of agave shines through. Flavor: While the aromas are subtle, subdued and sophisticated; the first sips, by contrast, take you by surprise. Explosive spice, pepper and sassiness: starting with a crescendo of feisty ground Szechwan peppercorns, fiery cinnamon and anise; quickly mellowing into a marriage with the buttery rich agave. Next, sweet barrel spices and mouth filling fruit. Salted butterscotch. Silky. Agave panna cotta with mouth watering sweetness and salinity. Delicate oak patina, with a hint of cedar shavings. Deference shown to the agave with finesse and restraint employed in the barreling. Very elegant. The rating reflects my personal perceived value.

Tasting notes in progress…

Aroma at first scent, freshly cracked without letting it open very long is of a blend of suede, white spice gumdrops, and oak. Lighter notes that waft are of pine, butterscotch, peach and pit fruit, oak and cooked agave. Definitely the longer it opens up, the more oak becomes prevalent with spice in the background. Flavor is initially a light lactic heat that dissolves into white pepper up front followed by heat and then by oak and cooked agave. Finish is stronger on the cooked agave but the heat and pepper comes back around. While complex and balanced it definitely loses points on the price point. It's a $250-$300 bottle all day long and very nicely crafted but at $500+, there's others that I'd enjoy 2 bottles of as much or better and not feel apprehensive to consume or feel the need to have to bow and salute to them each time I passed my shelves.

Amazing nose, light in color yet rich in flavors of spice, cooked agave and light barrel notes. This tequila took over 13 yrs to get to market. It is costly but special.

What a treat to taste this brand new 6 year XA from Volans. It’s pricey but they started this project over 6 years ago when the brand first formed. If your budget allows for it, this should be in your collection. It takes the original XA to new layers of depth with a little higher ABV. Congrats Volans. Another masterpiece from El Pandillo and Volans.

Excellently balanced 6yo extra añejo by Volans with a delightful soft nose with surprisingly agave forward aromas despise 6 years of barrel aging. It is well balanced with a soft lingering mouthfeel with a somewhat sweet and balanced peppery finish. The rather high cost of acquisition combined with the bottle volume of a mere 700cc is somewhat of a stretch for an otherwise beautifully crafted product in which the aroma and gustatory qualities can be found in several other XAs for about half of the acquisition price.

Originally scored 90 but loses points due to value. We tried this at the distillery as it was being produced. This was Easter 2022. Even my teenage kids got to smell it. They had some in bottles, but we tried this out of the large tank from the fire hose. Oscar tried his best to pour a little bit but the Slurpee size cup was over half full-at least 1/3 of a normal bottle. I had no idea it would be this expensive! I should have smuggled the remainder home in a water bottle. While extra Anejo‘s are not really my thing, this of course was really good. Great aromas and flavors all the way to the finish. Is it worth the price…? Not for me. If you like to splurge big money, then this is one of the best out there. Salud.

Nothing really stood out. No "wow" factor. Beautiful sipper, yes. At $500 it's Grossly overpriced. A few were bought but will not purchase again. 88/100

This epic XA with a light caramel color holds a complex body and lavish layers of floral, dried fruit, citrus, baking spices, chocolate and salty caramel flavors balanced with mineral and cask notes. Our first sip awoke our palate with juicy citrus flavors, the second sip revealed layers of complex notes, and our third sip left us with a long lasting elegant finish steeped in El Pandillo terroir. Felipe is the ultimate maestro, and this 6yr XA is one of his greatest works of art. Very highly recommended.

absolutely unreal. easy to drink, even at higher proof. amazing spice character with cooked agave still shining through. this is now my gold standard.

Cooked agave w/ oak- subtle sweetness-jasmine- butterscotch/caramel- mild smoke- green peppercorn- mild ripe grapes