Nobu Rare Reserve is an extra añejo tequila aged in American oak whiskey barrels and rested in a stainless steel vat before bottling
Are you ready for a new celebrity tequila and/or another Nobu-branded item to drop some cash on? If you are you’re in luck, because chef Nobu Matsuhisha has teamed up with Qui Tequila on a 2008 vintage called Nobu Rare Reserve.
This isn’t the first booze Nobu has released—there was the 2014 partnership with sake maker Hokusetsu Daiginjo which is still available at restaurants. And earlier this week, the Sushi Force 1 Nike collaboration dropped for all the sneaker/sushi heads out there. But this new collab should please agave spirits fans.
Nobu Rare Reserve is an extra añejo tequila aged in American oak whiskey barrels and rested in a stainless steel vat before bottling. The Blue Weber agave used to make the tequila was harvested in 2007 and 2008, and it’s distilled using a “proprietary method to filter, refine, and create award-winning extra añejo tequilas,” according to copy for the brand (it’s unclear if that means a diffuser is involved, as there is one reportedly onsite at the distillery, NOM 1605). Qui does note that no additives are used in its tequila. Official tasting notes for this new expression describe “sweet oak, toasted almond and maple, which play beautifully on the nose with aromas of wood, tobacco, caramel and vanilla.”
“I have been a tequila lover for years,” said chef Nobu in a statement. “In fact, after every successful Nobu opening, it is a tradition for our team to do a tequila toast. But the quality, the crispness of flavours and the elevated complexity of Qui’s aged tequila is what brings this drink to the next level. We are so happy to announce this partnership and are excited to get something new into the hands of our customers.”
There are only 1,500 bottles available, according to PR for Nobu and Qui, each individually numbered. You can try the tequila at each of Nobu’s 51 restaurants around the world. But if you prefer to sip at home, a limited number of bottles are available for US$500 from the Qui website or other select retailers.
This article was first published on Robb Report USA
