Casta Tequila Worm Bottle

Rated 93-Wine Enthusiast 7/99 The hand-blown worm bottle may strike some as little more than a conversation piece, but to tequila enthusiasts, the spirit inside is something of a find. Casta Gusano Real Reposado (Royal Worm) is an elegant 100-percent agave tequila distilled in Guadalajara at Tequilera Newton e Hijos. It recently won a gold medal as the best reposado tequila at the 1998 World Spirits Championships. The Casta Gusano Real Reposado is aged just short of a year in new white oak casks. The tequila has a lush, medium body and is unusually aromatic for a reposado. The fresh barrels imbue the tequila with a pronounced woody, oaky character, as well as a palate rich with the flavors of sweet spice, citrus fruit and ground black pepper. The bottle is crafted in Mexico, requiring eight workers 15 minutes to fabricate a single, worm-shaped bottle. Each is hand-numbered and signed. Where the worm gets its two front legs has not been determined.