Gran Centenario traces to 1857, when Lázaro Gallardo began blending tequila at his tavern in Tequila, Jalisco, and the brand itself launched in 1895. Gallardo is credited with creating Selección Suave, the practice of selecting only the most rounded tequilas and combining lightly rested spirit with reserves aged considerably longer, and the house has used it since. Production is at Ex Hacienda Los Camichines in Jalisco. This release, named for the founder, is an extra añejo aged at least three years in new American white oak and French oak — new wood in both cases rather than refill — and then finished in casks that previously held Bordeaux red wine, which is where the red-fruit character comes from. It is bottled at 40% in a run of 679 bottles. The decanter follows the ridged Art Deco form drawn by Luciano Gallardo in the 1920s, and the stopper renders the brand's angel as a pair of twisted silver wings.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

What is the Selección Suave process?

Selección Suave is Gran Centenario's blending method, credited to founder Lázaro Gallardo in the mid-1800s: only the most rounded tequilas are selected, and those rested a short time are combined with reserves aged considerably longer. The result is a blend of ages rather than a single-age spirit. Gallardo is often described as the first maestro tequilero, and the process has been in continuous use at the house since.

How many bottles of Gran Centenario Gallardo were made?

The release ran to 679 bottles. It is an extra añejo aged at least three years in new American white oak and French oak before finishing in casks that had held Bordeaux red wine, and it is presented in the brand's ridged Art Deco decanter with a silver winged stopper.

What do the silver wings on the Gran Centenario bottle mean?

They are a reference to the angel that has appeared on Gran Centenario bottles since the 1920s, which is itself drawn from the Angel of Independence in Mexico City. Luciano Gallardo, the founder's son, designed the Art Deco decanter in that decade and the angel was formalised as the brand's emblem at the same time. On this release the emblem is rendered as a pair of twisted silver wings forming the stopper.