Butterfly Cannon The Winged King Reposado Tequila

Half this agave went into a brick oven. The other half went into a pressure cooker.

That split is how the brand described The Winged King when it launched in the UK in 2024, according to The Spirits Business and The Daily Pour. Half the piñas (the harvested agave hearts) are steam-roasted for up to 54 hours in centuries-old, stone-walled brick ovens, then left to cool for up to three days. The other half go into autoclaves, which are industrial pressure cookers that do the same job much faster. The brand's line for it is "old-world traditions with new-world innovation."

The agave is seven and eight years old, from Jalisco. Per the same launch reports, the tequila then rests for at least eight months in American oak barrels that used to hold bourbon. Reposado means "rested," and the legal window is at least two months and less than a year in oak. Eight months puts this one toward the long end.

Trade press says it's made at Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, also known as Casa Maestri. The Butterfly Cannon itself is a UK brand from Biggar and Leith, started in 2021, and trade press says the name comes from the monarch butterflies that migrate from the US into Mexico. The brand says the monarchs spend around five months of winter there, and it donates to the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund. It has never said where "The Winged King" comes from.

There's no printed front label. The decanter is black gloss ceramic with butterfly wings and the brand name embossed into it, and the chrome stopper is topped with a "life-sized" monarch, per the launch coverage.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: mellow oak and citrus
• Palate: agave, warm vanilla, tree nuts, cloves, ground cinnamon, caramel and oak
• Serve: neat, over ice or in a reposado margarita, per Tim Dunlop of Biggar and Leith at launch

Bottle Specifications

• Category: Tequila reposado, 100% blue agave
• Age: No age statement (at least eight months in oak, per the brand)
• Agave: Seven- and eight-year-old blue agave, Jalisco (per launch press)
• Cooking: Half brick oven, half autoclave (per the brand)
• Barrels: American oak, ex-bourbon
• Proof / ABV: 80 proof / 40%
• Distillery: Destiladora del Valle de Tequila (Casa Maestri), per trade press
• Bottle: Black ceramic decanter, embossed, monarch butterfly stopper
• Bottle size: 750ml

Poured by Tequila-of-the-Month Club Explorer members in February 2026.

FAQ

Is this the same as The Winged King cocktail on the brand's site?
No. The Butterfly Cannon's US site uses "The Winged King" as the name of a cocktail made with its Silver Cristalino. This bottle is the reposado, rested in ex-bourbon American oak.

What does reposado mean?
"Rested." A reposado has spent at least two months and less than a year in oak. The brand says this one gets at least eight months.

Why can't I find a label on the front?
The brand name and the butterfly-wing pattern are embossed into the black ceramic, so the lettering is raised rather than printed.