Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado

Tasted 05/02/15 from a Riedel Tequila Glass.
Appearance: Pale amber color
Aroma: Light aromas of agave, oak, honey, citrus and ginseng (earthy wood).
Initial Taste: Agave, oak, black pepper and subtle notes of vanilla and honey.
Body: Medium slow tears on glass and a light buttery mouth feel. Smooth with agave and vanilla flavors dominant.
Finish: Medium-length finish of mild agave and vanilla up front followed by a heated peppery finish.
Price: $17.99 to $41.99 (Average $28)
Presentation: Tall and attractive yet heavy duty bottle of a basic design with traditional paper label.

This is a straight forward value or budget tequila that has the agave, oak and other light characteristic reposado flavors with a relatively short heated finish. It may be the best selling tequila in Mexico but I wonder at what price? The retail price at the two stores I shop at was $28.99 and $39.99. The average price in the U. S. is $28, which is based on a survey of 395 liquor stores, according to the Wine-Searcher.com website. You can buy many other reposados in the $20 to $30 price range, which offer better value for the money spent. Some which I’ve tasted recently include Olmeca Altos Reposado, Grillos Reposado Reserva Especial, El Espolon Reposado, Hacienda Viejo Reposado, and El Charro Reposado. Above $30 you can buy many premium reposados which have a much nice flavor profile than Jose Cuervo Tradicional.

This is not a bad choice. A reasonably priced 100% agave reposado in an attractive but unassuming bottle.

BTW, what's up with all these whacky "designer" tequila bottles lately? Jeez.

Anyway, Cuervo's Tradcional is a direct competitor to Sauza's Hornitos. Both are value-priced reposados that are decent but undistinguished. I have a slight preference for Hornitos, but if I'm going to be entertaining with Margaritas, either makes an excellent Maggie.

For sipping, it's smooth but rather bland. Certainly not bad, but it won't make you sit up and take notice like a top shelf reposado will.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the best selling tequila in Mexico. First, Mexicans aren't subjected to the mixto garbage that we have to have cluttering the shelves. Second, this tequila is everywhere and a very inexpensive. Third, 80% of tequila consumed in Mexico is reposado tequilas. I'm not sure why that is, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. Anyway, it's a Casa Cuervo product that is the top dog of the brand in Mexico so I figured it was one that I had to try.

Aroma: Basic agave with hints of earth and vanilla.
Initial Taste: Earthy agave with a hint of sweetness and pepper. Very basic, but decent.
Body: Medium body. Agave, oak, earth and light spice. Nothing about it stands out. The agave is present throughout, but you can really tell that it's flash cooked instead of slow oven cooked.
Finish: Light oak and pepper are the most prominent flavors with the agave. Pleasant, but unspectacular.

This tequila is very basic and kind of bland in a non-threatening way. It makes sense that it would sell as well as it does because of those facts in kind of the same way that we know that there's an Applebee's everywhere despite the fact that we all know that the food isn't that good. Perhaps predictably mediocre and inexpensive is just something that you always need on your shelf. This tequila is solidly in the category of "OK." If you're looking for something that you will always get what you expect at a cheap price, this tequila might be a solid choice for you.

Kind of a Cuervo house nose, that is to say it shares quite a few similarities to the classic gold Jose Cuervo. Off putting at first but it mellowed out and with a touch of water it opened up. Very mineraly agave aroma, soft alcohol, not a lot of depth yet not boring. Nice weighty mouthfeel, almost oily in the mouth, very enjoyable for sipping. Flavors similar to the aroma but with a touch of smoke. Better than expected, probably would choose most other reposados on the market however.

This stuff really isn't bad. It's not great, but I don't mind it at all. I don't think I'd buy another bottle because I have other tequilas sitting around that I enjoy more in that particular price range (like Muchote), but I wouldn't turn my nose up at it if someone offered me a glass.

Aroma: Straight-forward, agave and alcohol.
Initial taste: A bit sweet, a little bitter, but pretty well balanced. Drier than I expected.
Body: Hardly any complexity. Just agave, some spice, and a light heat that builds.
Finish: Relatively short, semi-heated, but controlled.

Like I said, you can find better tequilas for the price (if you're lucky enough to live as close to the border as I do), but if this is all that's available to you don't hesitate to give it a shot. It's very straight-forward and I agree that it tastes like a reposado with training wheels; eventually you're going to want something with more character.

As far as presentation goes, I don't like the screw cap/pour top on this tequila.