Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Tequila Review

Though I generally write about whiskey on this blog, I find it’s nice to sip on something else occasionally.  So, the next few posts will cover a couple of tequilas as well as brandy, gin and vodka.  Let’s start with Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia (which means ‘family reserve’).  This premium añejo tequila is released yearly.  Each release features a different wooden box adorned with art from a Mexican artist, with this year’s being Jose Mèndez Blake.  I’m a sucker for beautiful packaging and a nicely designed label, but they come in second to how the spirit tastes.

This extra añejo tequila has aged at least three years in French and American oak barrels.  As this tequila has aged in barrels longer than the average añejo, it has picked up some barrel influence.  How much?  Upon pouring my sample in the glass, it came across very much like a bourbon.  Vanilla and toffee sit on top of a rounded, herbal agave note.  It’s all wrapped around a soft bed of oak.  A very small hint of varnish pops up at first, but mostly disappears with a little air time.  The palate closely follows.  It is very clear this is aged tequila, as there’s cooked agave up front followed by vanilla, lemon rind and smoked caramel chews.  Small waves of spice, mainly cinnamon bark, occasionally show, but I wouldn’t call this a spicy tequila.  Instead, it’s rather easy going and slightly creamy.  The finish is a little warm, but mostly remains smooth.

Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia is a great extra aged tequila for folks looking for a something nice to sip on.  It is akin to, say, a Johnnie Walker Blue Label.  While there are better tasting tequilas out there for cheaper (I’ve seen this go anywhere from $100 – $150), this tequila is nothing to turn your nose up at.  I’m throughly enjoying this tequila and wish I had more than a small sample.  8/10

Cuervo.com

A small sample was provided for review.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Barrell Rum Batch 001 Review


Joe Beatrice can pick some fantastic barrels of whiskey.  However, his newest release is something entirely different.  Enter Barrell Rum batch 001.  It’s a 7-year-old Jamaican pot still rum, bottled at a cask strength of 134.73 proof.  The rum matured in ex-bourbon barrels in Jamaica, and was crafted and bottled in Kentucky.  A 7-year-old, cask strength Jamaican rum?  Yes please.

One thing to note is no coloring, sweetening or flavoring has been added.  It syncs with Beatrice’s MO to bottle everything in its natural state, so to speak.  For that, we’re thankful.

So, how is it?

There is lots going on in the nose: vanilla, molasses, carmelized onions, toasted oak, and hints of coconut water and spice.  On the palate, I get waves of cooked sugar cane and vanilla extract.  Some small spikes of baking spice crack their way through, along with vibrant lime and green banana.  The warm finish leaves a spicy ginger and raw sugar cane note.  Very potent, and slightly astringent.  A splash of water helps combat the dryness a bit.

What a wonderful array of flavors!  I hope every future release of Barrell Rum showcases a different style of the spirit.  Every time I taste a release from this company, I can’t help but guess what’s in the future.  A rye whiskey perhaps?  Maybe a brandy?  How about a single malt?  We’ll just have to be patient.  In the meantime, I’m going to pour another glass of this rum.  Good stuff.  8.5/10

Barrellbourbon.com

Thanks to Barrell Craft Spirits for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yellowstone 2016 Limited Edition Bourbon Review

This year’s limited edition of Yellowstone bourbon from Limestone Branch is a blend of 12-year and 7-year whiskies.  Both feature rye as the flavoring grain in their mashbill.  The blend was finished in new toasted wine barrels.  No, these aren’t used wine barrels.  They are brand new ones, so don’t expect any wine notes.  The 2016 release is bottled at 101 proof and retails for about $100.  It’s truly limited – only 7,000 bottles have been produced.  

“We used 28 new wine barrels with varying levels of toast – I was interested in how toasting versus charring would contribute to the bourbon,” says Steve Beam, president and distiller of Limestone Branch Distillery. “The result was a delightful nose that is full of vanilla, sweet tea and summer fruit with a hint of smoke.”

Let’s see how this year’s bottling tastes.  The nose features candied fruits, brown sugar, some baking spice and a touch of vanilla.  Taste-wise, we’re talking in initial sweet caramel blast, followed by waves of spice, chocolate covered cherries, and some smoky vanilla.  The long finish carries a little heat and some toffee chews.

This is an entirely new blend compared to last year’s, and it’s an improvement upon what was an already solid entry in the Yellowstone lineup.  Nicely done.  8.5/10

Thanks to Luxco and Limestone Branch Distillery for the sample.  As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.