1800 Reposado Tequila

The nose has a similar murkiness to that of the blanco, but with a bit more squash and smoky wood in place of some of the lime notes in the vegetal mush. This has a richer flavor with more wood and Earth, indicating its increased age. A bit of bright lemon rind and some salt peak out and a mellow spiciness numbs the tongue. There isn't a ton going on here, but the citrus is a nice improvement from the blanco and I'll take the added bitterness, especially as it pairs with the citrus. This lacks the oiliness and complexity of Herradura Reposado and has some more flavor flaws. This is truly an interior drink. Just right across the board, this is uninteresting and bad. Being better than the blanco is a low, low bar and somehow this is still closer to the blanco than to most other drinks in quality. The gross bread melds with the wet wood and Earth, so maybe that's something. Beyond that, most of the flavors get trampled. Lunazul Blanco is clearly more complex and tasty by a substantial margin, though not so great a margin as Herradura Reposado. Sauza Blue has some similar qualities, though it is much fruitier. The gross bread here is awful though, so the Sauza is clearly superior. Still, this is quite a step up over the blanco. There's decent sweetness here, though the bitterness is stronger. There's definitely plenty of spice. It's viscous, though not so much as the blanco. It's not as sweet and fruity either. The gross bread makes its way out and really messes things up. I'm not a fan. I'm so glad that this isn't as bad as the blanco, but it's still pretty bad. There's some interesting citrus, though it reminds me a bit of goo gone. To be blunt, the caramel, vanilla, and orange zest are just nowhere near enough to salvage this train wreck. Maybe this is Stockholm syndrome (like Hitler, which I mentioned in my review of the blanco, Stockholm syndrome is not a good topic to have come up in a review), but I think Clan MacGregor is quite better than this. This just is not actually all that much better than the blanco. On the initial taste, the Blanco actually even has more life (though the flavor here is better for sure).

Since it's National Margarita day I decided to make a couple of Margaritas tonight and found myself considering the tequila. I prefer my Margaritas with silver tequila because of its brighter flavor, but I had some of this laying around and thought I'd see what my "evolved" palate thought of it. It's surprisingly good. In the glass it's a light golden straw color and produces quick, thin legs. (Yes, I put tequila in a Glencairn!) It's only been aged somewhere between 6 and 14 months, after all. On the nose it's somewhat reminiscent of whiskey. There is some sweet vanilla and floral notes along with a touch of citrus, and just the slightest hint of smoke. Definitely more complex than I expected from a tequila. The palate is lightly sweet with some peppery spice. But this is tequila, not whiskey and you can definitely taste the difference with the agave asserting itself over the other flavors. The finish is short with just a hint again of smoke. Considering this is the first tequila I've "tasted", I'm fairly impressed. It will never take the place of whiskey, but it might be worth keeping around for something different every now and then.

I’m not the biggest tequila fan, so feel free to take this review with a grain of salt (and lime). When I was a youngster, I used to play with the Japanese beetles that lived on my mother’s rose bush. I say “play”, but really, I tortured the poor bugs. I feel quite bad about it now. This tequila tastes exactly like those beetles smelled. It’s uncanny. Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The smell, while undeniably insectual, is also earthy and sweet. There’s some black peppery flavor there, too, that almost overpowers the drink while simultaneously redeeming it. The taste reminds me of self-loathing, though not necessarily in a negative way. Perhaps I need to broaden my tequila horizons. It certainly has a flavor. If you like bugs, this may be the tequila for you! Otherwise, it may be best to enjoy this liquor in a nice margarita with plenty of lime and azucar. ¡Ay ay chico chico enfermo borracho!

This is nothing short of quintessential tequila on national tequila day. It's not overpriced. It's available. It tastes like tequila and nothing more. It's not overly sweet or overly complex. There is a note in the nose that I cannot put my finger on. There's a bit of the barrel aftertaste that is not 100% to my liking but it's much better than the smokey sort of nasty overtone that some Reposados have.(Casamigos et al). If I'm going to mix a Reposado for margaritas etc, it's going to be Lunazul. If I'm going to sip some or have a 2 note cocktail with lime..Its 1800. I can almost see Ray Liotta looking crossways at the bartender! Lol!.

Very savory nose: olive brine, lemon juice, and melted butter. The entry is thin, with peppery lemon and just a hint of fruit, carried on something green. There isn't much of a finish to speak of; everything just dissolves abruptly, leaving behind a trace of salt. It gets a half star for personality, but I really don't care for this stuff personally.

A bit shallow. Oaky and buttery up front, a bit of salinity to follow. It leaves a bit to be desired, but isn't bad. Paid just over $24 for a fifth (sale + coupon). I wouldn't go for it over other reposados in this price bracket. Corralejo and Teremana walk all over this one.