Jose Cuervo, Reserva de la Familia

A bit of a flat nose, giving stroopwafel, crème brûlée topping, glazed doughnut, and some nutty notes. Very little agave. The palate is almost whiskey-like, with real rich sweetness, vanilla, spices, and the like, but it leans more toward Drambuie than a well-aged tequila. The finish has orange peel, milk chocolate, and then agave notes that appear out of nowhere at the death.

On the nose, the wood is really dominant — think carpenter's studio, with shaved wood, varnish, and leathery notes too. The agave is sadly lacking, and the finish is a bit flat. I'd like to see more integration on the palate and clearer character overall. Sadly, a not very balanced extra añejo.

Well-aged notes immediately make themselves known on the nose, with cracked black pepper, dried ginger, licorice, and cinnamon. It isn't overly sweet or vanilla-led, and a touch of fresh cherry and rhubarb fool brings brightness. It's dry, with plenty of complexity and richness. The palate is wonderfully smooth, with an oily viscosity and a drying white pepper note moving into a warming prickle of spice. The dry notes are well balanced, but the finish isn't perhaps as pronounced as expected, with some lingering pepper and toasted oakiness. The strength is perhaps what lets this down: sacrificing punch and complexity for smoothness.