1800's muscular triangle shaped bottles surely has caught your eye, topped off with a bonafide solid and sturdy stopper to the decanter - so what gives about this Tequila brand? It almost seems to be popping up everywhere!

Unsurprisingly this isn't 1800's first rodeo - but before I spoil the surprise, let's see if you're able to make a guess. The Tequila brand takes its name from its statement that it's been making its Tequilas according to the same family recipe for 200 years, dating its first Tequila to 1800, and hence the name. This is despite the 1800 brand only having been launched in 1975 - now how's the math math-ing?

For those that guessed it, 1800 is actually a sister brand to the well-known Jose Cuervo - Bingo! Jose Cuervo is of course the first official Tequila to be made and sold, with its founder Jose Antonio Cuervo having received a license directly from the King of Spain, Ferdinand VI, to cultivate land in Jalisco, Mexico, for the production of Tequila. The 1800 date therefore actually refers to the year in which Tequila was successfully aged in wood. In fact, when the brand was first launched, it went by the name Cuervo 1800 Tequila, but would later be shortened simply to 1800 Tequila.

The 1800 Tequila brand has a pretty well worked out brand identity - the shape of its bottle pays homage to Mayan pyramids found across Mexico, and if you look closely at its crest you'll see that Mayan pyramid at the top of the crest, followed by the brand's name "1800", after which there's a cross and the letters "J & B" for Juan Domingo Beckmann, who helms the Jose Cuervo company, and finally at the bottom, a ribbon that says "Trabajo Pasion Honestidad" which translates as "Hard Work, Passion, Honesty".

Considering that the brand comes from the same La Rojena Distillery (with the ID NOM 1122) that historically produces Jose Cuervo, its agave sourcing is largely similar to that of Jose Cuervo, but where it comes to its Tequila's, the 1800 is made by double distilling the agave. Over the past decades, 1800 has also launched a whole lineup of flavoured Tequilas ranging from Coconut to Cucumber and Jalapeno. Although if you're just sticking to 100% Agave then there's also the Cristalino and Milenio, beyond the traditional Silver, Reposado and Anejo.

Today we're going to try the classic range of 1800 Tequila Silver (Blanco), Reposado and Anejo. Let's go!

1800 Tequila Blanco (Silver), 40% ABV - Review

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Roasty vegetables off the bat, charcoal grilled onions, charred tomatoes, and a little bit of fried zucchini. The vegetal aromas here are more savoury and sweet, resembling root and stem vegetables like carrots, shallots and radishes that have been stir fried. There is a gentle smokiness at the background here as well, like a smouldering barbecue pit with white coals. 

Taste: It's quite sweet on the palate - this time, I get caramelised onions, stewed carrots and pumpkins, as well as that savoury, umami kick of tomato sauce. Letting the tequila sit on the tongue a bit more, you start to get more pomme fruits as well, such as red apples and overripe pears, perhaps with a slight dusting of sea salt over the slices for that mild salty-sweet flavour. 

Finish: The smokiness comes out a bit more on the finish - the charred bits of charcoal grilled capsicums, onion, as well as coal roasted sweet potatoes. I get slightly more vegetal notes towards the end too as well, this time, more akin to eating raw zucchini or cucumbers. The savouriness is still very present here at the end.

My Thoughts

Extremely approachable for anyone getting their start in tequila/mezcals. It holds you by the hand with some easygoing sweetness - you still get your smoky, vegetal flavours you expect from an unaged tequila, but they come to you with a familiar bouquet of flavours. This makes for an easy dessert after a meal, or the opener to a tequila session.

Whilst generally sweeter, this also comes off alittle inoffensive (a good thing if you're just getting into it), though personally, I'd have loved to see more character in this one. 

1800 Tequila Reposado, 40% ABV - Review

The Reposado is aged in new American and French oak barrels for 6 months.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Light vanilla aromas, those freshly made vanilla ice creams you get at the fast food joint. It starts to develop towards more caramelised sugar aromas, like butter sugar toast, light brown sugar, and a hint of apple pie filling. Letting it sit more, the roastier flavours start to show more, this time more akin to charred tomatoes.

Taste: Rather confectionery - we're on light brown sugar, vanilla frosting, and yellow cupcake at first. Letting it sit on the palate a bit more, juicy red apples, and just a tinge of candied orange peels - there is a mild bitterness that starts to show here, like the pith of a citrus fruit. After the initial sweet fruity flavours, more of the vegetal flavours start to emerge, like deep dried zucchini and stir fried greens (kailan, or chinese olive). 

Finish: The finish tends towards a charred profile. Burnt biscuits, the burnt edges of white toast, and the flakes of char you get when coal-roasting bell peppers and chillis. There is still a sweet edge to the tequila here, but instead, it's more charred brown sugar, creme brulee. That cooked vegetables flavour do trickle their way here, taking the form of stir fried greens like cooked kale. 

My Thoughts

This one does feel a little more over the top with the sweetness compared to the Silver - really confectionary to be honest, although I would point out that it's certainly by no means one dimension. While it maintains that sweet profile at first, it turns towards very charred and vegetable flavours, even if a tad abrupt. I think a gentler, more balanced and cohesive integration of the flavours would have given this the complexity and grace it needed, while also dialling down the sweeter profile perhaps. Unfortunately I'm going to have to go with the Anejo or the Silver.

1800 Tequila Anejo, 40% ABV - Review

The Anejo is aged in new American and French oak barrels for a minimum of 14 months.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Sweet, spicy, and slightly confectionery. Cola syrup, brown sugar, a stronger creme brulee crust, as well as some grilled pineapples. The spice character here is quite mild, reminding me of a myriad of sweet baking spices, such as cassia, cloves, and star anise. As it sits, it's beginning to show juicier, candied fruit aromas, like tanghulu, dried apricots, and candied red cherries.

Taste: Still sweetish and considerably thick. Golden syrup hits first before a more starchy, sweet juice flavour, similar to charred buttered sweet corn the likes of elote. A mix of green and red apples shows up here, with a mild tartness of apple cider mixed in with the juices of an overripe, soft red apple. There is a bit of blue smoke here as well, though lingering at the back.

Finish: At the finish, the blue smoke character starts to show more. It has a mild vegetal, mushroomy character when mixed in with the smokiness, like huitlacoche or grilled aubergine. These vegetal, mushroomy elements don't last long however, as in their exit, the confectionery flavours make a return. Caster sugar and vanilla frosting flavours alongside a buttercream like texture takes the helm here, with some charred bits of caramel lingering at the back.

My Thoughts

This is my favourite of the trio; the vegetal flavours here don't clash head on with the sweet, fruity flavours, somethings even providing an interesting accent. The tequila as a whole here is a lot more balanced, with each flavour profile playing off each other. I particularly like that corn-juice like flavour you get at the initial stages of the tasting. I also feel that the sweetness here isn't as overpowering as the other two. Really tasty Anejo!

The Bottom Line

I think 1800's Tequila's are very much on the sweeter side of things, which I think makes for a good introduction if someone wants to break the ice with the category, 1800 could be a good start - it's certainly much more approachable.

That said, I feel that the sweetness can sometimes be alittle overpowering, shadowing the other nuances and flavours of the Tequila. All in all, I think the 1800 is decent for a start, although with time you'd probably find yourself craving some of the additional nuances and detail that comes with a more austere Tequila. Still, if I had to pick one from the lineup to recommend to someone, it'll definitely be the Anejo or the Silver!

 

@vernoncelli