How? Well, 1800 Tequila is a sibling brand to the renowned Jose Cuervo, the original commercially produced tequila. Jose Cuervo's history traces back to José Antonio Cuervo, who received a royal license from King Ferdinand VI of Spain to cultivate agave in Jalisco, Mexico. The "1800" in the name signifies the year tequila was first successfully aged in wood. Initially launched as Cuervo 1800 Tequila, the brand later adopted the simpler name, 1800 Tequila.

Tequila Review: 1800 GuachiMonton Anejo Tequila

Tasting Notes

Colour: Amber Gold

Aroma: Off the bat, there's that familiar agave note, although I would say it seems somewhat more velvety, if that makes sense. It fades in and out but remains present, nevertheless. It's also somewhat crisp, with a muted minerality interspaced with some amount of salinity. There's also wet earth, grilled pineapple and pepper. To top it all off, there's just the barest hit of baking spice and what I would liken to mezcal smoke.

Taste: That citrus is hitting hard! It sure was obvious, but repeated tastes gave me impressions of grapefruit pith, thick orange peels, the brightness of some lemon and oddly enough, a bitterness that vaguely reminds me of unripe pomelos. The agave takes a bit of a back seat here, giving way to mild stone fruit, oak tannins and mild vanilla. There's some honey, white pepper and baking spice that lies around too. The salinity i detected on the nose comes on the end of each sip, whilst the middle-end is when the vegetal agave notes makes more of a presence. There's of course still the classic roasted agave, wet grass and soil. The texture is something I can't quite pin down, however. It approaches with the velvet texture the nose suggests, but quickly turns into a chalkiness that I must admit is quote moreish. It then turns rather dry and fades out. 

Finish: As expected, it's a rather dry finish, with the citrus notes fading out for a moment before returning, this time accompanied by wet hay. Curiously, I also get a hint of lychees, as well as something like charred asparagus (or open-fire roasted bell peppers), along with a final lick of salinity.

My Thoughts

I must say this expression surprised me a little with the complexity and range of flavors, and because it comes across really well saturated, it takes several sips to really pin down every note. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the citrus notes here are really prominent and quite something unique that I haven't ever found before. This makes it crisp and really refreshing, with this zestiness that would I kept thinking would make for an amazing margarita or slushy shots. It's rather versatile in that sense, and also really entertaining.

Overall, I find it to be a really refreshing take on Tequila without being too far distanced from the base spirit. This is complex on the palate, yet quick and clean on the finish, and has such a vivid set of aromas. It works in the form of a cocktail or a shot - dealer's choice. Altogether a mighty fine showing from 1800! And of course they'd know a thing or two as one of the founding families of Tequila.