Tequila Cuervo La Rojeña
Circunvalcion Sur
No. 44-A Las Puentes
Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
Phone: (523) 634-4298
Fax: (523) 634-8893

Distillery: La Rojeña (Tequila)
NOM 1104

Jose Cuervo is essentially the Anheuser-Busch of tequila. Their mass production results in almost 40% of all tequila made, and it is the one brand that you can find virtually anywhere. It's the brand most people associate when they hear "tequila". This is unfortunate, because most of the the stuff is crap. At the high end, they make some decent stuff, but most folks will never taste that.

As a mass-produced and heavily marketed tequila, Cuervo uses state-of-the-art facilities to produce their product, but the quality cannot be anywhere near the smaller producers. Because of the volume, they pretty much have to buy agave from producers, which limits quality control.

The brands:

Cuervo Especial (Gold)
This is the Budweiser of tequilas, and is found everywhere liquor is sold. Rich, dark color indicates caramelization. This is not for drinking, but probably harmless if you hide it in a margarita. If you actually drink it, you will probably get a hangover, as the additives will do you in. I actually always keep a bottle around. The main reason is that when letting a newcomer smell tequila for the first time, I let them sniff something good, then the Cuervo Gold, and they immediately notice the difference!

Cuervo 1800
Supposedly a "premium" brand, but the joke is on you. Not even 100% Blue Agave, so by any stretch of the imagination, it could not be a premium. What it appears to be is an attempt to create a type of "blended Scoth", except with tequila. Lots of caramel and sweet aroma. Actually, if you can get it at a good price, it's worth buying, because you can make good margaritas with it. In that sense, it's fairly reasonable.

Cuervo 1800 Ãnejo
Again, the "blended" version. This one is made with 100% agave azul, and should be of better quality. However, at $40 a bottle, it's hardly a bargain.

Cuervo Tradicional
Here at least an effort to make a 100% agave. Somewhat hot finish.

Cuervo Reserva de la Familia
Ridiculously overpriced. A decent tequila if it sold for about $30. What would think if Anheuser Busch came out with "Busch Family Special Reserve?" It might be a decent beer, but you probably wouldn't pay a premium for it.

Cuervo Mistico
Basically a Cuervo Silver with orange flavoring and color added. Not surprisingly, it's sweet and lacks the kick of a basic tequila. However, it's not as bad as you might think.