Heavily influenced by barrel! Good overall. Great for those trying to transition into tequila.

I'm only scoring the batches from 2017 and prior. I highly suspect the batches after that may be diffuser and additive junk. Cuervo may have finally ruined what was once a solid line.

2004 jose cuervo RDLF caramel citrus whiskey vanilla oak this is my favorite RDLF

I wanted to like this more. I’m not a JC fan but this is the holy grail of JC and I’d heard good things. I guess I just don’t enjoy such a heavy XA anymore. On taste I picked up oak, caramel, cherry, orange peel, honey, and chocolate. It was ok.

The standard of what XA should taste like!

Aroma: Caramel and cooked agave, very light cinnamon, vanilla, and oak. Taste: Sweet initially, with a nice mix of caramel and agave. Finish: Smooth with an accentuation of the flavors present in the taste, especially the cinnamon. Light alcohol bite at the end with some warmth. Overall: The first time I tried this was at a tasting at La Rojeña. Was not expecting to be so impressed, to the point that I decided to leave with my own bottle.

At Señor tequila. Sweet cooked agave, oak barrel, alcohol. Palate: honey, wood, oak, pepper. Finish med, with lots of oak and honey. $35 neat is overpriced

This is a fine crafted XA, full bodied, great little nuances of cooked agave, caramel, vanilla, citrus balance. Great bottling, and story from the original tequilla house.

A reliable go to when you want a balanced, aged tequila. I have always been a fan of the barrel influence and easy butterscotch flavours going on.

This almost like drinking a bourbon. Hardly any agave notes. I’m sure that that was the intention of Cuervo. This rating is for The Rolling Stones edition. The finish is actually decent.

I’m reviewing the Reserva de Familia that I was served straight from the barrel at the distillery in Tequila Mexico. This was unfiltered and not proofed down. The nose is full of oak vanilla and brown sugar. I taste cooked agave and strong oak. That taste is sweet and smooth with medium finish. It has a light mouth feel. The price for the bottle in the USA hurt this score several points. I can purchase DJ 1942 for $30 less that the JC RdF XA. I’ll update this review once I open and sample the bottle I purchased. ———————— Update: The color is that of an American Bourbon. It has a nice dark copper color. On the nose I detect a sweet vanilla / caramel, almost smells like a Coca-Cola Tequila. There is floral, almost perfume note. The taste is oak forward, dark fruit notes and sweet cooked agave. The finish is a rich dark agave, slightly sweet. Overall this is a good XA but it is priced approximately $20 -$30 too high, in my opinion. It’s worth purchasing once to see if you like it. Salud!

2014: Oak dominates. New oak, woody oak nose as well as a charred oak presence. Some fruit notes and vanilla. Flavor: Whisky oak, spiciness and white pepper on the palate. Hints of creme soda. Some butterscotch. Finish is a little rough... Wood and oak and amargo finish.

2014 vintage....Dark, rich and tasty. Still a good intro tequila for newbies. Sweet rich aroma. Caramel, burnt sugar, bit of dark cherry maybe, with a good bit of oak and pepper on the back end. Nice lingering finish makes me want another sip....

This and the platino should be Cuervos standard..they should cut the price and forget the rest!

I got this straight from the barrel at Jose Cuervo. I find myself entertained by the slow droplets running down my glass. Sweet Carmel and candied yam. Can't stop looking at these huge tears running down my glass.

Different years have a different flavor profile. Rule of thumb is that 2004 and earlier are the best. 2005-08 are considered as having strayed from the formula that worked. The boxes which are different every year are collectable works of art.

Aroma of caramel, oak and whiskey. Flavor is sweet and mellow with some heat and spice coming in late. But, as with many aged tequilas, the overwhelming flavor is whiskey. Over the years, I have introduced many whiskey and scotch loving friends to tequila with the Reserva de la Familia. It is always a hit with them. And, like Paul at one time I thought this was the epitome of "good" tequila. Now, I would say that it is a fine, aged tequila but not my cup of tea.

Glorious.

The aroma has hints of anise, caramel, cherry, and is a bit medicinal. The flavor is consistent with the aroma but you definitely taste more of the barrel than you get in the nose. Overall, a decent Extra Anejo but not worth the price.

Nice. Almost indistinguishable from scotch. Long aftertaste.

Cinnamon, okay, pepper, pepper,

oak, almonds, apples, olives and cinnamon oak, toasted almonds, vanilla and cinnamon

I could definitely appreciate the notes they were going for but it fell short of what I would personally like to taste in a tequila. With that said I think it's great for having around for a nice bottle for people that don't like tequila. especially if you have a couple bourbon people over. It has a lot of overlapping notes one would find in bourbon.

2019 Bottling. Aroma of toasted marshmallows, honeysuckle, and mild roasted agave with a hint of mesquite smoke. Lovely. The taste follows the aroma, but with a black pepper bite. Very pleasant. The finish is fairly short, with the roasted agave, light smokiness and black pepper trailing off. Quite nice, if a little on the sweet side for me.

Caramel, agave