2015 XA JCRDF The nose opens with a clear sense of wood spice, carrying toasted oak and a gentle warmth. Cooked agave sits underneath rather than out front, joined by toffee and caramel that feel more browned than sugary, giving the aroma a slightly deeper, barrel driven tone. Palate & Mouthfeel: Sweet wood spice arrives first, paired with vanilla and a restrained sweetness. Cooked agave shows up, followed by caramel that leans toward the darker end of the spectrum. The mouthfeel stays balanced, letting the barrel influence speak without turning heavy. Finish: The finish runs medium to long, with burnt caramel lingering and slowly fading. That toasted sweetness hangs on nicely, leaving a warm, oaky impression. Final Thoughts: This is a barrel forward tequila that keeps cooked agave present but secondary. The profile leans into wood spice, vanilla, and darker caramel tones, finishing with persistence and warmth. If you’re in the mood for something shaped more by oak than brightness, this one delivers exactly that.

Nose: Big presence of oak and vanilla from the start. Cooked agave emerges with earth and grass. Not able to detect any fruit or herbs. I get a jolly rancher note similar to some bourbons which is very interesting. Palate: Nice viscosity and mouth feel. Front palate stars with oak and steadily transitions into vanilla sweetness. Jolly rancher element appears on the mid palate. Finish is relatively long with oak. I enjoyed this pour. While I believe there are additives in this tequila, I do enjoy it.

2014 edition.

Aroma: Alcohol,Oak,Vanilla,Caramel,Pepper Taste: Oak,Alcohol,Agave,Pepper,Spice May not be an easy drink for the novice palate. More alcohol peppery sting than I expected.

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.

Strong alcohol on the nose but also good barrel notes. Slightly bitter on the taste of it were more reasonably priced it would be a better value.

Not my jam. Aroma is the best part with heavy oak and some hints of dried fruit and berries. Taste is not good with lots of whiskey oak tartness. Finish is good with some heat and tingling pepper. This is not bad tequila but not my thing.

2004 jose cuervo RDLF caramel citrus whiskey vanilla oak this is my favorite RDLF. well, it was ril i tried the 96

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.

Updated: Color is lighter than expected for an extra añejo. Aroma of oak, whiskey, cinnamon and caramel. Flavor of cinnamon caramel. Pleasant finish. Not up to the price.

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!

One of the best Extra Anejo I have had to date.

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.