Overview
Jose Cuervo (NOM 1122), the world's largest tequila producer, has three sub-brands at different price tiers. The Especial label is their mixto (not 100 % agave) brand, Tradicional is their 100 % agave brand, and Reserva de la Familia is their tequila portfolio's highest tier. Often shortened to just Reserva, they are small-batch tequilas compared to the other products from Jose Cuervo. The brand is crafted 100 % from only the hearts of hand-selected, fully mature eight-to-ten-year-old blue Weber agave plants sourced from their estates' richest volcanic soil. The agave plants are more commonly referred to as piñas or pineapples in Spanish because that's what they look like when they are harvested and trimmed.
The Reserva Extra Añejo was first released in 1995 to commemorate the Cuervo family's 200-year tequila legacy, drawing from the family's best private reserves. The Extra Añejo was the only product bearing the Reserva de la Familia name for many years. Now, Reserva is a full lineup of super-premium tequilas featuring the Platino, Reposado, Private Cask Collection, Cristalino, and the OG, Extra Añejo. The meticulous care extends to the packaging. The entire packaging process, from the application of the unique label design to the wax seal featuring the Cuervo family crest, is done by hand. Each bottle is individually numbered, wrapped, and packaged in a gift box designed each year by a different Mexican artist. Starting in 2023, the entire Reserva de la Familia brand is transitioning to certified organic labeling.
Photo by Proximo Spirits
Reserva De La Familia Organic Platino
The Platino is specially made through a unique and proprietary process called "Esencia de Agave, " which was created by Cuervo and is known only by the distillers. The operation extracts agave sweetness and aromas from the piñas, or hearts, of the agave plants. It is a meticulous method that brings the entire character, flavor, and essence of agave to life, offering a perfect balance and smoothness unmatched by other clear tequila. This product is now USDA-certified organic, unaged, and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. This product is available in 750 ML and 375 ML bottles in the United States. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $65 for the 750 ML and $38 for the 375 ML.
Tasting Notes Provided by the Brand
Color - Bright and clear
Aroma - Pepper, cooked agave, sweet on the nose with a touch of apple and parsley
Flavor - Unique, sweet and spicy palate with notes of melon, honey and hay
Finish - Mellow & smooth
Serving Recommendations
Served neat in a tequila glass
Can be served chilled
Can be mixed in an Elevated Margarita or Margarita variation
Photo by Proximo Spirits
Reserva de la Familia Organic Reposado
The Reposado is distilled from 100 % fully mature agave using only the inner portion, or the heart, of the agave piña. This product is aged up to six months in three distinct barrels:
Heavily charred American oak
Lightly toasted American oak
Lightly toasted French oak
The heavily toasted American oak contributes baked spices, while lightly toasted American and French oaks bring mellow flavors of toffee and vanilla. Each tequila is aged separately before being blended by the Maestro Tequilero. The final product is USDA-certified organic and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. This product is available in 750 ML and 375 ML bottles in the United States. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $65 for the 750 ML and $38 for the 375 ML.
Tasting Notes Provided by the Brand
Color - Golden, brilliant
Aroma - Pepper, cooked agave, orange peel, ginger, toasted wood
Flavor - Tropical fruit, clove and vanilla
Finish - Mellow & smooth
Serving Recommendations
Served neat in a tequila glass
Can be mixed in a Reposado Old Fashioned
Photo by Proximo Spirits
Reserva de la Familia Private Cask Collection – Edition No. 1 Colombian Oak Cask (2023)
The Reserva Private Cask Edition is a limited-time store/customer pick bottling of four distinct blends of Añejo tequila aged in a signature cask, which will change annually. For the No. 1 Edition from 2023, each of the four distinct blends comprises a unique ratio of Añejo tequila aged in featured Colombia Oak casks and Añejo tequila aged in new American Oak casks. Reserva de la Familia features the only tequila in the world matured in rare Colombian Oak casks. Colombian Oak, also known as Andean Oak, is a species of oak tree only found in Colombia and Panama. The Colombia Oak cask was chosen for its Latin American provenance, and the unique rich chocolate and tobacco notes it imparts in the maturation process. This product is bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) in the United States, and the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $120 for the 750 ML.
Photo by Proximo Spirits
Reserva de la Familia Añejo Cristalino Orgánico
The PX Organic Añejo Cristalino is the newest line extension from Jose Cuervo to the Reserva de la Familia brand. It is the first widely available organic Cristalino Tequila in the market and the seventh Cristalino Tequila released by parent company Proximo Spirits. This tequila is aged in American oak for a minimum of 12 months and then finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks to impart an extra Sherry sweetness and softness, with flavors of dried fruits and raisins, before being filtered as the color is carefully removed while preserving the unique Añejo flavors and achieving a crystal clear presentation. Pedro Ximénez sherry, usually shortened to PX, is a sweet fortified dessert wine from southern Spain. The final product is USDA-certified organic and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States in a sleek, eye-catching bottle with a long waxed neck. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $150.
Tasting Notes Provided by the Brand
Color - Bright and clear with distinct tearing and a pronounced body
Aroma - Sweet notes of cooked agave, honey, baked fruits with lasting light notes of oak
Flavor - Sweet and soft on the palate with rich, smooth notes of stone fruit and a refreshingly bright finish
Finish - Fresh and complex
Serving Recommendations
Served neat in a tequila glass
Photo by Proximo Spirits
Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo
The Extra Añejo is distilled from 100 % fully mature, 8 years old or more, agave using only the inner portion, or the heart, of the agave piña sourced from rich volcanic soils of the family's private single estate fields. The agave piñas are cooked in smaller ovens at La Rojeña distillery in Tequila in Jalisco, the oldest distillery in Latin America, for 48 hours: 36 hours by direct vapor and 12 hours with residual heat. The fermented agave juice is double-distilled in small batches in copper pot stills. The tequila is aged for over 3 years in a combination of small, new American, and French oak barrels charred at different levels and bottled at 80 proof (40 % ABV) for the United States. The bottle is made of hand-blown glass, individually numbered, and sealed with wax. Each year, the Cuervo family commissions a Mexican-based artist to design original artwork for the collector's box. The manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $185 for the 750 ML.
Tasting Notes Provided by the Brand
Color - Dark amber tone
Aroma - Oak, almonds, dark chocolate, cinnamon
Flavor - Rich oak, toasted almonds, vanilla and cinnamon
Finish - Complex & smooth
Serving Recommendations
Served neat in a tequila glass
Support The Spirits Educator
If you would like to support the content here, please click the button below to buy me a cocktail or neat pour through PayPal. You can also use Venmo @thespiritseducator.
Thank you for your support!
Glencairn & Riedel Glassware Recommendations
Affiliate Disclosure
The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this website so that I can continue to bring you new content.
Please Drink Responsibly.