Review: Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila (2011)
Review: Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila (2011)
Some years ago, Jose Cuervo launched a tequila that was unique for its time: 100% agave, affordable, and available everywhere. For a nation that grew up on the cheap mixto that is Cuervo Gold, this was something else.
But Cuervo Tradicional was available only as a reposado. No blanco, no anejo. Just the middle, lightly aged version. Who knew why?
Now Cuervo is back to remedy at least part of the oversight with Cuervo Tradicional Silver.
The style should need no introduction: This is an unaged tequila, clear as a bell.
As a blanco, Cuervo Tradicional is very mild and easygoing. Agave is muted, as is pretty much everything else. This is a blanco tequila with little bite and no real character to it: A touch of honey, vanilla, and lemon, with a mild agave lacing throughout it all.
It’s a tequila that’s about as harmless as they come. In other words, about the opposite of Cuervo Gold.
80 proof.
B / $20 / cuervo.com [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY]
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila (2011)
$20
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couple typo’s, “Some yeas ago” and “as harmless as the come”
for a “B” rating this sounds like something someone shouldn’t even bother trying? Are “A” rankings only worth my time?
Eric – Thanks for the comment. The typos are embarrassing and I appreciate the fixes (which I’ve made). As for the rating, I’d say that, yes, as 100% agaves go, Tradicional Silver is not really something I’d seek out for sipping straight. In a margarita, no problem. Next to Avion, etc., no contest.
Cheap 100% agave tequila is a very welcome development. This, El Jimador, Azul, Espolon, Lunazul… It’s nice, with spring coming on, to have something cost-effective for the pitcher-of-margaritas-that-my-friends-are-going-to-ask-for-at-some-point-good-god-am-I-the-only-one-here-who-knows-how-to-make-a-drink-guys-it’s-not-that-hard. A shootout might be in order.
Meanwhile I can keep my Don Fulano to myself.
Their “Family Reserve” line of blancos were pretty decent, too. Not too smooth, but packed a lot of flavor.
I tried the Silver at a launch party in Seattle, it was undrinkable straight. Tasted really similar to their mixto.
After I got a few of the free drinks down (that were also made poorly) I was able to not mind the unpleasant taste, but I won’t drink it again, even in a margarita.
I’m interested to see if the Sauza Blue is similarly undrinkable or if it will be better. Are you planning on reviewing it soon?
Ben, also check out Tezón tequila. It’s 100% agave, quite good and costs about $18 per bottle.
As a newbie to Tequila, the first bottle I tried was a fairly expensive and very good (drank it straight mostly). I probably don’t know much but I tried this bottle the first time today. It may be good mixed, but straight (at least to me) it tasted like I was smoking a cigarette. Ben was right – undrinkable. I will give it away to a coworker, probably someone who smokes and likes the flavor of a cigarette.
i think they’ve improved it since 2011. in 2016, this is a very decent silver to sip neat.
I sure hope they improved it because I just snagged a bottle for $11. I don’t want to taste cigarettes, yuck! I may report back tomorrow on how it currently tastes.
I thought this tequila was awful. I felt like I’d been drugged after have a few shots and I felt terrible the next day. It’s almost as if it’s fortified wine.
I have been drinking this particular tequila for awhile and it’s really good but I bought the large bottle on 4/28 and it is terrible can’t stand the taste of it had to dump it.