Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila Limited Edition is a joven-style tequila from Mexico, released as a collector's take on the label of the classic Cuervo Especial Gold. Inside is the very same Cuervo Especial Gold recipe that built the brand: a joven-style tequila blending aged reposado stock with younger tequilas, rested in oak for at least two months at the historic La Rojeña distillery in Tequila, in the state of Jalisco. The limited edition differs from the standard version only in the bottle's presentation – the contents remain unchanged.
This is a mixto tequila, not 100% agave. The liquid is a Gold-style joven – a mixto combining reposado with younger tequilas, with a minimum of 51% blue agave, briefly rested in oak. Jose Cuervo Especial Gold is a blend of reposado and younger tequilas, made from blue agave harvested in Jalisco, Mexico, in which part of the reposado ages in oak barrels, lending warm, toasty notes, while the younger tequila brings brightness and freshness.
The brand has one of the longest pedigrees in the category. In 1795, Jose María Guadalupe de Cuervo began selling the first Vino Mezcal de Tequila de Jose Cuervo, having received the first official licence from the King of Spain for the commercial production of tequila, and Cuervo has been producing tequila at La Rojeña, the oldest working distillery in Latin America, without interruption ever since.
The profile is dominated by a mellow, lightly sweet character. The colour is pale gold with golden-amber reflections derived from the brief rest in oak. The nose is sweetish, with notes of agave, accents of vanilla, light oak and a subtle backdrop of caramel. The palate is smooth and balanced, with gentle agave sweetness, light oak and vanilla, composed to play in cocktails rather than dominate them. The finish is balanced, short and smooth, with a clean exit and a lingering soft agave warmth.
The product is bottled at 0.7 litres and 35% ABV. Owing to its mixto build, it works above all as a cocktail base. This is the tequila that has been playing the leading role in margaritas, palomas and shots since 1795.