Bottle #8401

Bottle #9656 Shows as a shade or two lighter than the current (light brown glass bottle) reposado. Freshly opened bottle had significant evaporation. Aroma of chocolate and toffee (and without the strong vegetal notes of the "current" repo). Strong, spicy cinnamon flavor is laser focused down the center of the mouth rather than mouth-filling like the current repo. Long, warm finish carries through with cinnamon flavor. Tasted on 12/26/2013 side-by-side with current repo and four single-barrel reposados.

Bottle #9656 - 12/26/2013 *Drinking this more than 20 years after it was bottled and has significant evaporation. This is bound to skew the results a bit.* Aroma: This has the traditional CN chocolate aroma but is a bit lighter. It has a coffee and cinnamon notes and almost no vegetal note when compared to the current CN Repo. Flavor: A little bit shocking but I didn't get a ton of chocolate that I normally do in a CN product. It's there but just a hint. The main flavor notes are caramel, cinnamon, and raw agave (on the finish). Finish: There is some heat upfront but dissipates quickly. This makes me think this is due to the age of the product. Conclusion: It's hard to call this a fair fight with it being such an old product when I tasted it. However, it's still a great product 20 years later and I will cherish the opportunities I get to taste this again.

For a 25 year old tequila it is still so very similar to the current CN Reposado, but better as there is less burn. And the bottle is a piece of hand painted art that stands out among all tequilas on a shelf. A little burn initially and smooths out to leave you with hints of chocolate and cinnamon. A particular joy when served up in a proper glass neat with your favorite cigar. As for price.... they initially came to Oklahoma City imported by La Bodega and sold for $65.00. Today ( September 2019) you can find them in every collectors collection and may find one for sale on a rare occasion for around $300.00.