Purchased 5/1/10, paid $100 online. Sampled from 6 oz shot glass. The Box/bottle is odd to me... a cheap bottle wrapped in tissue paper with a big sticker on it? Looks like a 5yr old made it. I bought this because the Tesoro anejo is so very good. Paradiso is another story. Light caramel in color, slides down the glass quickly and gathers to form medium tears. Nose is light, sweet, fruity minimal alcohol wiff, and a plethora of spice/floral added that overwhelm the agave. If something is added it should not be muted. Thin mouth and body, smooth but so is water! The agave is all but gone here. What a departure from the other quality products NOM-1139 produce. Don't get me wrong, its OK, but not for $100? Its suppose to be tequila, but you almost forget it. I have read all the reviews below and IMHO tequila was the last thing on their mind when this was made. Boring is the word that comes to mind. Smooth is nothing with out character. This is a total miss compared to other quality anejos' for far less $. Smooth is NOT an important factor for tequila. If properly distilled, agave is smooth and delightful on it's own. But when it is over produced, as this is, you get something that is confused, muted and boring. I apologize for the rant, but Easy to drink doesn't make it "good". For a third the pride there are better tequila's out there.

very good anejo, a little pricy, but should give it a try,alot of wood comes thru.

Tasted out of a snifter. This anejo definitely was worth the money. It is quite possibly the smoothest tequila I have sipped so far. It had great balance and the agave was not lost along the way. I cant really afford a bottle of this, but if I had the extra money I'd definitely buy a bottle. Another great tequila from a great line.

Aroma: A very clean aroma full of fruit (berry) and distinct floral (violet).
Initial Taste: A semi oily mouth feel with no bitterness and no burn. First taste was fruit (again berry).
Body: A great agave body complimented nicely by slight fruit, slight vanilla, and slight cinnamon.
Finish: Great finish! A nicely heated finish of medium to long duration with a beautiful 'El Tesoro' flavor lingering.

Wow! This is delicious. So incredibly smooth. The cognac barrels definitely add some great flavors to the already fine tequila of El Tesoro. I tried this 1/23/09 at a tequila bar out of a snifter for $20/shot - I wasn't complaining though since the bartender poured me about 4-4.5 ounces! I even got a "souvenir" El Tesoro shot glass!

The aroma was fairly complex - some citrus notes, slightly smokey, carmel, subtle vanilla - a nice sweet smell overall.

Initial taste was carmel, vanilla, very mild pepper, and mild agave. Body was similar with a little bit of a smokey flavor than the initial taste. Finish was medium duration with very little alcohol flavor.

The most notable thing about this tequila is how incredibly smooth it is. I was amazed. I think I may splurge a bit beyond what I usually spend and add this to my collection soon. Highly recommended!

I am an El Tesoro lover anyway and when I tried this it knocked my socks off...The price is a little rich for my pocket at $100 plus a bottle retail and $20 per shot...

It has the base of El Tesoro tequila which is naturally sweet, flavorful and spicy...but the aging in Cognac barrels gives it a real premium spirit taste and silky mouthfeel.

I am a bourbon drinker too and I like a good Bourbon from a snifter...warmed by the hands to unlock the flavor. This product drinks the same way. I spent about a half hour to 45 minutes savoring this stuff up in a snifter. I don't know if it was because I had to get my moneys worth or if I liked it so much. Anyway, it is a fine spirit and the next time I have $20 burning a hole in my pocket I am going to Agave Bar and Grill in Lakeview (Chicago) and having another go at it...
I really wish more tequila bars carried it aqs it's a true tequila art form!