Riazul Tequila Anejo

The immediate aroma is a sweet caramel with a taste to match. I was delighted with how the flavor lasted from start to finish end then some. This is my favorite anejo as of yet. The bottle looks very art deco and modern, which I like. The price was acceptable, though it makes me want to drink it slower. All my friends that have tried this "blind folded" compared to others in my collection, agreed that this was the best. Not surprisingly, their blanco is also excellent. By all means, purchase this tequila, you will be quite happy.

Picked this up from Wine World after reading the reviews here. For $50 this is a HUGE disappointment. From the moment I took my first smell I picked up a very familiar "cheap" smell that I swore I had encountered before. When I looked up the NOM I almost fell over. EL CHARRO!!! About two years ago a company in south FL went belly up and left an entire warehouse of booze sitting to be auctioned off. One of my local liquor stores took advantage of this and purchased tons of El Charro and were selling them off at $8 a bottle. At that price I bought a few bottles. It was not bad, but not good either but a bargain at $8. NOTHING I would ever pay more than about $15 for. So essentially what we have with Riazul is El Charro put into USED COGNAC barrels so sub par juice can be sold at a premium price. It tastes way too much like cognac. I don't like my agave juice to taste like other alcohols. I have this same feeling about almost all of the tequilas who age in used whiskey barrels, just don't do it. If I wanted to taste whiskey or cognac I would buy whiskey or cognac. This tequila is OK. I can deal with it, but that is as far as it goes.

I also must disagree with other peoples feelings about the presentation. I actually think the bottle looks quite classy.

Feeling a little down during the winter so I decided to treat myself to a new tequila. Read the two reviews for Riazul Añejo and since I had never heard of it I decided to take a chance. WOW! My girlfriend and I have a new love and it beats Don Julio 1942 as far as we are concerned. The smell of this tequila is totally unique and I almost enjoy smelling it as much as drinking it. Normally, our first tastes of a new brand are limited to 1/2 a single Ridel glass. We could not stop there with this one. Glad I bought two bottles because we have to travel out of state to buy this. This is the first tequila I have ever had that would tempt me to buy a case. Sweet - smooth - silky; personally I believe this comes from aging in Cognac/Brandy barrels rather than whiskey. I hesitate to tell everyone how much I like this tequila in fear that it may become too popular and become hard to get or more expensive. Regardless - everyone needs to try this tequila.

Out in CA it's not easy to find Riazul but I was pleasantly surprised to find it on a trip to Arizona in a bar at the JW Marriot hotel. Had been wanting to try this for a while and was not disappointed. Both myself and the person I drank this with looked up immediately after the first sip - we where sold.

Aroma: complex to the nose, scents of a fruity cognac come through the agave.
Initial Taste: mild spice and citrus.
Body: It's body is probably this tequila's highest attribute. Taste follows the aroma but it introduces another level of flavors. Vanilla, Cinnamon and some fruit complexities I couldn't make out. The oak didn't really hit till the finish.
Finish: smoooooze almost no burn but you could still pick out the agave and this was where the woody oak came through for me. Pleasant buttery taste lingered.

Pleasantly complex from start to finish.

This is one of the sweetest tasting tequilas I've ever had. On initial taste, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey stand out. The aroma of tootsie rolls is feint but definitely familiar, making this an easy everyday drinking anejo. I do not recommend this with any food except cheesecake and/or flan...making both of those taste fantastic! The finish of this tequila is easy and mild with a hint of burn. Vanilla and almonds can be detected when sipping at room temperature. If you like it cold, it has a marshmallow finish. Overall, I like this tequila very much as an aperitif or dessert sipping drink. This tequila is for sure a winner!