The celebrity tequila world is over-saturated, to say the least, but there are some brands in this crowded field that are actually worth checking out. One of those is Codigo 1530, a tequila brand owned by Pernod Ricard since 2022 that was founded by country music star George Strait, Crocs CEO Ron Snyder, Federico Vaughan, and Betsy Heneghan a few years before that. The latest release is called is called Cowboys and Dreamers, and it’s a special-edition añejo tequila that continues the brand’s winning track record.
If you’re a George Strait fan, this tequila’s name might be familiar to you—that’s because it’s also the name of his 2024 album (his 31st, if you’re counting). According to the brand, añejo is Strait’s favorite style of tequila (meaning it’s been aged between one and three years), and aging the spirit in wine barrels as opposed to the ex-bourbon barrels that are typically used in the industry is Codigo’s signature move. This new release is no exception, having been matured for two years in Napa Valley French white oak cabernet wine casks. That is a significant amount of time to spend in this type of wood, and the tequila is better off for it. The color is a rich, dark amber, and the palate has picked up notes of caramelized sugar, red berries, spiced nuts, vanilla custard, and black pepper, without losing its intrinsic earthy cooked agave flavor.
While the CRT, tequila’s governing body in Mexico, has cracked down on brands labeling their tequila as being additive-free, Codigo says that its products have no “added sugars, flavors, colors, or chemicals”—so, essentially, additive-free. That means the color and flavor of these aged expressions comes entirely from the wood. Cowboys and Dreamers differs from the core añejo expression in that the latter is aged for 18 months in French oak red wine barrels, so about six months less than this release. That’s the same amount of time that the last George Strait-branded release, Encore Añejo, was matured for. So this new expression is older than those two, but not nearly as old as George Strait Origen Tequila, a luxury sipper that spent more than six years in wine barrels putting it well into the extra añejo category.
The new “Cowboys and Dreamers” Special Edition Añejo is available now from websites like ReserveBar for $120. You can also find the rest of the Codigo 1530 lineup, including the ultra-expensive Playboy II Rare Hare double-barreled tequila that you can pick up for close to a grand.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker