1800 Milenio Extra Anejo

Milenio is the extra añejo expression from the 1800 tequila line, which puts it in the category for tequilas aged beyond three years in oak. Expect it to behave more like an aged brandy or a mellow whisky than a blanco. At this stage the agave usually recedes into the background, and the oak shapes most of the flavor. Typical extra añejos show caramel, vanilla, toasted wood, baking spice and dried fruit, with a soft, rounded body and a long, gently dry finish. Treat those as the style's expected profile, not a measured analysis of this bottle. Serve it neat at cool room temperature, around 16 to 18°C. Chilling mutes the aromatics that make an aged tequila worth buying. If the alcohol feels tight at first, add a few drops of water or a single large ice cube, which dilutes slowly without flattening the nose. Pour it in a tulip-shaped copita or a small snifter, which gathers the oak and spice aromas. A rocks glass suits the ice-cube version. Mixing is possible but uses up the nuance you're paying for. If you do, keep the drink spirit-forward and minimal. An old fashioned built with a barspoon of agave syrup, two dashes of aromatic or chocolate bitters and an orange peel lets the barrel character carry the drink. A tequila Manhattan, with sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters, works on the same principle. Avoid citrus-heavy drinks such as margaritas or palomas, where lime and soda would drown the aged notes. For food, serve it after dinner, not with it. Dark chocolate with a high cacao content, roasted nuts, dulce de leche, flan, and aged hard cheeses like manchego or Gouda all echo the caramel and wood flavors. A good cigar also pairs well, if that suits you. Sip in small measures, give the glass a minute to open up, and expect the aromas to shift as it warms in your hand.