Review: Milagro Tequila Cristalino Anejo

Milagro isn’t the most exciting tequila brand — though its Select Barrel Reserve options are good products at a solid value — but the distillery looks to shake that up with the launch of a new expression that joins the standard lineup: Cristalino Anejo. It’s Milagro’s first launch in more than a decade.

Like all of Milagro’s tequilas, this is a 100% blue agave product made from Highlands agaves. It is aged for 18 to 24 months in American ex-bourbon and French oak casks before charcoal-filtered back to clear.

If you’re familiar with the cristalino category, Milagro’s rendition may hit you with a curveball. Rather than decadently sweet, the nose is quite mild, alternately evoking notes of citrus fruit, vanilla candy, and banana chips — with none of these overly forceful. The overall aromatic impression is a lot closer to a reposado than an anejo, with a layer of slick green and peppery spices smeared across the top — quite sharp at times.

The palate is more than a little scattered. That dried banana note is prominent up top, followed by a doughy coconut character. The body is on the thin side and rather drying, evoking thoughts of day-old cake donuts with a strawberry glaze. You’d think the substantial amount of mint on the finish would complement these various flavors, but it hit me with more of a dusty, peppery quality that was ultimately at odds with the fruitier notes earlier in the game. The fade-out leaves behind some vegetal notes suggesting young, green agave — sadly not the friendliest way to end the sip.

Overall none of these elements are dominant, making for a tequila that is ultimately quite harmless — and in the end a bit of a miss for me.

80 proof. NOM 1559.

C+ / $60 / milagrotequila.com

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