1800 Tequila Is Releasing a Limited-Edition $11,000 Bottle
When it comes to high-priced bottles, whiskey is the spirits category with the most top-tier expressions. But there are some very expensive, limited-edition tequilas out there as well, and the latest example is an $11,000 decanter from 1800 Tequila that is being released in a run of just 50 sets.
1800 has been around since the late 1960s, when it was first released as an añejo expression by the Beckmann family as Cuervo 1800 Tequila (that’s the same family that controls Jose Cuervo and other brands like Maestro Dobel, Reserva de la Familia, and Bushmills Irish whiskey). Nowadays, the 1800 lineup consists of blanco, reposado, and cristalino tequilas, as well as some flavored expressions. This new release, however, is an extra añejo tequila, meaning it was aged for more than three years. Mono Laberinto Doble is the latest addition to the 1800 Colección Tequila series, and it comes in a nickel decanter designed by the late Mexican artist Pedro Friedeberg.
The design seems to be the main reason for this high price tag, given that you could find a comparably aged tequila for a whole lot less. According to the brand, it’s made from agaves that were slow cooked in masonry ovens (not in a diffuser, although the brand does use that equipment for its flavored tequilas). After distillation, the tequila was aged for a minimum of three years in new American oak barrels with medium and high char levels, as well as in French oak casks that were previously used to age Amarone wine, a dry red wine from Italy. We did not get to try the tequila, but the official tasting notes describe oak, cooked agave, honey, prune, and subtle vanilla on the palate.
According to the brand, Friedeberg’s decanter design was inspired by his “early encounters with architecture.” He first became involved with 1800 in 2017 when he partnered with the brand for the 1800 Milenio Artist Series in Mexico. Mono Laberinto Doble was one of the last projects he took part in before he passed away last spring. “Pedro’s work has always existed at the intersection of imagination, identity, and heritage, and this latest iteration for the 1800 Colección Tequila series is no different,” said Patrick Charpenel, executive director of El Museo del Barrio, in a statement. “Mono Laberinto Doble is more than a collectible; it is a tribute to the maestro’s legacy and a representation of the longtime connection between 1800 Tequila and Mexican artistry.”
The launch of Mono Laberinto Doble coincides with the release of a new book, The Art of Tequila: Spirit of Mexico, which is available from Assouline. If you’d like to purchase a bottle of this high-end, limited-edition tequila, you can preorder one now from the 1800 website.
