Eight Reserve, the ultra-premium Añejo from Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand, is a veritable Mariachi band in a bottle – lively, upbeat and engaging.
The fourth and final expression in the 818 range, Eight Reserve is a blend of one, three, and eight year añejos, aged in French white wine and American ex-bourbon barrels, for additional complexity and depth.
When 818 Tequila launched in the UK early 2023, it caused something of a social media sensation, selling out at Selfridges within minutes.
So how does Eight Reserve, this Ultra-Premium Añejo, compare? I attended its UK launch, at Ixchel Kings Road London, eager to make an early assessment
The fourth and final expression in the 818 range, Eight Reserve is a blend of three aged añejos…
818 Eight Reserve tequila tasting notes
Ideal for sipping, Eight Reserve is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks (for cocktails, opt for the 818 Blanco, we can vouch for it in a tequila sour). Crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, the liquid is spicy yet smooth, as befits its premium status.
Unlike the Blanco, the liquid boasts a slightly golden hue, and offers aromas of caramel, orange peel and vanilla. On the palate, it’s predominantly sweet (honey), with hints of cherries. It’s also lightly floral, the influence of the French casks used for the resting process coming to the fore.
The blend is key to its approachable flavour profile. In addition to the standard añejo tequila, there’s a five year old añejo which has been aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, and this adds some toastier notes, with a third Extra añejo layer, aged for eight years in French White Wine T5 barrels, for extra sweetness.
Immediately recognisable behind the bar, Eight Reserve comes in a handmade ceramic decanter, in a distinctive 8 shape. Produced by local artisans in Pachuca, using a variety of raw and recycled materials, this isn’t so much a bottle as a collectible keepsake.
If your interest is piqued, the 818 line also includes a Blanco (defined as less than two months old in a barrel, rested rather than aged), a Reposado (which can be aged anywhere between two and 12 months), and an añejo (which 818 parks for 14 months).
The Whisky Exchange has dropped three new exclusive bottlings to mark the start of 2026, spanning Scotch whisky, American bourbon and Jamaican rum. The limited collection comprises an experimental single-cask Torabhaig from the Isle of Skye, a punchy single-barrel bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and a sherry-cask-aged Hampden Estate rum that leans fully into the…
Just in time for Burns Night, Orkney-based Highland Park has announced a limited-edition cask strength single malt whisky. The new release, Cask Strength: Heather, is made using 100 per cent Orkney peat-smoked barley, with peat sourced responsibly from Hobbister Moor, just a few miles from the distillery. Given Orkney’s northern latitude, trees struggle to grow,…
January may feel long and grey, but one undoubted bright spot is Burns Night, the annual celebration held on January 25, marking the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. For whisky lovers, it’s one of the most convivial fixtures of the year: a night where poetry, food and Scotland’s greatest export meet in cheerful,…
The Luxe Review 
Eight Reserve, the ultra-premium Añejo from Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand, is a veritable Mariachi band in a bottle – lively, upbeat and engaging.
The fourth and final expression in the 818 range, Eight Reserve is a blend of one, three, and eight year añejos, aged in French white wine and American ex-bourbon barrels, for additional complexity and depth.
When 818 Tequila launched in the UK early 2023, it caused something of a social media sensation, selling out at Selfridges within minutes.
So how does Eight Reserve, this Ultra-Premium Añejo, compare? I attended its UK launch, at Ixchel Kings Road London, eager to make an early assessment
818 Eight Reserve tequila tasting notes
Ideal for sipping, Eight Reserve is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks (for cocktails, opt for the 818 Blanco, we can vouch for it in a tequila sour). Crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, the liquid is spicy yet smooth, as befits its premium status.
Unlike the Blanco, the liquid boasts a slightly golden hue, and offers aromas of caramel, orange peel and vanilla. On the palate, it’s predominantly sweet (honey), with hints of cherries. It’s also lightly floral, the influence of the French casks used for the resting process coming to the fore.
The blend is key to its approachable flavour profile. In addition to the standard añejo tequila, there’s a five year old añejo which has been aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, and this adds some toastier notes, with a third Extra añejo layer, aged for eight years in French White Wine T5 barrels, for extra sweetness.
Immediately recognisable behind the bar, Eight Reserve comes in a handmade ceramic decanter, in a distinctive 8 shape. Produced by local artisans in Pachuca, using a variety of raw and recycled materials, this isn’t so much a bottle as a collectible keepsake.
If your interest is piqued, the 818 line also includes a Blanco (defined as less than two months old in a barrel, rested rather than aged), a Reposado (which can be aged anywhere between two and 12 months), and an añejo (which 818 parks for 14 months).
Priced at £250, Eight Reserve is available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt.
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