Take one look at Allaire Tequila Aged Crystal (part of the Allaire Privee Collection) and you might think of words such as luxury, extravagance, and indulgence. Words like that came to my mind.

Allaire Tequila provided by brand representatives. All photos and opinions are my own unless otherwise stated.

Marketing materials sent to me by brand representatives show a suggested retail price of $88. However at the time of this writing (August 2017) the Allaire Privee website lists the price at $134.99 with FREE shipping! With a price point anywhere within that range, the spirit inside the flashy bottle better live up to expectations.

Diamond Standard Vodka is another pricy spirit with showy bottle. When Diamond Vodka was introduced to the market it had a price tag of $100. Yes. You read that right. $100 for vodka. Definitely “Fashion You Can Drink.” It was priced at $100 in 2010. The price now sits somewhere around $65.

Allaire Tequila Aged Crystal Review

100% agave | 80 proof | 40% alcohol by volume

Aged six months in bourbon oak casks

@allaireprivee on Twitter and Instagram | allaireprivee.com

First Impressions: No doubt this is a pretty impressive bottle in stature. The gold hook at the top of the bottle suggests laid back sea and beach to me. I can get on board with that.

The height alone means this bottle will always get top shelf status in stores. That said the bottle was too high for any of my bar shelves, so it was relegated to the floor instead. The lid is plastic, yet quite heavy in the hand. The height combined with the weight of the lid did make me wary when working with this tequila. The bottle is a little unbalanced with more weight on top than the bottom. Being the worrier that I am, I was afraid I was going to tip the bottle over. Thank goodness that did not happen.

Color: Clear

Aroma: Clean, grassy, with natural sweetness and a hint of vanilla in the nose.

Tasted Neat: The first taste I got was loaded with burn. After a few sips I acclimated to the burn, but it did not go away. This tequila is full of warmth and smooth as silk on the tongue. There is typical agave flavor with natural sweetness and great mouthfeel.

Tasted with Ice: This loses all the burn once the ice begins to melt. A little water brings out some peppercorn and spice. The flavor becomes more grassy and earthy with less vanilla.

Overall Impressions: At the $88 to $135 price range Allaire Tequila Aged Crystal is quite expensive for typical use. It is very good with clean taste, very little burn, and little lasting impression on the tongue. I definitely enjoyed sipping this, but would think twice before adding any mixers for a cocktail. Heck, I will think twice before reaching for this for anything other than special occasion sipping. Though it is definitely top notch tequila, the price seems to have a lot to do with the bottle presentation. I would rather purchase a nice bottle of tequila with less cost in the bottle to offset a hefty price tag.

What is the most you would pay for a bottle of booze?

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All content ©2017 Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist. All Rights Reserved. Chat with Cheri @TheIntoxicologist on Instagram and facebook.com/Intoxicologist

Cheri Loughlin is the Omaha writer and photographer behind www.intoxicologist.net. Email Cheri with comments and questions at str8upcocktails at gmail.com.