‘King of Country’ George Strait Reunites With Codigo 1530 for Cabernet-Aged Tequila

George Strait performs at the iHeartCountry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Jack Plunkett/Invision/AP, File)

This week, country superstar George Strait reunited with Codigo 1530, the tequila brand he helped launch in 2016 alongside businessman Federico “Fede” Vaughan and the former CEO of Crocs (yes, that Crocs), Ron Snyder. The Grammy Award-winning musician is now back in the headlines with a limited-edition añejo named in honor of his latest album, “Cowboys and Dreamers.”

The spirit is aged two years in Napa Valley French white oak cabernet barrels, said to imbue a delicate balance of fresh figs, caramelized notes, toasted vanilla bean and earthy spice on the palate.

As usual for Codigo, the additive-free recipe is distilled at the brand’s Varo Destileria located in the valleys of Amatitán, Jalisco. Codigo is among a small handful of brands — some say between 1% to 6% — that boast their own dedicated distillery. It’s otherwise typical of brands to be produced en masse at distilleries responsible for dozens, if not hundreds of different tequilas.

Codigo’s new añejo is now available through ReserveBar at a suggested retail price of $120. Each bottle features a stripped-down rendition of the “Cowboys and Dreamers” album cover, depicting Strait gazing out at the mountains with guitar in hand.

According to the lore, the origins of Codigo date back centuries. Originally conceived as “El Privado Tequila,” the spirit was privately distilled by a group of families in Amatitán for five generations and was initially not intended for commercial release. Ron Snyder discovered the covert distillers on a trip to Cabo San Lucas, brought the liquid back to the U.S. and eventually paved the way for Codigo as we know it today.

The brand got a shakeup in 2022 when it was acquired by Pernod Ricard, the French spirits firm known within the agave industry for owning Avión, Olmeca Tequila and Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal.

Apart from the liquid itself, Codigo is perhaps best known for its laundry list of limited-edition releases. Over the years, the brand has uncorked several single barrels, a cristalino, a mezcal, a few cabernet-rested “rosas” and not one but two collaborations with Rare Hare, the spirits offshoot of Playboy.