Don Julio Añejo
Don Julio · Tequila Don Julio
Don Julio Añejo remains one of the most reliable entry points into aged tequila. The 18-month maturation in American white oak strikes a balance between barrel influence and agave character that many longer-aged expressions lose. It's a study in how restraint in aging can produce a more honest result than ambition.
Nose
Cooked agave and butterscotch form the foundation, with vanilla and toasted oak adding dimension. A gentle honey note weaves through, accompanied by hints of cinnamon and dried citrus peel.
Palate
Smooth and layered, with caramel and agave sweetness balanced by peppery spice and a pronounced oak presence. Dark chocolate and almond emerge mid-palate, and a subtle earthy minerality grounds the sweetness.
Finish
Long and gently warming, with lingering vanilla, oak, and a final note of cooked agave.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Traditional brick oven roasting, roller mill extraction, double distilled in pot stills
- Region
- Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Traditional brick oven roasting, roller mill extraction, double distilled in pot stills
- NOM
- 1449
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
Añejo Manhattan — 2 oz Don Julio Añejo · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes mole bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with an orange twist.
Food Pairing
Mole negro with braised chicken
Founded by Don Julio González in 1942 in the highlands of Jalisco, the distillery at NOM 1449 still uses the small-batch methods González championed, with agave piñas roasted in traditional brick ovens before slow fermentation and double distillation.
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