Don Julio 1942 Añejo
Don Julio · Tequila Don Julio, S.A. de C.V. (La Primavera)
A polished, dessert-leaning añejo built for slow sipping. The oak influence is generous and the texture luxurious — purists may find it sweet, but as a milestone bottling it remains a reference point for the modern luxury añejo category.
Nose
Warm caramel and roasted agave lead, layered with toasted oak, vanilla bean, and a whisper of dark chocolate. A subtle suggestion of tropical fruit — pineapple skin and ripe pear — sits underneath.
Palate
Plush and rounded, opening with butterscotch and cooked agave before unfolding into vanilla custard, cinnamon, and toasted almond. Mid-palate offers light cocoa and a soft peppery warmth, with the oak nicely integrated rather than dominant.
Finish
Long and creamy, with lingering caramel, vanilla, and a gentle agave sweetness. A faint tobacco note appears at the very end.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber agave, grown in the highlands of Jalisco
- Production
- Slow-cooked in traditional masonry ovens, fermented and double-distilled in pot stills, then aged a minimum of two and a half years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.
- Region
- Atotonilco el Alto, Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-cooked in traditional masonry ovens, fermented and double-distilled in pot stills, then aged a minimum of two and a half years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels.
- NOM
- NOM 1449
- Additives Free
- No
Cocktail Suggestion
The Founder's Old Fashioned — 2 oz Don Julio 1942, 0.25 oz agave nectar, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters. Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain over a large rock in a rocks glass. Express an orange peel over the top and drop in.
Food Pairing
Mole negro over braised short ribs, or dark chocolate tart with sea salt and a dollop of crème fraîche.
Created in 2002 to mark the 60th anniversary of Don Julio González's founding of his distillery in 1942, this bottling honors the man widely credited with launching the premium sipping tequila category in Mexico.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Código 1530 Añejo
Código 1530
Código 1530 Añejo is a masterclass in what happens when spirit and stave become intimate. The use of Cabernet-seasoned French White Oak—rather than the more common American oak ex-bourbon barrels—creates a distinctive bridge between the agave world and the wine world, making it a perfect fit for the 'Barrel's Inner Skin' theme. The wine-stained wood imparts a refined tannic structure and fruit-forward complexity that complement rather than overwhelm the cooked agave heart. This is contemplative, after-dinner tequila that rewards patience.
Tequila San Matías Gran Reserva Extra Añejo
San Matías
Casa San Matías has been making tequila since 1886, and this extra añejo demonstrates a mastery of time and barrel. Three years in American oak have deepened the spirit without erasing its agave identity—a furnace of patience made liquid. At under $90, it punches well above its price class, delivering the contemplative depth of bottles twice its cost. A superb after-dinner pour for those who believe great tequila rewards the same reverence as aged whisky.
Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024
Fortaleza
Fortaleza's Winter Blend series marries reposado lots of varying age into a seasonal expression that highlights the interplay between agave and oak. The tahona-crushed agave gives it a textural richness that roller-milled tequilas rarely achieve. This is tequila where craft and material are inseparable.
Siembra Azul Añejo
Siembra Azul
A quietly excellent Añejo that resists the modern impulse toward heavy oak and sweetness — David Suro's Siembra Azul remains a benchmark for honest, agave-first tequila at a fair price.