The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Don Julio 1942 Añejo
TequilaIssue 100

Don Julio 1942 Añejo

Don Julio · Tequila Don Julio, S.A. de C.V. (La Primavera)

80 proofMinimum 2.5 yearsAtotonilco el Alto, Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico
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.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

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.

Specifications
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
Serve & Pair

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.

The Story

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.

Train These Aromas
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