The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Don Pilar Extra Añejo Tequila
TequilaIssue 80

Don Pilar Extra Añejo Tequila

Don Pilar · NOM 1472 — Destilería Leyros

80 proof3-YearJalisco, Mexico
Don Pilar's extra añejo is unapologetically wood-forward, yet the agave heart never goes missing. Three years in American oak barrels develop a spirit that approaches brandy-like richness while retaining its tequila identity. For those who enjoy sipping tequila like a fine cognac, this delivers without pretension.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich cooked agave sweetness meets dark chocolate and toasted oak. Vanilla and butterscotch layer beneath, with subtle leather and a hint of cinnamon warmth.

Palate

Luxuriously thick, with caramel, roasted agave, espresso, and dark cocoa unfolding in waves. The oak presence is assertive but well-integrated, and a gentle peppery heat arrives mid-palate to cut the sweetness.

Finish

Very long, with tobacco, vanilla, and dark chocolate tapering to a warm, leathery close.

Specifications
Agave
100% Blue Weber Agave
Production
Stone oven roasted, tahona and roller mill crushed, natural fermentation, copper pot distilled
Region
Jalisco, Mexico
Cooking Method
Stone oven roasted, tahona and roller mill crushed, natural fermentation, copper pot distilled
Distillation
Double distilled in copper pot stills
NOM
1472
Additives Free
Yes
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

Mole negro over slow-braised short ribs

The Story

Produced at Destilería Leyros in the Jalisco highlands, Don Pilar is the passion project of a multi-generational agave family that slow-roasts piñas in stone ovens and ages their extra añejo for a minimum of three years in carefully selected American oak.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More Tequila Reviews
Código 1530 Añejo
Tequila

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.

80 proof
Tequila San Matías Gran Reserva Extra Añejo
Tequila

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.

80 proof
Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024
Tequila

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.

92 proof
Siembra Azul Añejo
Tequila

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.

80 proof