Aged Tequila Nightcaps

First released in 1995 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the distillery, Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia is the world's first extra-añejo tequila. Distilled from agave hearts harvested at seven to twelve years old and then matured in both American and French oak barrels for at least 3 years, this is the ultimate expression of Jose Cuervo. Rich and flavorful, sip this neat or on the rocks.

Suerte tequilas are made with 100% tahona crushed agaves. The tequilas are double distilled, first in stainless and then in a copper still with the entire process taking 17 hours to complete. Suerte Extra Añejo Tequila is a single-barrel release aged for seven years in charred American white oak whiskey barrel.

Milagro uses 100% blue weber agave from the Highlands of Jalisco to produce their tequilas. It is triple rather than double distilled, the latter of which is more common in tequila production. Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Añejo Tequila is aged from 12-24 months in a combination of French and American oak. Individually handcrafted bottles are created by glass artisans, each one hand numbered with a beautiful hand-blown agave plant inside.

Produced in the tiny village of Amitan, a stone's throw from the town of Tequila, Herradura Añejo tequila is a blend of modern and traditional distilling techniques. Agave hearts (piñas) are first roasted in clay ovens, before being shredded by a mechanical roller, and then fermented with wild yeasts native to the area. Finally, there is a double distillation before being matured in American oak barrels.

Casa Noble produces USDA certified organic tequila that’s made with 10-14 year-old agave plants from their own fields in the hills near the city of Tequila. Casa Noble exclusively uses lightly charred white French Limousin oak. The triple-distilled reposado is aged for 364 days, the maximum possible time span. As this is a single barrel expression, expect slight variations to exist on the flavor profile.

Don Julio 1942 is technically an añejo as it is aged for only 2 1/2 years in used American oak barrels, though it misses the extra añejo qualification by only 6 months. 1942 is the year that Don Julio Gonzáles established his distillery, Tequila Tres Magueyes. This Highland tequila, along with their Real bottling, is distilled a 2nd time in a smaller stainless steel pot still that has a maximum capacity of 3 barrels per distillation.

El Tesoro uses 100% estate-grown agave harvested from Los Altos (Highlands) in Jalisco for its tequila production. After cooking for three days, these agaves are then crushed using a two-ton stone tahona. After distillation, the añejo tequila ages for 2-3 years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 80 proof. Note: Packaging update in April 2018 for the three main marques in the portfolio. (SRP $85)

This extra añejo tequila uses agaves matured from 7-10 years harvested from Los Altos in Jalisco. The agaves are roasted for 72 hours in brick ovens before crushing, fermenting, and distilling. Uniquely, after distillation, the spirit goes through Avión's proprietary ultra-slow filtration method before it enters the barrel. It's aged a total of 44 months--43 months in large oak barrels and the final month in specially selected "petite barrels", which are rotated daily. Each bottle is hand-numbered and signed by Avión founder, Ken Austin.

Don Pilar Extra Añejo is tequila distilled from 100% blue agave grown in the Los Altos (Highlands) region of Jalisco, on five ranches owned by the distillery near the town of San José de Gracia. This Extra Añejo ages for 3 years in American white oak before it finishes an additional 4 months in French Limousin oak. Each bottle is hand-signed by distiller Don José Pilar Contreras Marquez and packaged in wooden gift boxes.

"Diablito" translates to "the little devil," a play here on the phrase "the devil is in the details." The agave used in this tequila is grown using certified organic methods at 6,000 feet above sea level, in the Tierra Roja soils of the Amatitan region of Jalisco. The spirit is aged for 3 years and four months in new, lightly-charred French oak. Released annually in limited quantities.

Germán González puts his tears and his heart into a distinctive, etched bottle with the classic Llorona legend on the back. Extra-mature agaves are selected and a proprietary yeast strain is used in a slow fermentation. Oak barrels which aged Scotch, sherry and cognac are used for maturation and aged for around five years. The blend is made with the goal of achieving a cognac or single-malt level of complexity. While most tequila is aged at 80 proof, this is bottled at 86 proof. The release will always be limited, according to González.

Bottled in a beautiful handmade and hand painted ceramic decanter. Inside is a distillate that is carefully aged for eight months in second-use oak barrels. It is then triple micro-filtrated to ensure the highest purity.