Our Top Añejo Tequila Picks Under $75

Siete Leguas is produced at their two distilleries El Centenario and La Vencedora, each employing a different process to prepare the agave for distillation. At one they use a tahona, a large millstone pulled by two mules which was the first method used to crush agave. At the other a molino, an old-fashioned roller mill, is used. The juices are combined and distilled twice in copper stills and filtered to remove all impurities. Their añejo is then aged for 24 months in white oak barrels.

Produced at the Productos Finos de Agave (NOM 1416), this tequila is produced from agaves from the Highlands of Jalisco. This añejo tequila has been aged for 14 months in reconditioned whiskey barrels. And yes, this is George Clooney's tequila.

Suerte continues to garner acclaim for their tequilas, which are traditionally-produced at a 15,000 square-foot distillery that’s located in Atotonilco El Alto, a small town in Jalisco. For 24 months, the Suerte Añejo is rested in charred American white oak whiskey barrels, twice the minimum amount required for añejo tequila.

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.

Uno Dos Tres is an Organic tequila brand created by David Ravandi. The añejo (also called “Tres” or 3) is aged for 18 months in white oak. The tequila is sourced from the Tequila Valley (aka Lowlands) and is certified organic by the USDA and the EU.

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 is a 100% Highland blue agave tequila created by Master Distiller Germán González. HIs father created the Chinaco brand back in the 1970’s and Germán follows suit by creating his own brand. Autoclaves (industrial pressure cookers) are used for cooking the agaves which are cooked for 20 hours before double distillation. The añejo is aged between 20-24 months in used Scotch barrels and is bottled in a distinctive, Aladdin-shaped bottle.

It’s a unique approach utilizing former cabernet franc wine casks sourced from the Loire Valley in France for the maturation of this tequila. Enrique Fonseca, master mezcalero (distiller), uses these wine casks to age 60% of this tequila for 2 years and the remaining 40% for 3 years. He then ages them together for an additional year in American white oak barrels. ArteNOM is a project that “Las Joyas del Agave” has created to bring you special expressions from the some of the best distilleries or “NOMs” in Jalisco. The number 1146 represents the NOM where this tequila is distilled.

Tapatio is produced at La Alteña distillery in Jalisco, where generations of the Camarena family have been making tequila, mostly for local consumption. This a joint project between Carlos Camarena and Marko Karakasevic of Charbay Winery & Distillery in Napa. The 100% estate-grown blue agave is roasted for 4 days and fermented with a proprietary yeast culture that dates back 75 years. It's double-distilled in copper pot stills, aged 18 months in ex-bourbon barrels and undiluted to retain natural flavors.

The tequila uses organic agaves from the Los Altos region near Nayarit. The piñas are autoclaved for 20 hours, fermented with proprietary yeast, and triple-distilled. The añejo is aged 18 months in used bourbon barrels, yielding a dark straw color. This is bottled at 100 proof.

The añejo from Don Julio is aged for 18 months in American oak from agaves sourced in the Highlands of Jalisco. Don Julio is named for its founder, Don Julio González Estrada who founded the distillery in 1942.

Chinaco is the only brand of tequila made in the northern state of Tamaulipas, and in fact the owner of the distillery had to fight to have it included in the designated area for tequila production. These tequilas are distilled from Tamaulipas-grown agave both from the highlands and near the coast, as well as a small amount harvested from Jalisco. The añejo is aged two and a half years in casks formerly used to mature Glenlivet single malt (90%) and ex-Bourbon barrels (10%).