Top Sweet Añejo Tequilas

Don Pilar Añejo is tequila distilled from 100% blue agave grown by the producer on five ranches near San José de Gracia in the Los Altos (Highlands) region of Jalisco, harvested at 10 years. Oddly enough, instead of releasing a blanco tequila first, this was the premier product launched by the brand, led by distiller Don José Pilar Contreras Marquez with Grupo Industrial Tequilero de los Altos de Jalisco, S.A. de C.V. (NOM 1443 ). It's bottled at 40% ABV after aging 18 months in new American white oak barrels.

Embajador is a Jalisco Highlands distillery located in Atotonilco. They use locally grown agave matured at 8-10 years before harvest. A combination of traditional (adobe oven) and modern (shredders, column still) methods are used to produce the distillate. The Supreme (añejo) is aged 18 months in a combination of American (ex-bourbon) and French (ex-Cognac) oak.

Created in the Highlands of Tequila known as Los Altos, El Espolon Añejo is handcrafted from piñas slow-roasted for 18 to 20 hours at the San Nicolas distillery. Rock music is played during the production process to "inspire" the agave. Aged for 10 months in new American oak and finished maturing in used Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels for two additional months. Try this in an Old Fashioned cocktail for a modern spin on a classic cocktail.

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.

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.

Cincoro Tequila is a brand founded by five NBA owners: Michael Jordan of the Charlotte Hornets, Emilia Fazzalari & Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics, Wes Edens of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Añejo tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave sourced from both the Highlands and the Lowlands of Jalisco. After double-distillation, the tequila is aged for 24-28 months in ex-American whiskey barrels. Bottled at 80 proof. Cincoro gets its name from "cinco" meaning five and "oro" meaning gold.

Casa San Matías is one of the oldest distilleries in Mexico, and this "extra aged añejo (though labeled as a standard añejo) from Pueblo Viejo Orgullo ("orgullo" = "pride" in Spanish) was created to commemorate 120 years of making tequila. The Los Altos Jalisco-grown agave is harvested at 7- 10 years. The spirit is aged in a combination of American and French oak barrels for 24 months.

This añejo tequila from El Jimador is produced in the valley (Lowlands) of Jalisco. This lower-tier tequila from Casa Herradura is aged for 12 months in new American oak barrels and features an affordable price point for a 100% agave añejo tequila.

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.

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. Additive free.