Don Julio Añejo Tequila

A clean agave from Don Julio in Mexico aged 18 months in American white oak barrels. It has an aromatic birth with notes of agave, wood, nuts, herbs & spices; while a complex life adds notes of bell peppers, caramel & a hint of citrus; that led to a long death with notes of oak, ginger & pepper. May 2017 / February 2019 / 2020 / June 2023

My mission to expand my palate and truly appreciate some good sipping tequilas has driven me to compare community scores with availability in my local area and I was surprised to see a brand I actually recognize score so high. Odd as that may seem, I know as much about Tequila as an average potato. So if I recognize a brand, I assume it to be rather mainstream. That said, it is WAY too early in my tequila game to be brand snobbing anything, so here goes: The nose on this Anejo rides heavily on grassy agave. Although I initially hated that smell, I'm starting to come around. Dig a little deeper and you'll get a sweet creamy vanilla and caramel swirl and some chocolate covered orange candies ( don't laugh it's a real thing. I had it once and don't recall what country its from ). On the taste, there is quite a bit of sweet up front. Chocolate covered caramels with the softest touch start off the first taste. But be forewarned - about 95% of the taste and finish aren't this sweet so after each successive sip, these softer notes fade away. Grassy agave makes its presence known throughout the taste and as it goes down, spice opens from the center of your tongue outward. Prickly sweet cinnamon with some underlying citrus pith brings a tannic and zesty quality about the taste. The finish assertively hangs on to the spice and tannins. It's odd to call it oaky, because the overall tasting experience is so much brighter than most whiskies but all I can really compare this to is tannic oak, cinnamon and once again - that herbaceous, grassy agave flavor. Like I mentioned before, that agave flavor is not my absolute favorite and for an Anejo, I was really hoping for a sipping experience with more sweetness and complexity. This actually reminds me more of Reposados I've been given than an Anejo. It's good but... not my favorite.

94 points. A seriously great tequila, with a beautiful complex profile. Enjoyed at Tulum Lounge

Floral, vanilla, honey. Super easy to sip.