Don Julio 1942 Anejo

Don Julio 1942 is an añejo tequila, a category defined by aging in oak for at least one year. Styles like this usually show the cooked agave sweetness of the base spirit softened and rounded by barrel time. Expect notes of caramel, vanilla, toasted oak and baking spice, with a trace of roasted agave underneath. The details supplied for this bottle give the brand and category only, so treat those flavors as the typical profile for a premium añejo, not a measured description of this expression. The best way to drink it is neat, at room temperature, so the aromas can open without being muted. A small splash of room-temperature water is worth trying if the alcohol feels sharp on the nose. A single large cube works for those who like it slightly cooler and slower. Chilling it hard dulls the oak and vanilla that make an añejo worth buying, so skip the freezer. For glassware, a tulip-shaped tequila glass such as a copita or a small snifter concentrates the aroma and lets you nose the spirit before tasting. A rocks glass suits the single-cube pour. A shot glass flattens the aromatics and isn't the best choice for a bottle like this. Mixing is possible, but the aged character carries best in drinks that keep the tequila front and center. An Old Fashioned made with añejo, a dash or two of aromatic or chocolate bitters and a small amount of agave syrup stirred over ice is a natural fit. A Manhattan-style stir with sweet vermouth also works. A Margarita made with a bottle like this loses much of what the aging contributes, so a blanco is the better choice there. At the table, expect it to go well with dark chocolate, grilled or roasted red meat, aged cheeses and caramelized desserts such as flan, which echo its sweeter, oaky side.