Don Julio Anejo Tequila 80 Proof

Don Julio Añejo is a tequila from the Los Altos (Highlands) of Jalisco, bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof). Highland agave is generally associated with a sweeter, fruitier, more floral profile than lowland agave, and that is the starting point for this bottle. The brand's published information puts the aging at 18 months, but the details supplied here don't specify the barrel type, so treat the notes below as what the añejo category typically delivers, not a measured profile of this exact bottle. Añejo sits third in the tequila aging ladder. Blanco is unaged or rested only briefly, and shows the raw cooked agave, citrus peel and pepper. Reposado spends two months to under a year in oak and picks up a light golden tint and a touch of vanilla. Añejo must spend at least one year and under three in oak, and extra añejo runs three years or longer. At roughly 18 months, this bottle falls in the middle of the añejo range. Expect the barrel to soften the sharper edges of the agave and add caramel, vanilla, toasted oak and baking spice, with cooked agave sweetness still showing underneath. Styles like this usually finish smooth and medium-long, with a gentle oak dryness. That profile makes it a sipping tequila first. Pour it neat into a caballito or a small tulip-shaped glass, which concentrates the aroma better than a wide tumbler. A rocks glass with one large cube also works if you want it cooler and slightly softened; skip salt and lime here, since they cover the barrel notes you are paying for. Serve it at cellar or room temperature. Chilling it too hard dulls the vanilla and spice. It pairs well with dark chocolate, roasted nuts, flan, aged cheese, or grilled meats with a little char. In cocktails, an añejo is a deliberate choice rather than the default. It makes a richer Margarita that leans toward caramel and oak, and it suits an Old Fashioned built with agave syrup and orange bitters. A Paloma or Ranch Water usually calls for a blanco, whose bright agave and citrus carry through grapefruit soda or lime and sparkling water. If you do use this bottle in those drinks, keep the mixers light, since heavy sweeteners will bury the oak and spice.