Tequila Don Julio

There's a totally new type of tequila now on the market:

Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro, created by Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa, is twice distilled, aged in reclaimed American White Oak Barrels for 18 months, then filtered using a specialty process to bring back the crisp agave flavor typically found in a Blanco.

"We in Mexico love the strong taste of agave found in Blanco tequila," he says, "so my purpose was to restore this quality to our Añejo. The result is a tequila that combines the flavors of our Añejo with those of a Blanco for an unparalleled hybrid."

I recently sipped a sample of this new product alongside some Don Julio Blanco and Don Julio Añejo.

The Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro had soft aromas of vanilla, pear and agave. It rumbled across the palate with notes of vanilla, spice, black pepper, tobacco and a hint of adhesive. There was some alcohol burn, but it was pleasant and tempered by flavor.

Next up...

Don Julio Añejo offers sophisticated notes of oak, nuts and vanilla alongside toasted agave. It's complex lingering finish builds to notes of black pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and caramel apple. It's delicious.

Don Julio Blanco delivers crisp agave and soft floral notes. It's soft, pleasant with flavors of pure raw agave with minimal alcohol burn.

Bottom Line: All three tequilas were tasty on their own and mixed well into our standard 3/2/1 margarita recipe, but we especially adored the traditional Blanco in the cocktail and Añejo on its own.

If you want to get creative, here are some cocktail recipes courtesy Tequila Don Julio:

Fresh Agave Margarita

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Tequila Don Julio Blanco
1/2 ounce agave nectar
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish
Salt for garnish

Preparation:
1.  Combine Don Julio Blanco, agave nectar and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker with
ice.
2.  Shake well and strain into a highball glass over ice. 
3.  Rim glass with salt and garnish with lime wedge.

Ideal Serving Glass:
Highball glass

Yield:
1 drink

Harvest Spice

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces Tequila Don Julio Reposado
2 ounces fresh squeezed apple cider
1/4 ounce agave nectar 
1/4 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
Cinnamon powder 

Preparation: 
1.  Combine Don Julio Reposado, apple cider, agave nectar, lemon juice and cinnamon
powder in a cocktail shaker. 
2.  Shake well and strain into a highball glass over ice.
3.  Rim glass with cinnamon powder for garnish.

Ideal Serving Glass:
Highball Glass

Yield:
1 drink

Highlands Highball
-By Don Julio Global Brand Ambassador Brian Van Flandern

Ingredients:
1 1/4 ounces Tequila Don Julio Añejo
1/4 ounce Bulleit Bourbon
1 1/2 ounces black iced tea
1/2 ounce cane sugar syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
Fresh sage leaf for garnish

Preparation: 
1.  Combine Don Julio Añejo, Bulleit Bourbon, black iced tea, cane sugar syrup and fresh
lemon juice into a Boston shaker. 
2.  Shake well and strain into a highball glass over ice.
3.  Garnish with fresh sage leaf.

Ideal Serving Glass:
Highball glass

Yield:
1 drink

Mink Coat and No Manners
-By Gary Regan

Ingredients:
3/4 ounce Tequila Don Julio Blanco
3/4 ounce chilled Green Chartreuse
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation:
1.  Pour chilled Green Chartreuse into a sherry glass. 
2.  Float Don Julio Blanco on top.
3.  Sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. 

Ideal Serving Glass:
Sherry glass

Yield:
1 shot

Snap, Crackle, Drop
-By Salvatore Calabrese

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Tequila Don Julio Reposado
7-8 dashes Angostura bitters
4-5 twists freshly ground cracked black pepper
Lime wedge

Preparation:
1.  Stir Angostura bitters and pepper on a saucer until it turns into a paste.
2.  Coat on side of a lime wedge with the paste and serve on the side of the drink.
3.  Pour Don Julio Reposado into shooter glass. 

Ideal Serving Glass:
Shooter glass

Yield:
1 shot

Spanish Raindrop
-By Brian Van Flandern, Tequila Don Julio Global Brand Ambassador

Ingredients:
1 ounce Tequila Don Julio Añejo
1 ounce Oloroso Sherry
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Orange peel for zest
Agave nectar 

Preparation:
1.  Combine Don Julio Añejo, Olorso Sherry, fresh lime juice and simple syrup into a
shooter glass.
2.  Dip orange peel into agave nectar, then light and flame over the Luxury Drop to release
the oils. 
3.  Use flamed peel to rim shooter glass and discard.  

Ideal Serving Glass:
Shooter glass

Yield:
1 shot