Don Julio González began his journey in the world of tequila in 1942. He soon realized that to create a tequila that stands apart, one must control every aspect of the process, from the cultivation of the agave to the bottling of the final product. He then established his distillery, La Primavera, and spent nearly forty years perfecting the craft that would produce extraordinary tequila with every bottle.

Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business magazine and chair of The Global Spirits Masters, said: “Don Julio lived up to its reputation for high-quality Tequila in this year’s blind tasting. The blanco expression delivered everything you’d expect, and more: zesty, citrus aromas, with a peppery palate that was rounded off beautifully with a little sweetness. The cask influence on the reposado Tequila added a touch of toffee and vanilla, while still retaining that classic Tequila profile. And the añejo Tequila was incredibly inviting with complex aromas of gentle oak, agave, and a mellowed, sophisticated flavor profile.” If you leave tequila in the barrel for longer than a reposado, it becomes an añejo. Aged one to three years, añejo tequila takes on even more character from the wood, proving that true distinction comes with age. The barrel size for añejo tequila is limited to 600 liters, so every drop gets a decent amount of interaction with the wood.

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Kleinman, Geoff (13 March 2013). "How Tequila is Made: Behind the Scenes of Don Julio Tequila" . Retrieved 20 February 2014.

The good news is that I’ve got you covered on this with the following post comparing both releases from Don Julio. Is Don Julio Reposado better than Añejo? Generally, good Reposados make better sippers than good blancos but it comes down to a matter of personal preference. The aroma is filled with agave, vanilla and the right amount of spice and the finish is an excellent balance between the mellowness introduces by the aging and the spice of the agave. At this price range, there are superior alternatives worth considering, like the Siete Leguas Reposado, a personal favorite. Personally, I prefer reposados over Blancos as I’m fond of light oak flavors and the vanilla notes that aging in oak provides to the tequila.Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or just dipping your toes into this world, I invite you to join me as we explore the fascinating realm of these legendary spirits.

Owned by Lothian Distillers, a joint venture between Diageo (50%) and The Edrington Group (50%) 2 Produced by Moët Hennessy, a joint venture between Diageo (34%) and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (66%) Finish: This is why I love reposados. They give you the smoothness of the aging, but still include the peppery spice of agave. This one's finish last a decent time with a nice combo of both. ALSO – NEVER SALT THE ENTIRE RIM. Unless you love it, so do you. I made mine decorative for the gram, but I typically just salt about 1/3 of the glass, because there’s nothing I hate more than a SALTTYYY margarita. Grand Marnier vs CointreauDon Julio Añejo Tequila, gold medal winner, is an 18-month aged 100% Agave tequila, matured in American Oak barrels with a soft golden color and rich wood, toffee & cooked agave aromas and nice expressions of light vanilla, chocolate, and wild honey with a dark chocolate aftertaste. While Don Julio Reposado is still widely available and enjoyable, it is no longer considered one of the best Reposados on the market. For those of you that don’t know, Reposado translates to “Rested” in Spanish, and to be called a Reposado it needs to be aged for a minimum of 2 months and up to a year. So with that oak presence comes all the delicious notes we love, from caramel and vanilla coming out of the cask and into the tequila. So instead of using traditional kosher salt for the margarita, I decided to dress it up with a bit of Cinnamon. Now I had a batch of Salty Paloma‘s Sweetie Pie mix, and I simply added a 1:1 ratio of that and kosher salt. If you don’t have access to this product, add a dash of cinnamon to 2 tbsps kosher salt. Cinnamon powder goes a long way, so I wouldn’t create the same ratios I did with the Salty Paloma product. After pounding shots of blanco tequila on your 21st birthday, you still have a few lessons to learn in the ways of agave. Patiently waiting for good things to come is the first of those lessons, which is immediately evident when sipping a reposado tequila. To make reposado, distillers take blanco tequila fresh from the still and store it in American or French oak barrels. Legally, reposado sits between blanco and añejo on the aging spectrum and must rest in the barrel for between two months and one year, which gives it just enough time to develop a unique flavor profile without losing younger notes from the original agave juice. It is common for a Tequila brand to experience a decline in quality when it is acquired by a large conglomerate and the production is no longer overseen by the founder.