tequilatown » añejo

Don Julio Añejo

Simon — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:57:17 +0000

I’ve been drinking Don Julio for years now and it’s hard to believe that I’ve never reviewed the añejo. There are two bottles that are always in my collection, this and the reposado from Don Julio. I think it’s safe to say that that I’ve got very few negative things to say about this bottle.

Don Julio Anejo is 100% Blue Weber Agave , double distilled, and rested in charred American oak bourbon barrels for 18 months. Each agave is hand selected at maturity and only the heart of the distillation is used, as it is the purest part, free from most impurities.

Tequila Details

Name: Don Julio Añejo
NOM: 1449
Distillery: Tequila Don Julio, S.A. DE C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.donjulio.com

Review Notes

This añejo is light amber with a wonderful nose of citrus fruits, caramel and spice. It’s sweet to the taste with a mix of honey, butterscotch, spices and peppery agave. The finish is of medium duration with a pleasing balance of smoked oak (which comes from the charred barrels) and hot agave. There is no alcohol burn, it’s just smooth all the way down.

It’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Don Julio in general. When it comes to tequila Don Julio seriously know what they’re doing. If you’ve never drunk tequila before in your life then you should pick up a bottle of Don Julio (the entire range is fantastic) and see what you’ve been missing. This is premium tequila at a perfect price.

¡Salud y’all!

Los Pilones Añejo

Simon — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:11:29 +0000

It’s often more difficult for us Europeans to get our hands on premium tequilas, but sometimes when you think things are working against you, the can also work in your favour. Here in Europe we’re not subject to advertising and we tend to try a bit of this and a bit of that without any prejudice. Unlike the US, we’re not spoilt for choice, and on a recent trip through Amsterdam I picked up a bottle of Los Pilones Añejo. It intrigued me as firstly I recognised the name from a Mexican bar in Amsterdam and secondly the NOM seemed familiar to me (Herencia de Plata).

Tequila Notes

Brand: Los Pilones Anejo
NOM: 1124
Distillery: Tequilas del Señor, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Web Site: http://www.tequilasdelsenor.com.mx

Review Notes

This añejo is a pale golden colour, with a buttery caramel, vanilla, and fruit nose. I’ve got this in a high stemmed glass and I’m sure that fruity aroma is banana. It’s definitely a sweet añejo and I’m really enjoying sticking my nose into the glass. I’m detecting a very strong agave body with a subtle mix of other spices. On my tongue the agave is warm and welcoming. There’s a heated yet sweet finish of medium duration with a lingering aftertaste of vanilla and agave. My nose is back in the glass, I really like how this smells.

This is a really enjoyable tequila and I’m definitely going to have to pick up a bottle of the blanco and reposado to see how they fare.

¡Salud y’all!

Tres Generaciones Añejo

Simon — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:13:25 +0000

Okies, I had to dive into town over lunch and decided to pop into my local tequila shop. Regrettably they’re having trouble getting their hands on my favourite bottle of Jose Cuervo Añejo, so I thought I’d roll the dice and pick up a bottle of Tres Generaciones Añejo from Sauza. I’d already drunk the blanco from Tres Generaciones and was keen to see how the añejo held up!

Tequila Notes

Brand: Tres Generaciones Anejo
NOM: 1102
Distillery: Tequila Sauza, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Lowlands – Central
Web Site: http://www.sauzatequila.com

Review Notes

Upon first inspection it looks more the colour of a reposado than an añejo. The aroma is also a bit confusing, there’s a clear oak nose coming off of it with something else in the mix that makes me think more of whisky than tequila. The whiskyesque quality comes through in taste of this particular tequila too, it’s just too oakey is best how I can describe it and is no doubt a by product of being aged in old bourbon barrels. The agave bite just isn’t quite there for me, but the alcohol flavour is very clear and pronounced. This tequila have very different characteristics from other añejos that I’ve drunk, the pure alcohol flavour from it is just a bit more than I think an añejo should have.

It’s not a bad bottle, but it’s not a great bottle either. Sauza regard this as the crowning achievement of the Sauza family distillery, I actually prefer the blanco over this.

Oh…and I think the odd smell could be butterscotch…but I could be mistaken!

¡Salud y’all!

Tequila el Jimador Añejo introduces new package

Simon — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:02:23 +0000

The #1 selling tequila in Mexico, Tequila el Jimador, reunites the family of its expressions under one package. Starting in October, Tequila el Jimador Añejo will be available in a new package that aligns its look with its Blanco and Reposado packages.

The new Añejo package first will be available in California and Texas, and roll out to the remainder of the U.S. by year’s end. The new look will feature the same tall, angular bottle as the other expressions and identical iconography of the Jimador on the label to pay tribute to the proud men that harvest the agave plants used to make tequila. The biggest difference on the Añejo package will be a silver background on the label which will radiate the quality of the 12-month aged 100% agave tequila inside.

“From a branding perspective, it is important for the Tequila el Jimador Añejo package to look similar to the other expressions to align it with the brand in consumers’ minds,” said Mark Bacon, vice president for Tequilas in the North America. “el Jimador is quickly becoming the tequila of choice for U.S. consumers looking for a high quality, authentic tequila at an accessible price so we wanted to ensure a consistent look and feel across expressions. Consumers can rest assured the only change was the bottle.”

To support the new el Jimador Añejo package, “the 100% Agave, 100% Real” campaign created by AOR Draftfcb Chicago, in conjunction with the Draftfcb Mexico City, will continue to run in various markets. The campaign delivers the primary brand message: “In a world where everyone associates tequila with celebration, el Jimador is the most authentic tequila celebration.” This authenticity is brought to life through a visual of a Mexican wood carving (created by an artist, Claudio Limon, in Guadalajara, the region of Mexico where el Jimador is made). The wood carving illustrates the brand story and is a tapestry of icons and symbols that relate to el Jimador’s history, production process and tequila celebration. The bilingual campaign will include television, print, out-of-home, POS and interactive.

Tequila el Jimador is produced by Casa Herradura, which was named “2007 Best Distiller of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Since 2000, Tequila el Jimador has received numerous accolades from industry insiders, including the Adams Beverage Media Growth Brand Award in the Fast Track Category for 2005 and 2006.

To learn more about el Jimador, visit www.eljimador.com

Source: Businesswire

And the award goes to…

Simon — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:42:37 +0000

Today the winners from ‘The annual International Wine & Spirit Competition’ (founded in 1969) were announced. The competitions aim is to promote the quality and excellence of the world’s best wines, spirits and liqueurs through a rigorous two stage judging process of professional blind tasting, and detailed (chemical and microbiological) analysis that takes place at the competition’s headquarters in Surrey, United Kingdom.

The winners have been announced and who from the tequila crowd is standing out? Here’s a pick from the results…

Gold Award (Best in class)

Blue Head reposado (Tequileria Las Juntas), Aztec tequila gold (Toorank Distilleries) and Sierra tequila reposado (Borco World of Spirits) all picked up the top award.

Silver Award (Best in class)

Blue Head Tequila blanco (Blue Head Tequila LLC), Hornitos Añejo (Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc.) and Sierra Tequila Antiguo (Borco World of Spirits) were honoured too.

Sauza Hornitos Añejo picked up a Silver "Best in Class"

The super-premium Tres Generaciones Tequila line took home two silver medals for Tres Generaciones Plata and Tres Generaciones Añejo. Silver Patron tequila fittingly picked up a silver award as did Cabo Wabo Añejo. Jose Cuervo Tradicional also picked up a silver award and Hornitos reposado from Sauza picked up a bronze.

For a complete list of all prizes and winners in other categories head over to the official site!

Casa Vieja Añejo

Simon — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:31:29 +0000

So if you’ve read the ‘reposado’ post then you’ll know how this tequila ended up on my drinking list. If you’ve not read it then you can check it out here. Clicky

Within the borders of Mexico this tequila goes under the name of Casa Real, outside we know it as Casa Vieja and, believe it or not, this tequila is Kosher.

Tequila Details

Brand: Casa Vieja (Casa Real) Añejo
NOM: 1468
Distillery: Grupo Tequilero Mexico, S.A. De C.V.
Region: Highlands – Los Altos
Website: http://www.tequilacasareal.com/

Review Notes

This tequila is golden brown in colour, slightly darker than the reposado and has a sweet and deep woody smell to it with a chocolate aroma in the background. It’s a light tequila really easy on the palette. Smooth from start to finish. The smoothness seemed to be attributed to a vanillaesque taste with once again that hint of citrus fruits blended into the caramel. For me the reposado was better…but that’s nearly always the case with me. Still this was a fine glass!

¡Salud y’all!

Porfidio Añejo Single Barrel

Simon — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:28:44 +0000

So….the wife and I went shopping in London today and of course we pulled in at ‘Navajo Joe’s’ for dinner. I got into a natter with the barman over tequila and he said I had to try this stuff! The bottle is a bit tacky but I put that aside and took the barman’s word for it. To prove his point he poured me a third of a shot and told me to drink it. I did…loved it and he filled the glass again…told me to take and sip and then topped it up!

Tequila Details

Brand: Porfidio Anejo Single Barrel
NOM: 1462
Distillery: Inmobiliaria Mast, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Lowlands – Central
Web Site: http://www.tequilaporfidio.com

Review Notes

It’s a deep golden brown colour that’s sweet smelling, it just oozes caramel at ya! It begins with an oak flavour, strong and proud, caused by being aged for five years in American white oak barrels. Then the sweetness comes through and is followed by that peppery feel that we all know and love! I think you have to get past the tacky bottle and give it a try to be honest. I wasn’t disappointed….I’m sure you won’t be either!

¡Salud y’all!

José Cuervo Añejo

Simon — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:59:36 +0000

During an afternoon of sunshine and…..well, very little else…..a friend and I were making our way through a bottle of this. It was so good that by the end of the afternoon the bottle was gone and I had completely forgotten to prepare dinner for my in-laws that were arriving later that evening. It probably goes without saying that I was in trouble.

Tequila Details

Brand: José Cuervo Anejo
NOM: 1122
Distillery: Casa Cuervo, S.A. de C.V.
Region: Lowlands – Central
Website: http://www.cuervo.com

Review Notes

From the off this is just such joy to drink. The slightly disfigured hand blown glass bottle is quirky, yet cool. You grab your corkscrew pull out the cork and pour yourself a glass knowing that it’s going to be good (don’t panic it comes with a stopper to close it again).This añejo has a gorgeous amber colour and has a wonderfully sweet caramel/oak finish. The agave flavour in this añejo is perfectly balanced against the oak and what you end up with on your tongue is a wonderfully smooth drink that you wish you could just drink forever. It’s perfectly smooth without being in any way weak. There’s a reason we never put the stopper back in the bottle.

The only problem is that it’s getting harder and harder to find a bottle of this tequila and that means the price is always on the up. It’s easily one of the best añejos on the market today. If you can find a bottle for a reasonable price you really should try it!

¡Salud y’all!