What Is Extra Anejo Tequila

Budget Pick 1800 Aejo

The 1800 añejo is a reasonably priced tequila, over delivering in every possible way. This añejo is aged in American oak casks for 12 months, with a portion of the alcohol aged for an additional two years. The palate is rich and round, full of caramel, citrus, and sweet spicy flavors. To seal their spot in the top añejo tequilas of all time, its a 2021 winner of the New York International Spirits Awards Competition.

About the distillery: 1800 añejo tequila is produced at La Rojeña Distillery, owned by the Beckmann family . La Rojeña is the oldest active distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. In 1921, when Jose Cuervo died, management of the distillery was taken over by administrators Juan Beckmann Gallardo and Juan Beckmann Vidal before eventually passing to the Cuervo Heirs. After 200 years, Cuervos heirs still own and operate the distillery, winning multiple awards for all of their tequilas.

What Exactly Is Mezcal

Real tequila is made from blue agave and only in specific regions of Mexico. When it comes to mezcal, these guidelines are not followed. Mezcal has a smoky and much harsher taste than tequila because it is made from the more common maguey plant.

Now back to tequila. It takes about a decade for agave to mature. And once mature, the heart of the agave is full of the good stuff fermentable fructose. The juice is squeezed from the heart of the agave before being fermented, distilled, and, in the case of añejo varieties of tequila, aged.

The aging process allows the wood to come into play with the flavors of the agave, as well as the mysterious influence of the desert itself. Exactly how this works is the domain of master tequila makers. Its the kind of secret passed down within families for centuries.

Playboy Partners Cdigo 1530 For Rare Hare Extra Aejo Tequila

• by Jono Elderton

Iconic lifestyle brand Playboy has collaborated with ultra-premium tequila brand Código 1530 for the launch of Rare Hare Double Barrel Añejo tequila.

The special edition collaboration of Rare Hare Double Barrel Añejo tequila is a refined and incredibly smooth tequila, aged in French Oak Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels and finished in fine Spanish Sherry-Fino casks.

With aromas of spicy pepper, dried fruits, and clover honey, Rare Hare Double Barrel Añejo has a long, mellow, and easy-to-drink finish.

We thought it would be a terrific pairing to partner Código 1530, a leader in hand-crafted spirits with Playboy, a pioneer as a global lifestyle and entertainment brand, said Ron Snyder, CEO of Código 1530.

Both brands highlight the simple luxuries. This partnership embodies the essence of the Playboy brand as curators of pleasure and self-expression, and brings that together with the craftsmanship, creativity, and sophistication of Código 1530 in a unique collaboration.

Playboy

Handcrafted in Mexico by skilled artisans, a crystal glass bottle accentuates the rich hues of the aged tequila. The sustainably sourced and locally fabricated wooden box is laser etched to reveal the details of this special Añejo. It has a clear front sliding door, with the collaborative branding and story etched into each panel.

Rare Hare Double Barrel Añejo is available online via Codigo, Playboy, and at select retail locations for a limited time.

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What Does Extra Anejo Mean In Music

If you do it right, you can smell the vanilla, caramel, caramel, and chocolate in the extra anyjo you’ll find in any vintage liqueur, but also a little creamy in consistency, Swanson says. “You’ll also find minerals and herbs that can range from black and white bell peppers and baking herbs to mint and eucalyptus.”.

What Does Aejo Tequila Taste Like

Aged tequila is smooth with very little taste of alcohol. You still get the agave, but the overall flavors of añejo tequila are smoked oak, vanilla, caramel, and spices.

Here are a few tips for enhancing the flavor of añejos:

1. Dont chill it. Okay, if you really want to, its acceptable, but we dont recommend it. Chilling tequila masks aromas and dulls your sense of taste. This can prevent all the flavors from fully coming through. But if you must chill your tequila, use an ice cube.

2. Try an añejo with your dessert or with your spicy dishes. Aged tequilas tend to highlight the flavors of sweet foods while cutting the heat of spicy dishes.

3. Store your tequila properly. Tequila doesnt spoil, but it does evaporate. We suggest storing tequila in a glass bottle with a good seal. Keep it out of direct sunlight, as too much sunlight can cause the tequila to lose some of the characteristic flavors.

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Best Under $: Cazadores Tequila Aejo

• Great for mixing or sipping

• Sustainably made, zero waste

• May be difficult to find in stores

Cazadores Añejo is made with 100 percent blue agave, which is fermented twice and distilled twice before spending at least a year in new, small American white oak barrels. New oak barrels have more flavor to impart, and this highland tequila boasts layers of itthink spiced apple pie, pecans, vanilla bean, a salted chocolate almond bar. It would pair nicely with dessert, but it’s also wonderful sipped neat.

Cazadores means hunters in Spanish, a reference to founder Don Jose Maria Bañueloss obsession with protecting the quality and uniqueness of his tequila. It is said he even went so far as to hide his tequila recipe in the walls of his house. Cazadores has fine-tuned its process to be both sustainable and zero-waste , meaning you can feel even better about sipping this delicious tequila.

Aged: At least one year in new, small, American white oak barrels | TastingNotes: Spiced apple pie, pecans, vanilla bean

• Extra smooth with pastry-like flavors

• A special category

• Pricey

Añejo means old in Spanish. Extra Añejo tequila, therefore, is olderit must have been aged for at least three years in oak barrels. El Tesoro introduced its first extra añejo tequila in 1994 before the Consejo Regulador de Tequila had even created a special classification for the style.

Aged: 4 to 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels | TastingNotes: Café au lait and dark chocolate almond bar

What To Know About Extra Aejo

Extra añejo is the crown jewel of tequila expressions and is worth just as much appreciation and reverence as a fine Cognac or sought-after Scotch. And, similar to a fine Cognac or whisky, its crafted complexity is meant to be savored through sipping. The time and expense needed to produce an extra añejo results in it being tequilas rarest category, though its also the most creative and varied.

Time is something that doesnt come easy its a luxury to have, says Raptis. And when you take your time to craft something that is going to become unique and different that is the main thing.

For example, Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva may be Tequila Don Julios newest variant, but it has been 15 years in the making. As the brands newest extra añejo, this bottle is a very special tequila, made from the final agave plants that Don Julio González planted with his family back in 2006. After harvest and distillation, this 36-month aged Extra Añejo has been rested in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, and then finished in Madeira wine casks from Portugal.

Produced in an ultra-limited quantity, Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva takes sippers on a journey that starts with toasted oak and caramel on the nose, features balanced hints of apricot and orange, and has a smooth honeyed agave finish.

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Buy Extra Anejo Tequila Here

Relatively new to the classification of tequila. Extra añejo is considered ultra-aged at a minimum of 3 years . Starting out as a blanco tequila, it is often matured in American oak ex Bourbon or French Oak ex wine, port or sherry barrels. After such a long period, the tequila has been infused with the elements from the barrel and is now much darker, almost a mahogany colour with a rich flavour profile. This drop is extremely smooth and the flavour irresistibly delicious.

Extra añejo tequila becomes hard to distinguish between other top shelf spirits. Enjoy sipping this tequila with friends and family. Buy an extra anejo tequila today and discover a new class of spirit.

Meet Your New Favorite Sipping Spirit

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Best for Bourbon Lovers: Espolòn Añejo at Drizly

“Finished in Wild Turkey bourbon barrels, this delightful tequila has great value.”

When most people think of tequila, they probably dont think of an aged spirit with notes of vanilla and baking spices. But, añejo tequila is, by definition, aged at least a year and up to three in oak barrels, bringing out a rounder texture and sweeter flavors. Its not the tequila youll want to shoot or mix into a , but its great as a replacement for bourbon in cocktails or for sipping straight. Its special tequila, made to be aged.

From popular brands to few under-the-radar bottles, here are the best añejo tequilas.

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Best Overall: Don Julio 1942

• Luxury option from a well-known brand

• Looks great on any bar

• Pricey

In 1942, Julio González, founder of Don Julio, finally secured the funds to make his dream of opening a distillery come true. That same year, he founded his first distillery La Primavera in the highlands of Jalisco and embarked upon his tequila-making journey. By planting his agave slightly farther apart, he found that he got a sweeter, smoother spirit. From there, Don Julio has become one of the best-known tequila brands in the world.

Its fitting, then, that the brands most iconic bottle be named after the year everything started. Aged for a minimum of 2.5 years in American oak barrels, this bottle is synonymous with luxury tequila. Its notes of butterscotch, white pepper, and tropical fruit make it a delight to enjoy all evening.

Aged: 2.5 years in white American oak barrels | TastingNotes: Butterscotch, white pepper, and tropical fruit

What Is The Difference Between Aejo Reposado And Blanco Tequilas

The biggest differences in these styles comes down to oak aging. Blanco is not aged in oak and will have more agave flavor than the others. Reposado tequila spends two months to a year in oak. Añejo spends one to three years in oak, and if you see a bottle marked “extra añejo,” that spent more than three years in the barrel.

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What’s The Difference Between Extra Anejo Tequila And Regular Tequila

Extra Añejo is a category added in 2006 to tequila aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels of less than 600 liters. In general, the longer tequila is aged in oak barrels, the smoother and richer it becomes. The tequila, which simply says “golden” or “hoven,” is unaged, possibly caramel-colored or other sweeteners.

Best Under $3: Don Sergio Aejo Tequila

Courtesy of Tequila Match Maker

• Impressive value for the price

• Great for cocktails

• Not as smooth as others

Its not easy to find an añejo tequila under $30. You might think, then, that if you could find anything at that price point, that it would be of poor quality. In the case of Don Sergio, you would be wrong. Its made with 100 percent blue agave and is a delight to drink. In fact, this budget-friendly bottle won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Spirits Competition in 2013.

With aromas of vanilla, baking spices, and white pepper, Don Sergio makes an excellent after-dinner drink and, at this price, can be mixed into your favorite whiskey cocktails without breaking the bank. Its finish isnt quite as smooth as the ultra-premium stuff, but it beats plenty of bottles at twice the price.

Aged: 2.5 years in American oak barrels | TastingNotes: Vanilla, baking spices, and white pepper

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Who Make Kirkland Tequila Anejo

Although you will find the Kirkland Tequila Anejo on the shelves of Costco everywhere, they are not the manufacturers of the Kirkland tequila brand, and neither is Kirkland.

A little distillery located in Mexico, Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, is the actual manufacturer of the Kirkland Tequila Anejo.

The Kirkland brand doesnt actually make their own products but instead has their products produced by other reputable and established companies, then later labeled, packaged, and distributed by their company.

Many of these brands are actually well-known and popular brands, but not many know they are the creators behind Kirkland products.

There Are 5 Types Of Tequila But Do You Know The Difference

You may think that there are only two types of tequila: cheap tequila that will cripple you with a debilitating hangover that will make you feel like youve devoured two dozen cotton balls and a herd of elephants had danced on your head or ultra-premium and ultra-expensive tequila that will drain your bank account. But there are actually five different types of tequila and there are differences between how they are made and how they are aged.

Tequila has some of the toughest regulations and can only be made in certain parts of Mexico. In order for a liquor to be classified as tequila, it must be produced in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, which includes the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. There are two basic categories of tequila are 100% agave, which only has the sugars of the blue agave plant, and mixto , which uses no less than 51% agave, with other sugars such as glucose and fructose sugars as the remainder. In those two categories, there are five types of tequila are blanco , joven , reposado , añejo and extra añejo .

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Picking An Extra Aejo Tequila Takes Extra Care

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Cinco de Mayo is not the moment for extra añejo tequila. While plenty of the agave spirit from Jalisco, Mexico, will flow on May 5, in cheap margaritas and shots, the bottles classified as extra añejo which by Mexican law must be aged more than three years will mostly stay on the top shelf of the bar, awaiting another day.

Thats because extra añejo is tequilas big stretch into the heady world of high-end brown spirits, an unabashedly flashy space crowded with Cognac in shiny crystal decanters, expensive decades-old Scotch and impossible-to-find single-cask bourbon.

The popularity of long-aged agave spirits is a recent phenomenon, so its perhaps no surprise to find these arriviste tequilas aping the packaging and storytelling of whiskey or brandy, focusing on rarity and age and high prices. Youll find extra añejo bottled flamboyantly, adorned with ribbons, strings, wax seals and medallions, and sold in boxes that are gold-trimmed, leather-encased or faux-velvet-lined. Many sell for more than $100, and some for much more.

But some spirits aficionados view all this flash with skepticism, and say the quality of the tequilas doesnt always measure up to the expense and hype.

The rise of these high-end tequilas has been astonishing. Sales of super-premium bottlings increased sevenfold from 2002 through 2016, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, which represents American producers and marketers.

Like Champagne When It Comes To Tequila Region Determines Authenticity

To qualify as true tequila, it has to be made from plants that come from a specific region of Mexico including the city of Tequila as well as a few surrounding areas. Whats important about that region is that the agave plant grows natively in these areas. And why Tequila, Mexico isnt an annual spring break destination is beyond us.Some say blanco tequila is tequila for vodka drinkers. Well, añejos are tequila for scotch and whiskey fans. But maybe youve never had tequila besides mixed in a margarita or downed quickly with salt and a lime. Here are a few pointers when expanding you taste for fine tequila.

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What To Know About Aejo

During its time in the cask, the añejo will take on a delicate amber hue and more complex flavor profile. A good añejo presents a subtle sweetness and features characteristics from the casks in which it was aged, such as hints of warming spices and a faint woodiness.

Ultra-premium Tequila Don Julio Añejo is made from blue Weber agave that is pressed and fermented after roasting for 72 hours in brick masonry ovens. It is then double-distilled in small batches using the same traditional methods founder Don Julio González introduced 80 years ago. After distillation, the spirit is aged for 18 months inside reclaimed white American oak ex-bourbon barrels.

You get a lot of honeys, dried fruits like figs and dates, a little orange, and you never lose sight of those agave aromas and flavors, says Jorge Raptis, national tequila educator for the brand. For Raptis, Tequila Don Julio Añejo is the bottle he finds himself coming back to again and again. Its really very versatile you can make a lot of cocktails that are spirit-forward, like an Old Fashioned, or drink it neat on the rocks, he explains. Thats why I love it.

What Are The Different Types Of Tequila

Tequila is classified according to the length of time the spirit was aged. As Tequila ages, it goes from a young Blanco to a more mature Añejo. During the aging process, the Tequilas color and flavors deepen, and the spirit develops a smoother taste.

Here is a deeper dive into the five types of Tequila:

• Blanco Tequila, more commonly known as silver Tequila, can be bottled immediately or aged up to two months and is the purest flavor of Tequila because it contains no added flavoring agents and is the best representation of the blue agave plants natural sweetness
• Joven Tequila, or more commonly referred to as gold Tequila, derives its name from the golden color imparted upon the liquid from agents that add flavor to the Tequila beyond the blue agave plant
• Reposado Tequila is aged for two to 12 months in an oak container, giving it time to turn a pale golden color
• Añejo Tequila, where añejo means “aged,” spends one to three years in an oak barrel similar to the ones used for aging whiskey or wine. It gets smoother, darker and the taste is sweeter thanks to the barrel
• Extra Añejo Tequila is barrel-aged for more than three years. The spirit becomes a dark amber color, and the flavor is rich with nuts, caramel, fruit, and spice, similar to whiskey or an older rum.

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