Don Julio Tequila

IN 1942, IN THE HILLS OF JALISCO, SURROUNDING THE VILLAGE OF ATOTONILCO EL ALTO, DON JULIO GONZALEZ FOUNDED HIS DISTILLERY, LA PRIMAVERA; A REGION KNOWN FOR ITS RICH RED SOIL AND IDEAL MICROCLIMATE FOR GROWING AGAVES.

LEFT: Founder Don Julio Gonzalez. DON JULIO GONZALEZ BEGAN PRODUCING “Tres Magueyes” tequila (Maguey being another word for blue agave), which would quickly become one of the most widely available tequila brands in Mexico.

While Tres Magueyes was a good “standard tequila”, Don Julio Gonzalez’s passion to create great tequila would not allow him to settle for “good”. For over 40 years he painstakingly developed a process that would eventually produce the world’s first luxury tequila.

In 1985, to commemorate his 60th birthday, Don Julio Gonzalez’s sons threw a party featuring a batch of tequila called “La Reserva de Don Julio”, or “The Reserve of Don Julio”. This special tequila was wildly popular with Don Julio Gonzalez’s guests. Following the celebration, demand for his product skyrocketed and as a result, two years later, in honour of his 45 years in the tequila industry, he produced “Don Julio Reposado” and made it available to consumers. The introduction of this product, the world’s first luxury tequila, into the marketplace officially created the luxury tequila segment.

To this day the process perfected by Don Julio Gonzalez goes into every bottle that bears his name. Don Julio Gonzalez knew that creating superb tequila required using superior ingredients. For this reason he owned his own agave fields and used only the best blue agaves planted farther apart than other growers. This extra room gave his plants more space to grow and fully mature into larger and sweeter plants.

After eight to twelve years the agaves are hand-harvested to remove the bitter leaves and ensure a uniform shape and size. Once the leaves are removed, the heart of the agaves, also called a piña for its similar appearance to a pineapple, are cut into quarters and placed into masonry ovens where they are steam cooked for 72 hours.

After cooking, the piñas are carefully milled and a precise amount of water is added to create a cooked agave mixture. This mixture is then placed in pot stills where a patented yeast strain is added for fermentation. This liquid is then double distilled and a rigorous selection process removes the “head” and “tail” of the distillation, leaving only the pure “heart” of the tequila.

Don Julio Blanco is bottled immediately following distillation, while the other varieties are aged in charred white oak, bourbon-barrels from between eight months and three years, depending on the variety.

Starting with the careful cultivation and harvesting of the signature blue agave, Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa oversees the entire handcrafted process – uniform cutting, slow cooking, careful milling, fermentation using a unique agave yeast strain, small batch double-distillation, and artful blending – to create a consistent and distinctive rich taste. ❧

Tasting notes

DON JULIO BLANCO

Appearance: Clear

Aroma: Crisp, raw agave aromas blended with notes of fresh citrus–lemon, lime and grapefruit combined with other fruit flavours including hints of guava that enhance its style

Flavour: A lightly sweet and incredibly pure raw agave flavour immediately excites the palate and rounds out for a smooth and lush Blanco tequila of unrivalled excellence; it’s the heart of the agave. A clean and soft finish complemented by a touch of black pepper and grassy undertones DON JULIO REPOSADO

Appearance: Golden amber

Aroma: An inviting aroma of mellow classic cooked agave and honey with tones of fruits with a slight smokiness

Flavour: Incredibly soft and elegant hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and light cinnamon balance with subtle notes of pear and apple for a lightly honeyed and caramelized smooth flavour. A silky, warm finish with an essence of dried fruit and nuts, redolent of a caramel apple. The cooked agave’s intense personality really comes through at the end DON JULIO AÑEJO

Appearance: Rich amber

Aroma: This alluringly fragrant aged Tequila has a fresh blend of nuts, vanilla, caramel, with cherry and strawberry notes coming through

Flavour: Wonderfully complex and balanced with expressions of cooked agave and honey. Distinctive notes of cherry and strawberry contrast the spiciness of vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper flavours; full-bodied with astonishing depth of character. A bright and lightly spiced finish with the essence of wild honey in the background for a delicious long finale that’s slightly bitter