A testament to Don Julios patience and determination for superior quality, Tequila Don Julio Añejo is the culmination of distinct rich flavours of agave balanced with the perfect amount of wood influence. Don Julio Añejo spends more than the minimum requirement of 1 year on oak, and is normally aged between 18 months and two years before it reaches its optimum age and taste profile. As with the rest of the Don Julio range the nose is fruity and floral, but with notes of vanilla and fresh agave, whilst the palate is slightly richer and more full bodied, yet still sweet and rich with citrus characteristics.

Calle 23 is a highland tequila from Jalisco. Its creator, French-born biochemist Sophie Decobecq, distils each expression separately (Blanco, Reposado, Aejo) to its own special recipe. Her tequilas are double-distilled and she uses Bourbon casks from Kentucky. The blanco (unaged) is a wonderfully clean palate with good agave, crisp apple and sweet tropical fruit notes (pineapple and ripe pear).

Pale yellow in colour, with aromas of honey, yeast, vanilla, pineapple jelly and a fragrant note of pink pepper appear. Fiesta Mexicana has a slightly creamy mouth attack and subsequently reveals an alcohol present but subtle. The aromas presented in nose then hide, highlighting herbal, woody and earthy notes.

Rested a few weeks in grand cru sauternes wine casks and cognac barrels, Excellia Blanco is clear with a faint shade of gold. Cloves are revealed on the nose, as well as tobacco and notes of toast/brioche. Excellia Blanco is complex on the palate, with a mix of spices, vanilla, fruits and aromas of leather. The finish is long on the mid-palate and presents dried spices and faint jasmine notes.

Despite its long ageing, this minimum 30-month blend is not overtly sweet or oaky; it has a drier style, which is full of spice and character from its highland terroir. Cooked agave is present with a fine mixture of dried fruits, almonds and roasted coffee. There is a subtle and masked fudginess reminiscent of dark cocoa that emerges from the depth in its long and slightly dry finish.

La Gritona Reposado is a subtle and distinctive 100% blue agave tequila distilled by a local family in the small region of Valle de Guadalupe in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. La Gritona Reposado has been gaining notoriety around Southern California as a bartenders secret and their preferred after-shift drink. Some call it a session tequila. Very vegetal, without the sweetness, oakiness, or vanilla that is often associated with a highland Reposado. You will not find a rounder finish in the tequila world.