Well this is an old Don Julio Tequila.
I can tell by the distillery number – NOM 1118.
Modern Don Julios are from NOM 1449.
Information on the web was scant – but it appears the brand went through a number of multi-national owners over the years.
Seagrams previously owned Don Julio, followed by Jose Cuervo – who gained Bushmills in a deal with Diageo when they in turn acquired full control of Don Julio in 2014.
My bottle is probably sometime before Diageo’s involvement with Don Julio – which began in 2003 – making this bottle around 20 years old!
There’s also odd labelling too.
It simply states ‘aged’.
No reposado or anejo.
Another indicator this predates the ‘Official Mexican Standards For Tequila‘ issued in 2005.
So I cracked it open to have a taste of tequila history!
Once it’s poured from the dumpy brown bottle a very pale yellowing colour presents itself.
What it’s aged in or for how long isn’t divulged – but from the colour it would probably come under the current reposado category.
There’s a lovely richness to the nose – classic earthy agave with a black pepper spice.
Very smooth in the mouth – oily too.
A growing warmth develops before leaving with that signature dry pepper spice which pleases my palate.
A very fine tequila to tickle my tastebuds!
Sláinte
What is the NOM number page here.
Don Julio history lifted from Wikipedia page here.
2005 standards for Tequila here.
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