Don Julio Reposado Tequila

Don Julio reposado tequila was one of the first tequilas I ever bought. I, like most people, only drank the gold tequilas that made you sick in college and so when I finally decided to dig into cocktails I wanted something that was 100% agave. I remember this tequila fondly, but I have to say now that I've had numerous other tequilas, this one isn't as good as I remember, but still solid nonetheless. The nose is heavy on the caramel and you can tell it's going to be sweet. The palate confirms the nose and after having El Tesoro this one seems even more sweet than I remember. There is also a pretty heavy oak, pepper and vanilla flavor to it, which isn't all that surprising. Despite this one aging for slightly less time than the El Tesoro, this one is definitely sweeter and more oaky. The finish is a touch hot, with a good amount of spice. I wouldn't say this is bad and if you are a whiskey drinker, this one is probably more up your alley than El Tesoro reposado. Both are pretty similar in price, so if you are a whiskey drinker and want to try a tequila, this would be my choice over El Tesoro. If you are a fan of tequila, stick with El Tesoro. There are obviously other good reposado tequila choices out there, but just comparing these two today, that's how I would decide. You could also probably get away with using Don Julio reposado tequila in place of bourbon for cocktails since they have very similar profiles. In the end though, if you are a whiskey drinker, you can score this closer to a 4, while those that prefer tequila would probably lower this closer to a 3, so I will split the difference.

On the 3rd day of Tequila my liquor store provided me... ok I wanted to make a comparison of the surprising Herradura Reposado with an industry standard, which Don Julio really is. Both Jalisco agave distillers, both rested in american oak, here's where the two paths begin to part. Unlike the clay oven roasted hearts of Herradura the Don Julio is steam boiled and second distilled (pot) and one of the first things I notice is a milder plant-vegetal presence in the Don Julio, the beautiful smokey nose holds up and the agave sugars are less pronounced, not as sweet as the Herradura but certainly sweet enough, more balanced? Very possibly. In the taste I get a better "pepper" presence almost bordering on a feint jalapeno, the final note is a minty and warm sweet sensation. The Blanco DJulio is certainly a smooth and yes I hate that overworked term as much as anyone but it is just a really easy drinking tequila. The Reposado follows suite as a treat to the palate, just with more character and better body of notes to enjoy. Don Julio has been working the craft apparently since 1942, and notes itself as one of the first tequila distilleries to own it's own agave cultivating process. For shear weight of unusual boldness of character I give the advantage to the Herradura by a nose, but if you just want a well crafted and still tasty tequila with a good flavor profile that won't make waves, Don Julio easily gets the job done.

It smells woody with that cardboard Don Julio flavor. There are some more layers here than there are in Don Julio Blanco. There sweet toffee is nice though fairly sweet. There are nice almond flavors. There are also hints of peppermint that do not overwhelm. It's fruity, spicy, herbal, and sweet with some nice richness. There's some smoke but it doesn't overwhelm. The flavor is good and nicely balanced and complex super interesting. There are some hints of quite nice flavors bit there are some bitter alcohol notes that I don't like in here. It has those Corralejo mushrooms, but not to the same extent. It's a fairly clean flavor with not a ton of creaminess and some fruity notes that leap out. There's pineapple with some vegetal notes and suggestions of caramel and vanilla. There's some cocoa bitterness that blends well with the umami of the mushrooms. That Don Julio flavor is here, but it is well under control. This makes a bigger statement than the Blanco does, but that doesn't necessarily make it better. It's sweet enough and fairly complex. This is a nice sipper that exceeds the Blanco, but not by the margin it hopes to. The pepperiness is nice, bringing in some balance and avoiding making the lack of creaminess convey a sense of weakness. It's balanced but doesn't have any really exciting note like San Matias Extra Anejo has. It's a tasty reposado that somehow walks the line between being generic and innovative.

"Very smooth yet oddly not as good as the blanco. There’s an off flavor I can’t put my finger on or in or around. I’ve been circling around for what feels like hours and still nothing. Can’t place it. Maybe it’s my technique. Maybe I got sidetracked just now. What was I saying? Oh yeah so it’s god some wood tannin thats just a bit bitter and weird. Weird I like, bitter AND weird though? No. Get the fuck out. I’m exaggerating though this is decent but for the price or the label for that matter you can do much better.

Let sit for about 5 minutes. 👀: Very pale like a white wine with a bit more legs; 👃: The typical vegetal tequila smell, with whiffs of sugar cubes, a little vanilla bean, oak on the back end, the alcohol burns your nose like vinegar; 👅: Some intense sweetness at the front along with a little tartness, that vinegar carries through, white pepper notes; 🏁: There's a little lingering bitterness at the end that stays quite a bit, there's some oak, not too complex or nuanced, pretty simple but does its job.

A rich, Agave spirit by NOM: 1449 crafted in brick ovens, fermented & distilled in stainless steel, then aged for 10 months in ex-Bourbon barrels before being bottled at 40% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of cooked agave, citrus, wood & spices; while a complex life adds notes of tangerine, caramel, that led to a rich & spicy death of medium length with notes of oak, pepper & butterscotch. March 2025 A spiced cookie death that I do not remember from before! July 2025