The Don Julio brand is well known among tequila aficionados as well as hacks who just take shots. Today I’m going to share with you my love for the brand’s premium spirit – Don Julio Real.
The Story Behind Don Julio Real
This tequila holds the most premium price point out there, and I can best describe it as “Market Price.” Just like a seasonal seafood such as lobster, the Don Julio Real Extra Anejo has a price point that shifts quite often.
That said, Tequila.net marks the price between $250 and $500. Personally, I’ve paid as low as $299 and as high as $389, but I’ve seen it in stores for as high as $419. The $500 is most likely in concentrated areas while the cheap prices are definitely few and far between (there was a liquor store near me in “Sofi” – the area South of Fifth Street in South Beach – that notoriously charged 30% or more for everything. Why? Because they could.)
When your tequila is this pricey, you get noticed by many publications. Wine Enthusiast gave this a score of 89. (I’d be curious to know if they ever rated any other tequilas, and if so, what the rating was.)
Wine Enthusiast went on to note:
Gentle nose of citrus and honey accentuated by cooked agave and mild herbs.
The flavor profile features notes of caramel, coffee, and even chocolate. I can’t taste the chocolate for the life of me, but the coffee and caramel is very abundant. This is my go-to tequila when I’m really celebrating something worth celebrating, which means it comes out about once or twice per year. At the price they charge, you probably guessed that this is a sipping tequila, and you are right. While I’d love to sip this nightly, the immaculately detailed bottle, complete with agave leaves wrapped around the front, only offers 375 ML of goodness. This is about the size of the half carafe of sake I drink! (And I can put back a few of them quite easily.)
This “extra anejo” (extra aged) tequila gets five years in oak. Some people will note that it has a “woody” taste. You’ll definitely get a hint of that on the nose, and speaking of that, this stuff smells incredible.
To me, what really stands out with this bottle is the packaging. First off, it is sold in a very sturdy, heavy duty box. This is something you can give confidently as a gift. It’s THAT GOOD. Next, the bottle cap isn’t wood as it is on most tequilas. You won’t find a cork here, but rather a very heavy agave plant themed bottle top. It’s heavy, almost like a hitch ball. I wouldn’t want it dropped on my head, that’s for sure.
As mentioned earlier, raised agave leaves wrap the front of the bottle, providing accents to the logo and really making it stand out from any other tequila on the market. While I’ve purchased tequilas in bottles made out of hand blow glass designed to look like sombreros, bulls, skulls, and more, this one is by far the best one on display in my personal tequila collection.
I can’t say enough good things about Don Julio Real. Just don’t dare drink this any way other than neat. That concludes my review, which officially has me jonesing to buy more Don Julio online or at Total Wine. Decisions, decisions.
Speaking of tequila, here is a pic montage of my trip to San Diego, where I stopped by the place I buy tequila from online.
Lewis Gordon
Lewis Gordon is a successful businessman living in Boston, Massachusetts. When he’s not working, he enjoys travelling – especially tasting other cuisines, scuba diving, watching and playing soccer. Lewis also has a love of dogs and is the proud owner of an English Setter.
