Don Julio 1942 Anejo Tequila

There really was a Don Julio Gonzáles, who began his tequila making journey in 1942. He and his family produced a popular label in Mexico called Tres Magueyes before releasing the "good stuff": his family’s reserve under the Don Julio label. The family (along with then-head-distiller Enrique de Colsa) released Don Julio 1942 in 2002, commemorating Gonzáles’ 60 years in the industry. In 2015, the label was fully acquired by Diageo.

1942 is something of a polarizer in the realm of aged tequilas. Its high price point was fairly standard for extra-aged tequilas that were just appearing around the same time (the category became official in 2006) but now seems a bit of an outlier. The bottle itself is striking. It arrives in an elegant chocolate-and-gold foil box. Tall, tapered and narrow, with a wood-and-cork stopper, it certainly adds visual cachet to any home bar.