About Don Julio
Don Julio was founded in 1942, when Don Julio González secured a loan to establish La Primavera distillery in the Highlands of Jalisco. That date remains central to the brand’s identity, not least because Don Julio 1942 was later created as a tribute to the year his tequila-making journey began.
Founded in 1942 by Don Julio González-Frausto Estrada, the La Primavera distillery in the red-clay highlands of Jalisco set a new benchmark for tequila quality. González broke with convention by planting blue agave further apart to maximise sunlight and nutrient uptake, harvesting only fully mature piñas and slow-roasting them for three days in traditional masonry ovens. After roller-mill extraction, the sweet agave juice undergoes a slow fermentation with proprietary yeast before double distillation in small copper pot stills. Maturation in American white-oak bourbon barrels imparts the rounded citrus, caramel and gentle spice notes that define Don Julio’s elegant house style.
The core range begins with crisp, peppery Blanco (unaged) and eight-month Reposado, whose light oak accent lifts vanilla and honey. Classic Añejo rests for eighteen months to reveal deeper caramel, chocolate and spice. Don Julio 70 Cristalino filters 18-month añejo through charcoal for crystalline clarity and a unique blend of vibrant agave with subtle oak. The celebrated 1942 extra-añejo honours the founder’s first harvest: two and a half years in ex-bourbon casks deliver layers of roasted agave, toffee and toasted almond. For collectors, Ultima Reserva finishes sixteen-year extra-añejo in ex-Madeira casks, Primavera seasons añejo in ex-rosé wine barrels for bright strawberry nuance, and limited releases such as Reposado Double Cask Lagavulin Edition or Día de Muertos bottlings offer rare twists on the highland profile.
