🥃 Don Julio
Don Julio is a Mexican tequila brand made from 100% blue agave in Los Altos, Jalisco, begun by Don Julio González in 1942. Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and 1942; owned by Diageo, with core expressions at 38% ABV.
If you know tequila mainly from a Margarita, Don Julio is a good brand for learning what the words on the label mean. It is a Mexican tequila made from 100% blue agave, named after Don Julio González, who began making tequila in 1942 at the age of 17. Production is based in Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco, where the soils are red and rich in iron and copper. According to Difford's Guide, the brand is now owned by Diageo, and the core expressions are bottled at 38% ABV.
History. From 1942 González made his own tequila. According to VinePair, in 1985, at a family celebration, guests persuaded him to bottle for sale a reposado he had made for himself. Difford's Guide dates the range as follows: reposado 1989, blanco and añejo 1996, Don Julio 1942 in 2002. Julio González died in 2012.
How it is made. The agave hearts are baked for 24 hours in brick ovens and left to cool for another 48 hours. The juice (aguamiel) is fermented with a wild yeast strain and distilled twice in stainless steel steam pot stills. The aged expressions mature in American white oak barrels that previously held whiskey. Typical ageing: reposado 8 months, añejo 18 months to 2 years.
The range. Blanco without ageing, Reposado, Añejo, 1942 and other releases, including the clear Don Julio 70. Each expression has its own ageing, so compare them by the label.
Why this matters to you. "100% agave" on the label means all the sugars come from agave; in the plain "Tequila" category up to 49% of the sugars may come from other sources. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 1942, Don Julio González (Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Denominación de Origen Tequila (Consejo Regulador del Tequila; protected in the EU under Reg. 2019/787) |
| Raw material | blue agave, 100% de agave; Los Altos |
| Distillation method | twice, stainless steel steam pot stills; agave hearts baked for 24 hours in brick ovens |
| Cask type | American white oak, former whiskey/bourbon barrels |
| Minimum maturation | Blanco unaged; Reposado 8 months; Añejo 18 months to 2 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 38% ABV (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Don Julio → kind of → 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Diageo
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 American white oak, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Blue agave
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans
- Part of
- 🌵 Tequila, 🌵 Agave: tequila and mezcal, 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave)
- Related to
- 🥃 Los Altos de Jalisco
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Patrón, 🥃 Patrón, 🥃 Casamigos, 🥃 Casamigos, 🥃 Olmeca, 🥃 Herradura, 🥃 1800 Tequila
Frequently asked questions
Is Don Julio a true 100% agave tequila, not a mixto?
Yes. According to Difford's Guide, Blanco, Reposado and Añejo are labelled 100% agave, with no other sugars.
Why is a US bottle of Don Julio only 38% ABV?
The core expressions are bottled at 38% ABV, so check the label: tequila can be sold at that strength.
How long are Reposado and Añejo aged in American oak?
Eight months for Reposado, and eighteen months to two years for Añejo, in barrels that held bourbon.
What is Don Julio 70?
A clear añejo claro released for the brand's seventieth anniversary: eighteen months in barrels, then filtered.
Who owns Don Julio?
Diageo, according to Difford's Guide. The terms and date of the acquisition were not verified in the sources.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans — People of Mexico; Oaxaca cheese is the country's best-selling cheese, cajeta is made from goat's milk, and 2023 milk output topped 13 billion litres.
Similar
🥃 Sauza · 🥃 Patrón · 🥃 Olmeca · 🥃 Casamigos · 🥃 Herradura · 🥃 1800 Tequila
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Tequila Tres Magueyes S.A. de C.V. (NOM 1449), producer of Don Julio (1942, Los Altos, brick ovens, double distillation, ex-whiskey casks, Diageo)
- Difford's Guide: Don Julio Blanco 100 % agave tequila (launched 1996, 38 % ABV, unaged)
- Difford's Guide: Don Julio Reposado Tequila (launched 1989, 8 months in ex-bourbon American white oak, 38 % ABV)
- Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT): body that certifies compliance with the Official Mexican Standard for Tequila and protects the Denomination of Origin Tequila
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)