Don Julio

The first Cristalino ever to be made.

When we were 17,
It was a very good year…
It wasn’t start-making-your-own-luxury-Tequila good, though. But that's exactly how good it was for one of the most famous Tequila producers – Don Julio who threw himself in the Tequila-making business at the tender age of 17 in 1942 in the Highlands of Jalisco. A perfectionist, he obsessively monitored every step of production, even personally making sure that each agave was planted far apart with enough room to grow. Using his young pioneering mind, he went on to design a lower, square-shaped Tequila bottle – he wasn’t a fan of the tall ones since you couldn’t see your friends across the table.

Considering what Don Julio was up to at 17, his 70th anniversary of Tequila wizardry had to be spectacular. We would’ve probably just organized a dinner, but Don Julio developed a whole new style of Tequila – Cristalino.

Don Julio 70 Cristalino was the first Cristalino ever made. The concept is something like: the flavors of Blanco and Añejo Tequilas but without the color. Aged for 18 months in American white oak ex-Bourbon casks, Cristalino is then charcoal filtered. This removes the color but also enhances the typical Blanco flavors of crisp agave, citrus and fruity notes and balances them with typical Añejo notes of vanilla and caramel. It’s like a Blanco and Añejo all in one complex dram.

Smartass Corner:
Cristalino Tequila was developed by Don Julio in 2011 and it originally called "Añejo Claro."

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