It’s May, which means you’ve probably got one thing bubbling on the mind: tequila. Sure Cinco de Mayo is Christmas for tequila, but let’s be honest: tequila season pretty much lasts until the leaves start to turn reposado yellow. While we love our blancos, silvers and jovens, there’s a special place on our shelves reserved for Extra Añejos — the ultra-smooth, impeccably polished agave category that requires at least 36 months of softening in oak. Here are 5 of our favorite XA tequila expressions to pour neat into your tumbler, to be enjoyed slowly with your favorite cigar.
Grand Mayan Ultra Aged Extra Añejo
Grand Mayan makes delicious juice with plenty of patience, focusing on slow-cooking exclusively hand-picked Central-Highland blue agave in brick and stone ovens. Time honored processes continue from Grand Mayan’s copper pot stills to the wood they use to age their product (American oak and French ex-cognac barrels). Their halo Ultra Aged expression is an Extra Añejo aged at least 5 years — a Rip Van Winkle-like nap that polishes off all edges and impurities, leaving only the most dulcet of oak, marmalade and natural vanilla ice cream notes, with a dollop of agave syrup dripped on top. One of the smoothest, organically sweet XA tequilas available, bottled in handsome Talavera ceramic.
$100
With notes of nuts, blue agave, and dark chocolate that lead to a complex and delicious long finish, Grand Mayan Ultra Aged Extra Añejo pairs beautifully with the spicy and complex notes of E.P. Carrillo Allegiance.
El Tequileño Extra Añejo
Established in 1959 by a scion of the most famous family in tequila, Don Jorge Salles Cuervo’s El Tequileño eventually helped make him an icon of his own. Don Jorge’s roots dug so deep into the red clay soil he named his new brand in honor of its birthplace, and only two years after launching his Blanco was hand-picked by legendary bar La Capilla as the prime ingredient in their Batanga cocktail — the actual official cocktail-of-choice for thirsty Jalisco locals (sorry margarita). Last year Don Jorge’s son Gran Tequilero Juan Antonio Salles, and grandson third-generation Master Distiller Jorge Antonio “Tony” Salles, launched their first Extra Añejo under the El Tequileño brand — a gorgeous, creamy spirit aged between 3-4 years in both American oak and new French oak barrels, packaged in a luminous crystal Bastiaan Decanter. Think rich flavors of roasted cashews, burnt orange and toasted oak, never overwhelming the integral cooked agave.
$800
El Tequileño Extra Añejo is creamy and lush, and its notes of toasted oak, toffee, come with a slight earthiness that set the stage for a perfect match when enjoyed with Black Label Trading Company Lawless.
Cierto Reserve Collection Extra Añejo
Winning 'World’s Best Tequila' in 2020 for their ‘Reserve Collection Extra Añejo,’ Cierto founders Sergio Mendoza and Enrique Fonseca made a big splash quickly out of the gate. Not surprisingly, as Mendoza and Fonseca are 4th and 5th generation agaveros respectively, meaning the guys who plant, grow, care for and harvest the plump agaves that mystically transform into tequila. Part of Cierto’s promise is to harvest their piñas only at peak ripeness — not a given in a world of frequent agave shortages, where brands reap unripened agaves due to crazy commercial demands. Rather Cierto relies on its generational expertise to make the call when their agaves are ready. Their Private Collection Extra Añejo ages for at least three years in French Limousin oak picking up a cognac-like mouthfeel, aroma, golden hue and color, complimenting the natural cooked agave with tobacco, sweet cherry, honey and oak.
$279.
Cierto Reserve Collection Extra Añejo has a cognac-like mouthfeel and a subtle note of tobacco. This gorgeous Extra Añejo is the perfect match for Warped Eagles Descent.
Lunazul Extra Añejo
This is an XA aimed at dyed-in-the-wool bourbon lovers — not just because it’s aged in ex-Elijah Craig barrels for 36 months, but more so in its thick waves of caramel and vanilla, finished with spicy pepper. Doesn’t hurt Lunazul is imported under the banner of Heaven Hill, unquestionably one of the premier names in the American whiskey pantheon. Crafted by their partner Tierra de Agaves’ Master Tequilero Francisco Quijano, their XA was released alongside a couple other innovative expressions under its Primero Collection, including the Primero-Cristalino and Primero-Humoso. The Extra Añejo is what you should seek, however, if you’re an American whiskey fan looking to migrate your palate south of the border.
$60
Lunazul Extra Añejo boasts rich caramel and vanilla flavors and a hint of baking spices, with a note of spicy Mexican dark chocolate. We suggest enjoying it need, with the medium bodied The Sergeant by Luciano for a pairing you’ll want to revisit all summer long.
Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo
Tears of Llorona is so dedicated to long-aged tequila that that is literally all they make. Distilled at La Tequilana distillery (where excellent options like Don Fulano and the aforementioned Cierto are crafted), the very rare tequila plucked from the personal cellars of Master Distiller Germán González was strictly distilled via copper pot stills using his own proprietary yeast. Tears of Llorona taps only tequila that’s aged for a minimum of four-and-a-half years in casks that previously held cognac, sherry and single malt scotch. The trilogy of different palates are expertly blended to create a highly complex spirit boasting a spectrum of flavors, yet retains an unwavering central spine of cooked agave — thanks at least partly to its 43% ABV.
$250
Agave forward and deeply complex with notes of citrus, cinnamon, sweet smoky oak, and nuts, this every-changing linger demands a cigar of equal intricacy. It’s why we recommend RoMa Craft Whiskey Rebellion 1794.
Want to try out all of these cigars? Shop early and grab out 4th of July Sampler before it’s gone!
