When the freezing winds of autumn start swirling around you, you’ll need some way to warm yourself inside and out. And while a nice flannel shirt or winter hat does the trick, a warming spirit is even better. Sure, whiskey seems to be the most popular choice on a chilly fall day but you definitely shouldn’t overlook tequila. Especially long-aged, nuanced añejo tequila.
Tsuru Goto, food and beverage manager at Society Cafe in New York City has noticed an uptick in guests ordering añejo tequila this season. “Tequila is obviously experiencing some real growth right now, with a lot of guests starting to turn toward aged tequilas in fall.”
Añejo tequila is matured between one and three years in charred oak. This longer aging time makes for a more complex, flavorful tequila with notes of vanilla beans, roasted agave, oak, and baking spices (among other flavors). Because of these flavors, añejos are a great choice to sip neat to warm you on a cool fall night.
To find the best expressions of the season, we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best warming añejo tequilas to drink this fall. Keep scrolling to see all of their agave-based choices.
Tequila Ocho Single Barrel
Joe Vandal, owner of Coa Cantina in Breckenridge, Colorado
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: $130
The Tequila:
The Tequila Ocho Single Barrel Añejo is one of my favorites. Sitting over 100-proof, it packs a punch in a good way. Some people are going to bark at me for this, but this juice makes an incredible Cadillac-style margarita as well. It shines bright in the cocktail.
Tasting Notes:
I still get cooked agave, vanilla, oak, and some warming pepper. It’s a very flavorful tequila that’s well-suited for sipping or mixing.
Fortaleza Añejo
Alex Barbatsis, bar director at The Whistler in Chicago
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $90
The Tequila:
If you can find a bottle, Fortaleza Añejo Tequila is a wonderful añejo tequila for fall drinking. It’s aged 18 months in American Oak barrels and is sure to warm you up. Try to track a bottle down soon.
Tasting Notes:
When you sip it, you’ll get big caramel and butterscotch notes along with a thick, cooked agave mouthfeel. A spicy finish adds to the warming feeling.
Casa Noble Añejo
Tsuru Goto, food and beverage manager at Society Cafe in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $57
The Tequila:
While there are some more commonly known brands out there, for our splurge sipper we’ve been going with Casa Noble. The quality of the wood they select for the aging process comes through in the balance of flavors.
Tasting Notes:
It’s an off-dry añejo with these nice flavors of orange marmalade, caramelized agave, dried red fruit, dark chocolate, and a hint of black pepper.
Calirosa Añejo
Petr Balcarovsky, lead bartender of The Apparatus Room in Detroit
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $65
The Tequila:
My pick is Calirosa Añejo. Aged for a minimum of eighteen months in barrels that formerly held red wine, it’s a warming, complex tequila well-suited for cold fall weather.
Tasting Notes:
Calirosa Añejo tequila has notes of toffee, cinnamon, and dried fruit. These amazing qualities would make this gem a fantastic companion to your book-by-the-fire experience, especially on a rainy fall evening with its soothing bouquet of warming spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Siete Leguas Añejo
Benjamin Brinton, general manager of Merriman’s in Waimea, Hawaii
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $54
The Tequila:
I love Siete Leguas Añejo. Their entire line, across the board, is fantastic. Always agave forward with no additives (using additives is a total deal breaker for any serious tequila lover).
Tasting Notes:
It has a very clean flavor with balanced notes of vanilla and caramel, a little cinnamon and baking spice find their way in as well. The oak is very well-integrated and never overpowering for me.
Dulce Vida Extra Añejo
Wyn Vida, beverage director at Toshokan in Austin, Texas
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $170
The Tequila:
When it comes to tequila, I will always be ready for an extra añejo. This fall, you’ll find me sipping Dulce Vida Extra Añejo, which I love because it is 100-proof and completely organic. I prefer it neat or on a large format ice cube so that you can note the flavors and characteristics that are unique to it.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor profile has strong vanilla and tobacco notes that are perfect for a cozy night, with warm cinnamon and butter topping it off. Gentle spices throughout are sure to keep you warm if a roaring fire doesn’t do the trick.
Tequila Komos Añejo Reserva
Mike Herchuck, director of operations at American Social Bar & Kitchen in Miami
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $105
The Tequila:
My new obsession is Tequila Komos Añejo Reserva. It is soft and smooth but doesn’t taste like a vanilla cupcake like a lot of popular tequilas do these days.
Tasting Notes:
It starts with black pepper and quickly goes to baking spices. All are warming and perfect for fall. For an añejo, it doesn’t hide the true agave flavor that many do.
Patron Sherry Cask Aged Añejo
Amber Milner, director of beverage at Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $90
The Tequila:
Patron Sherry Cask Aged Añejo is my favorite because you can still taste the agave in the tequila, but you have the sweetness coming from the sherry cask which picks up many of those fall flavors that are recognizable.
Tasting Notes:
What flavors make it great? Pecans, vanilla, and clove all bring you into the fall season. The latter wraps you up like a blanket and adds an extra warming feel.
Corralejo Añejo
Dennis Baby, head bartender at Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa in Maldives
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $45
The Tequila:
The Corralejo Añejo. It’s the slow-sipping tequila you’ve been waiting for in the fall. Freshly squeezed tangerine and lemon can lift these characters to their peak.
Tasting Notes:
This Tequila is very smooth in the mouth and has a combination of light butterscotch, vanilla, and fine wood spices making it slightly sweet. That being said, it has enough spice to warm you while you sip it slowly on a chilly night.
Teremana Añejo
Resa Mueller, bartender at R&D Philly in Philadelphia
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Tequila:
With the weather slowly getting colder and the gravitation towards comforting baking spice flavor notes across food and beverage, I look for an añejo tequila that still has some lightness to it with just enough from the barrel to make it feel cozy and inviting. Teremana Añejo hits the mark here.
Tasting Notes:
The vanilla, caramel, and toasted wood layer in on top of cooked agave to keep it light enough for one of those warmer days but still has enough body and flavor to stand out and warm you on a colder night. This tequila punches well above its weight, coming in at a relatively affordable price point so you don’t have to feel too guilty about having an extra pour to get you through the effects of the Daylight Savings Time change.
ArteNOM Seleccion de 1146 Añejo
Vincent Bolognini, head bartender at Due West in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $80
The Tequila:
With the weather cooling and the nights getting longer, I lean towards the ArteNOM Seleccion de 1146 Añejo. First matured for fourteen months in former Cabernet Franc wine barrels, it then spends another fourteen months in American white oak that originally held either Tennessee rye whiskey or Canadian whiskey depending on the batch.
Tasting Notes:
The nose has a beautiful aroma of baking spices and the first sip has a subtle sweetness with underlying tones of dark chocolate and orange zest; the finish is long, enticing, and very warming.
Olmeca Altos Añejo
Dana Lachenmayer, head bartender at The Wesley in New York City
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $44
The Tequila:
The recipient of many awards and for good reason, Olmeca Altos is my favorite añejo tequila to sip on this fall. Aging in smaller 200-liter bourbon barrels ensures a more complex flavor profile and a nice smooth landing.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of dried fruit, almond, caramel, and vanilla are balanced with subtle notes of black pepper, herbs, and a toasty quality. This is my go-to tequila to sip neat to warm me on an unseasonably cool evening.
