Your favorite south-of-the-border spirit grows up . . . in time to be paired with your favorite smoke

A few decades ago the mere mention of tequila would have conjured up blurred visions of all-night frat parties, half-gallon jugs of nondescript firewater and a fear the next morning that you were going to die — or an even greater fear that you wouldn’t.

Today, tequila has taken a quantum leap into the civilized spotlight of sophistication. Rather than being gulped from a dusty bottle in a Nogales cantina, Mexico’s signature spirit is more at home sipped from a Baccarat snifter at the Ritz-Carlton. Although the basics of tequila haven’t changed since the Aztecs first distilled juices squeezed from the roasted meat of the blue agave (a pineapple-looking plant that is a member of the lily family), the quality of agaves and a refinement of distillation have resulted in an immensely superior spirit.

There are five styles of tequila: blanco, clear and often straight from the still; reposado, barrel-aged for a minimum of two months; añejo, aged in barrels for a minimum of one year; joven, unaged, colored and flavored with caramel; and the newest category, extra añejo, super-premium tequilas aged for over three years. While cocktails such as the margarita and Ruby Rita (tequila, pink grapefruit juice and Cointreau) taste infinitely better when made with premium tequilas, the following spirits are best savored straight.

Gran Patrón Burdeos Añejo ($500)
The best blanco is triple-distilled Gran Patrón Platinum. Its thick, vibrant creaminess is worthy of its etched, numbered crystal carafe and magnetic-hinged Maplewood case. But now comes Gran Patrón Burdeos, a limited-production añejo with the earthy color of Armagnac.

Using the Gran Patrón Platinum as a base, this elixir acquires its hue by being aged a minimum of 12 months in French and American oak barrels, before being redistilled and aged further in French oak Bordeaux barrels — bringing out a complexity of dried fruit and vanilla. Befitting this super-premium tequila, a black walnut display case houses the crystal bottle and matching “bumblebee” stopper, along with a corkscrew for unleashing this rare spirit.
Pairing: Padrón 1964 Anniversary

Dos Lunas Grand Reserve Extra Añejo ($2,500)
This new extra añejo comes in individually numbered and agave-etched Baccarat crystal decanters. Touted as the oldest commercially available tequila in the world, Dos Lunas Grand Reserve is matured for 10 years in sherry barrels, which imparts a honeyed marzipan nuance and a cognac-like texture. The blanco has a similar spicy creaminess, while the reposado, aged for nine months in new oak and ex-whiskey barrels, imparts the sweetness of vanillin. An añejo is due later this year.
Pairing: Fuente Opus X

Don Julio 1942 Añejo ($145)
Ironic fact of the day: The best-selling tequila in Mexico was created by a man who didn’t drink. Don Julio González could stand in the doorway of his distillery and, by smelling the pungent, yeast-laden air, know his distillations were going well. Such expertise still lies behind the production of the cinnamon and honey-laced reposado. But the two-and-a-half-year-old 1942 añejo, commemorating the year González started his distillery, stands out with its sweet oak and caramel accents.

A distinctive agave leaf–shaped bottle and turquoise penca box showcase this barrel–aged tequila. Scarcer yet is Don Julio Real, an extra añejo aged three and five years, thick with layers of apples, vanilla, almonds and oak. The hand-blown decanter is, appropriately, decorated with silver agave leaves.
Pairing: Davidoff Special R

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia 2007 ($100)

The annual limited bottling of Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia is both collectable and drinkable. Sourced from the family-owned distillery’s private stocks, this añejo is aged an average of three years, but the final blend includes tequilas as old as 30 years.

The first bottle of Reserva de la Familia was created in 1995 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the world’s best-known tequila. A new bottling has been produced every year since, and a Mexican artist is commissioned to create a distinctive wooden box to house the numbered, dated and wax-sealed bottle with its colorful label. Owing to its multiple vintages, the flavor is complex, with rich caramel and honeyed molasses overtones.
Pairing: Ashton San Cristobal

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